Milton Mount Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Milton Mount Primary School Grattons Drive, Pound Hill, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 3AG

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Mrs Anne Holmes. This school is part of Greensand Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Susan Wardlow, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nigel Anthony Gout.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value this welcoming and inclusive school. They benefit from a positive and nurturing environment. Pupils are happy. They enjoy warm relationships with staff. Pupils have a strong sense of belonging, which helps them to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the centre of all leaders’ decisions about the school’s quality of education and care. Adults have high aspirations for all pupils to achieve well. Pupils appreciate the way adults in school help them when they find things tricky. However, some pupils have gaps in their understanding because leaders have not yet checked how well the curriculum is being delivered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They play well together at playtimes. Pupils enjoy the broad range of wider opportunities on offer. These help to develop pupils’ skills and interests in many areas, such as sport, gardening and choir. Pupils of all ages and abilities can attend these clubs.

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum. In some subjects, for example physical education (PE), staff have clearly identified the important knowledge that pupils must learn. In these stronger subjects, teachers support pupils effectively to achieve well. However, the curriculum in some subjects is not as well developed, and pupils do not achieve as well as 21 and 22 June 2023

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they should. There are well-considered plans to address this in place, but some developments are in their early stages.

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Reading is at the heart of pupils’ education. Staff have ensured that reading is taught using a systematic approach. Children learn phonics right from the start of Reception. Staff demonstrate secure knowledge and skills when teaching phonics and early reading. They use their expertise to ensure that children and pupils get to grips with their letters and sounds quickly. Staff match pupils’ books to the sounds they know. This helps pupils to read accurately and fluently. This increases their confidence in reading across the wider curriculum. Teachers’ work to improve the reading environment and culture of reading is strong. Classrooms and the library are full of interesting books for pupils to enjoy. Story time is an important and valued part of the day.

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In some subjects, teachers identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge well. Teachers revisit prior learning routinely to help important knowledge stick in pupils’ memories. For example, in mathematics, pupils expertly use their knowledge of number to solve mathematical problems. However, in subjects where the curriculum is not yet completely sequenced, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding as effectively. This means that teachers do not know how well pupils are learning the content they have been taught.

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Leaders at all levels and staff work well together to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt learning appropriately for pupils with SEND, ensuring they can follow the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND are fully involved in all aspects of school life. They take part in the full range of clubs offered by the school.

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Leaders at all levels have introduced a clear approach to managing behaviour in lessons. Pupils know and understand these expectations. Most pupils focus on their learning. They enjoy talking about what they know. However, occasionally, some pupils behave in a way that distracts others. Most of the time, this is dealt with effectively.

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The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is well considered. Pupils learn about keeping safe, risks in the community, different families and growing up in a sensitive way. Pupils have many opportunities to represent the school through pupil leadership roles, and they are proud to serve their school. For example, they have recently focused on diversity and how to make all pupils and visitors to the school welcome, regardless of their background. Pupils feel that leaders listen to their contributions.

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Governors are proud to be members of the school community. Leaders at all levels, including governors, have a clear vision for school improvement. Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported. Networking and planning across the trust have helped staff to manage their workload and to develop their subject knowledge. They say that leaders are considerate of the well-being of all members of the school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 and 22 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders at all levels have not identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn precisely enough. Where this is the case, pupils do not build their understanding systematically. They do not achieve as well as they should. Staff must ensure that sequences of learning for all subjects contain sufficient detail so that pupils learn key content thoroughly and deepen their understanding over time.  Leaders have not yet established effective processes to assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding in some subjects. Therefore, pupils recall of their learning is inconsistent. Leaders need to ensure that staff use assessment effectively to check what pupils know and remember across the whole curriculum.

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Background

When we have judged 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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Milton Mount Primary School, to be good in September 2018.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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.

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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. 21 and 22 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268762 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Milton Mount Primary School is an academy converter to the Greensand Multi-Academy Trust.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, and other school staff. They also met with the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, members of the governing body and members of the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, PE and science. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult. 21 and 22 June 2023

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 Inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including the safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. They considered how well the designated safeguarding leader acts on concerns about pupils’ welfare and safety. Inspectors talked to pupils, staff and governors about how the school keeps everyone safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text replies, and responses to the staff and pupil surveys.  An inspector spoke with parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Mineza Maher, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Cousins Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 June 2023

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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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