Milton Hall Primary School and Nursery

Milton Hall Primary School and Nursery Salisbury Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7AU

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have created a highly inclusive ethos in this school. All pupils are made extremely welcome, and individual differences are encouraged and celebrated.  Progress of pupils from key stage 1 to key stage 2 is above average. In 2018, provisional results show that pupils’ progress is well above national averages in all of reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers provide a broad and balanced curriculum, encouraging pupils to ask questions and investigate the answers through topics.  Leaders have put in place high-quality extended provision that enhances pupils’ experiences. This includes specialist drama and media teaching for all age groups.  The school is well led, with the senior team working closely together with teachers to improve teaching quality. Adults have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve.  Governors have a clear understanding of what the school’s areas for development are. They

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

plan with leaders and monitor actions to improve the school’s work.  Children in the early years make a good start to their education. Parents are well supported, and a variety of events involve them in the life of the school and in knowing how to help their children do well.  Teachers plan together in teams and make good use of subject knowledge to plan sequences of learning activities.  Pupils are proud to be members of the school. They attend regularly and enjoy their time in school.  In some classes, pupils are not challenged to do their best. Pride in their work is not always well-developed and some pupils have poor presentation skills.  The school curriculum aims for pupils to be curious and interested in what they are learning. Where teaching is not strong, or routines not fully established, pupils are not always engaged in their learning. Consequently, there is some low-level misbehaviour.  Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

key stage 2. However, there is a gap in attainment between them and other pupils, with disadvantaged pupils, on average, attaining a lower standard overall.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ attitudes and behaviours for learning to enable them to be confident, self-assured learners.  Improve teaching and learning by: – sharing effective practice across the school to secure the highest outcomes for all pupils – make sure teachers have consistently high expectations of pupils’ presentation of work.  Further develop the support for disadvantaged pupils so that they achieve as well as all pupils nationally.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher has led the school effectively to create a highly inclusive community. The school serves a diverse catchment area, and all pupils feel welcome. Her leadership has ensured a key focus on parents and staff working together to make sure that all pupils have the right support and care to make good progress.  Senior leaders work well as a team. They are enthusiastic and have high expectations of what pupils will achieve. Year group leaders model good practice to their team.  Staff feel well supported in their professional development by the senior leaders. Teachers meet regularly to reflect on one another’s practice.  Newly qualified teachers are well supported. They have access to professional development both in school and from external sources. This has made them feel confident at the start of their careers.  Staff are extremely positive about working in the school. The vast majority are proud

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

to work there. There is a clear collaborative approach, with teachers working closely alongside each other. In drama, for example, the class teacher brought in themes from the class story, then this was extended with the specialist input of the drama teacher.  Leaders track pupils’ progress regularly through teacher assessment information. They use this information to target support for individuals or groups that need additional help to catch up. As a consequence, pupils achieve standards in line with national averages at the end of key stage 2, with progress well above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics  The curriculum is particularly broad and focused on engaging, then extending, pupils’ knowledge and vocabulary. Leaders have enhanced the school’s provision over a number of years, with specialist drama, media and technology resources integrated into the curriculum.  Subject leaders have a strong curriculum knowledge and develop teaching in their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

areas by feeding back to staff after checking on the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning.  The pupil premium grant is used well to support disadvantaged pupils. Provision includes a wide range of support and provision to enable all pupils to make good progress. Leaders ensure that this support is evidence based and they monitor each activity to guarantee it has high impact. Provision of high-quality teaching is a priority. The pupil premium grant enables additional time for team observation, training and support, which has raised the standard of teaching.  Enriching disadvantaged pupils’ life experiences is a key priority, with provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Both parents and children are extremely positive about the activities, stating, ‘we love them’. Activities on offer range from rugby, through swing and coding to a ‘Shakespeare Club’, which culminates in performing at the local theatre.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have targeted the performance of the higher attaining disadvantaged pupils, bringing in specialist weekly support from an English professor and involvement in projects such as the ‘Brilliant Club’, working with a university to raise pupils’ aspirations.  The well-being of all pupils in the school is a priority, and funding from the pupil premium grant has further enhanced this for disadvantaged pupils. A school counsellor provides weekly therapy and support for both pupils and parents. The family support worker helps enable families to work alongside the school and promote regular attendance.  The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is new to post but supported by an experienced part-time colleague. Together, they make certain that all pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are properly provided for. Provision and support is planned for on a pupil-by-pupil basis and all make strong progress from

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

their individual starting points.  The sports and physical education (PE) premium grant is used effectively. Provision at playtimes has been extended with a wide range of outdoor climbing and other playground equipment. The school takes part in local sports competitions with other schools and uses specialist coaches from the local football team. All pupils take part in an extended run around the school grounds three times a week. Pupils enjoy this session and are keen to take part in the extra-curricular sports provision.  Leaders ensure that pupils are effectively prepared for life in modern Britain. They take time to reflect on others’ cultures and traditions. For example, a ‘Spirited Art’ competition encouraged pupils to create a piece of artwork and reflect in writing on what the image meant to them and on their faith or beliefs. In assemblies, pupils are encouraged to reflect on how scenarios make them feel ‘proud’ or if they had to

