Margaret McMillan Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Margaret McMillan Primary School Scotchman Road, Heaton, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD9 5DF

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Outcome

Margaret McMillan Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to the school because of all the interesting things they do. One pupil said, ‘I absolutely love the residential trips. They make me grow as a person.’ Many pupils take part in sports, music, cooking and many other activities after school. Parents and carers are very positive about the school, making comments such as: ‘Teachers are easy to approach if we have any concerns.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they are very well looked after and that they feel safe in the school. They say bullying is rare. If they have any worries, they say they would be happy approaching an adult for help.

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What is it like to attend this school?

No two days are the same at this school. This makes learning exciting. Pupils say the best thing about the school are the visits, including overnight stays. They also enjoy the many visitors to the school, such as professional dancers. Many pupils are proud to take on responsibilities, for example becoming playground friends or reading to younger children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite. They understand that it is important to treat everyone the same. Teachers really challenge pupils. Pupils enjoy this challenge, so they concentrate hard in lessons. They are keen to please their teachers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The headteacher and her senior team put reading as their top priority. Phonics is taught well. It starts as soon as children enter the Nursery class. Leaders have made sure that it is clear what pupils should have learned at each stage in Reception and Year 1. This makes it very easy to see which pupils need more support. Children in Reception get an additional twenty minutes when they practise their phonics through reading a book. As a result, children soon develop a love of reading, which continues right through the school. It is not unusual to see older pupils reading to younger children in class. Pupils of all ages love to listen to the stories their teachers read to them daily. The training for teachers in phonics has been first class. Staff at the beginning of their careers have many 4–5 December 2019

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opportunities to observe and learn from the best in the school. Children in Reception do not take books home so that they can continue practising their phonics. Books used in school are well matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge.

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Mathematics is taught well right through the school. In 2019, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the national tests taken in Year 6 was broadly average. The curriculum is well designed. This makes sure that pupils develop a deep understanding of mathematics. By the time pupils reach Year 6, they can calculate well, they know their times tables and they can do mental mathematics efficiently. In the early years, children learn to count and do simple calculations. They play games involving numbers and shapes. This increases children’s curiosity about mathematics. As pupils move through the school, they learn more complex mathematics and can solve problems using the skills they have learned.

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School leaders are working on other areas of the curriculum. This is to make sure that pupils build their subject knowledge and remember what they have been taught. Teachers are also working hard to ensure that they have the right skills to teach subjects such as history. Leaders are taking the right action to make sure schemes of work are in place.

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Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Teachers and teaching assistants know just how much support to give. They make sure pupils who have SEND become confident, independent learners.

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In the early years, children make friends quickly and behave well. Adults constantly talk to children. This helps to improve and extend children’s vocabulary. Children who have English as an additional language are supported well. They soon begin talking confidently in English.

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The trust board knows the school well. Members are well aware of the school’s strengths and what needs improving further. They have ensured that funding is available to improve the curriculum further, particularly in subjects beyond English and mathematics.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a good culture of safeguarding in the school. All staff, including lunchtime supervisors, are well aware of what they must do if they have any concerns. Their training is thorough and regular. Staff have a weekly quiz to make sure their knowledge is up to date.

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Safeguarding

Appropriate checks are made on all staff before they take up a position at the school. The site is safe and secure.

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Safeguarding

Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe. One pupil eagerly told the lead inspector that it is important to ‘stop, drop and roll’, should you catch fire. Also, pupils are well aware of what they must do to keep themselves safe when using the internet. 4–5 December 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Children in Reception do not have books to take home that match their ability in phonics. This leads to periods of time when pupils do not practise their reading skills with books that match their phonics knowledge. School leaders need to make sure that parents are given guidance about how to support their child’s reading. Leaders should also arrange for pupils to take books home, so pupils can practise their reading skills.  Subject leaders have high expectations but are at different stages of developing their curriculum. As a result, in some subjects, particularly history, pupils do not gain a deep level of understanding. Subject leaders need to make sure their curriculum plans are completed and that staff access the necessary training for their plans to be implemented effectively.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school Margaret McMillan Primary School to be good in March 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 4–5 December 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 4–5 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10119935 Type of school Primary

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provision

Appropriate authority The Board of Trustees

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provision

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have SEND is similar to the national average.  The school is part of the Priestley Academy Trust, which operates five schools around the Manningham area of Bradford.

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Information about this inspection

 We held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. We met with three members of the board of trustees, the chief executive officer and several groups of children. We also met with leaders responsible for safeguarding and the special educational needs coordinator.  We held discussions with lunchtime supervisors, office staff, teachers and teaching assistants about safeguarding procedures. 4–5 December 2019

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 We agreed with the headteacher to review the curriculum for: early reading and phonics, mathematics, history and music. We talked to curriculum leaders, visited lessons, talked to pupils about their work and completed work scrutinies. We listened to a group of pupils read.  We looked at a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. We also reviewed reports from the local authority, development plans and information on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Robert Jones, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mary Lanovy-Taylor Ofsted Inspector 4–5 December 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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