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Governance of the school

 Governors of the school have a clear understanding of the school’s current areas for improvement. They spend time with senior leaders so that they understand exactly what this information means and how leaders have come to this evaluation.  Governors challenge leaders about how they are making effective use of additional funding, with a key emphasis on the provision for disadvantaged pupils.  Members of the governing body undergo regular training to make sure that they are confident in discharging their responsibilities.  They fulfil their statutory responsibilities for ensuring that the appropriate checks are made on new members of staff.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is an extremely strong culture of safeguarding within the school. All staff have a clear understanding of what to do if they are concerned about the welfare of pupils. The designated safeguarding lead deals with concerns quickly and efficiently using a system of tracking multiple concerns, which ensures that pupils who are at risk are identified quickly. The deputy designated safeguarding lead is tenacious, following through referrals to the local authority to quickly secure the support that pupils and families need.  Staff are trained at least yearly and the deputy designated lead shares additional information throughout the year when necessary. New staff have enhanced basic training so that they are confident in recognising concerns and how to report them.  Parents are confident that their children are safe in school. Pupils believe that they are

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Safeguarding

safe, and they know what to do if they did not feel so.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers have high expectations of what pupils will achieve. Any pupils who are at risk of falling behind are given additional support to enable them to catch up. Teachers encourage all pupils to have a positive attitude to learning. This is evident in pupils’ enjoyment and willingness to participate in all activities.  Teaching in mathematics follows a clear structure. Pupils are confident using physical apparatus to support their use of number, for example a counting frame to demonstrate counting up to a much larger number. A high focus has been put on pupils’ reasoning skills. Teachers use challenge questions, with the aim of extending the higher-attaining pupils at the end of mathematical activities.  Writing is often inspired by the school’s strong drama curriculum or by immersion in 3D films using special glasses in the 270-degree projection space. This area highly engages pupils. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good use of this space to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

focus in on books that appear to fill the room and large-scale images, widening their vocabulary through discussion with their teacher. For example, a group watched a section from a documentary about dinosaurs, the scale of the size of them becoming clear due to the wrap-around 3D images.  Teachers start topics with an open-ended question, to which pupils add their own questions. Teachers plan to address the pupils’ areas of interest, together with core knowledge and vocabulary. Leaders have rightly identified that with a high level of learners who speak English as an additional language, vocabulary extension is a key priority. Teachers emphasise key words through use of word banks, spoken language and the use of drama.  PE teaching has a high focus on skills and teamwork, and pupils demonstrate good physical dexterity and are supportive of each other.  Support staff are used effectively. They work closely with pupils who have SEN and/or

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

disabilities to enable them to access the work being covered. Leaders provide weekly training and update sessions which contribute to the support staff being highly skilled.  Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make strong progress from their individual starting points. Pupils respond well to the support that they receive and are keen to practise what they have learned.  Teachers do not consistently insist on the highest standard of presentation and too many pupils do not have pride in their work. Untidy work in mathematics was seen to hold some pupils back, for example creating inaccurate number lines.  Phonics is taught using the school’s chosen scheme, but the programme is not always delivered well. Leaders have, rightly, identified that a higher proportion of pupils could reach the expected standard in the phonics check by the end of Year 2.  Teachers structure pupils’ learning well throughout the curriculum. Where this is

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

effective, and questioning is of a high standard, pupils’ work across a year group is of high quality and shows learning over time. In some classes, where teachers are less effective, pupils are not always challenged to an appropriate level.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils feel extremely safe at school. There are very few incidents of bullying or discriminatory behaviour and these are dealt with quickly and effectively. The school has a pastoral base called The Nest, and all pupils can access this to get help if they feel sad or upset, or if they are finding things difficult on the playground.  The pastoral team works closely with families to enable their children to have the best start to life. They run a wide variety of workshops on how to help children learn, such as cookery classes where pupils serve their parents food related to the topics learned.  Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe online and are very clear about how to do this. They know about being healthy and many choose to have the healthy options at lunchtime.  A high-quality breakfast club is sponsored by a food retailer, so this is provided at no

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Personal development and welfare

cost to parents. Pupils enjoy the club, and it provides a calm start to the day.  Pupils are exceptionally caring to each other. They are thoughtful about members of the school who have SEN and/or disabilities and help them in lessons and out and about in the playground.  Many pupils leave or join the school during the year. Pupils were particularly clear on how welcoming they are to newcomers. All new pupils are assigned a buddy and, if they are at the early stages of acquiring English, this is someone who speaks their language if at all possible. Staff provide additional support to those who are new in terms of basic language phrases. Older pupils have taken part in a nationally accredited scheme to be ‘young translators’, helping the settling process for new children and supporting families who speak little English.  Staff have a good relationship with the pupils in their care. They encourage pupils to

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Personal development and welfare

show each other respect when taking part in discussion in class.  Drama lessons encourage the pupils to consider moral issues from different viewpoints. For example, a pupil stated, ‘I like drama because you can express yourself and be whoever you want to be. There’s no wrong answer.’ In a lesson seen, the pupils were encouraged to consider gender stereotypes in how they would respond to applause in the theatre.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils generally conduct themselves well around school. Lunchtime and playtime are calm and well ordered.  There are clear systems for reward and sanction. Pupils are clear about these and are motivated to behave well. The number of recorded incidents of poor behaviour has reduced in the last year.  Most parents who responded to Parent View, the online survey, believe that poor behaviour is dealt with well in the school.  Attendance has risen over the last few years to be just below the national average. The percentage of pupils who are persistently absent has fallen. The attendance and family liaison officer works closely with families who are at risk of poor attendance.  Most pupils have an excellent attitude to learning. However, there is some low-level disruption in many classes where routines are not well established. This prevents pupils from making the most of every session in school.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils’ progress from the end of key stage 1 to the end of key stage 2 is high and, from provisional figures, is likely to be above national averages.  The school’s assessments show that pupils made steady progress in reading and mathematics over the last academic year, based on teacher assessments against age- related expectations.  Pupils’ attainment at the expected standard or above in reading, writing, mathematics and science is broadly in line with national averages at all key stages. The percentage of pupils achieving greater depth in writing rose in both key stages 1 and 2.  More than half of pupils start Reception with levels of development below what is typical for their age. They make rapid progress in the early years, with a majority achieving a good level of development by the end of Reception.  Pupils read widely. They are motivated by the quizzes and rewards from the school’s reading system, and also speak about their enjoyment of other books.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Disadvantaged pupils also made strong progress in key stage 2, but the attainment of this group remains below that of non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years provide a good start to children’s education. Leaders look to involve parents both before they start and when they are in the school. Teachers run workshops on helping children read. They invite parents in regularly to share their child’s progress through seeing ‘learning journals’.  Relationships between adults and children are warm. Staff model good sharing and polite behaviour. They identify children with additional learning needs quickly and put in place support where appropriate.  The outside areas provide for a wide range of activities. In Nursery, the learning inside links clearly with that outside. For example, children had sung ‘Jack and Jill’ and had seen the teacher telling the story with the help of small world toys. Outside, children completed an obstacle course to see if they could carry the water ‘down the hill’ without spilling any.  The Reception area is shared by all three classes but has plenty of space for children to

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Early years provision Good

both take part in active play and in quieter role play with friends. For example, children performed a song on the ‘stage’, which was accompanied by musical instruments. Adult-led activities, both inside and out, draw on key teaching points from whole-class sessions.  Children are motivated to investigate their surroundings, for example by lifting sand to the top of the climbing frame by using a pulley. Their behaviour is good and they show that they feel safe in the environment.  Teachers make effective use of music and song to establish routines, for example by welcoming and starting mathematics sessions.  Children have access to the specialist teaching on offer in the school, such as using cameras, which they do with care and attention. They have taken photographs in the style of David Bailey (their class name).  The curriculum is planned on a thematic basis but draws on individual children’s interests, for example comparing size in the context of pumpkins linked to Autumn.

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Early years provision Good

 Safeguarding is effective and statutory welfare requirements are met.  There is a high focus on speech and language, which reflects the needs of the proportion of children who speak English as an additional language. All teachers emphasise the use of key words and phonics, but some do not do this to a high standard.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address office@miltonhall.southend.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 February 2018

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium grant is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is well above the national average.  The school has a breakfast club that is run out of the premises of Summercourt Children’s Centre, separately registered and inspected, but on the school site.  The school is part of the Southend-on-Sea Primary Teaching School Alliance.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed learning in every class and in several small group sessions. Some of these observations were undertaken alongside members of the senior leadership team.  A wide range of pupils’ workbooks from the current academic year and a selection from the previous year were looked at by the inspection team.  The inspection team met with representatives from the local governing body. They met with senior leaders, subject leaders and a group of newly qualified teachers.  The school council met with an inspector, as did a group of pupils from across the school. Inspectors also spoke to pupils informally in lessons and at playtimes. The 15 responses to the pupil survey were considered.  The inspection team scrutinised the school’s website and a range of documents, including assessment information, the improvement plan and the school’s self- evaluation.  Children read to inspectors and talked about their reading preferences.

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Information about this inspection

 The 91 total responses and the 45 free-text responses made by parents to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, were considered. The inspection team also spoke to some parents before school.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Estcourt Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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