Milborne Port Primary School

Inspection of Milborne Port Primary School North Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5EP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of the many ways they contribute to the life of the school. For example, members of the school council plan fundraising events for charity. Older pupils plan games for children in Reception Year to play at breaktime. They help children to take turns. Pupils take roles as monitors around the school. This gives them a sense of responsibility and pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At breaktimes, pupils mostly play well together. When there is unkindness, pupils know staff will help them to resolve it. In lessons, pupils focus on their learning. Teachers plan lots of opportunities for pupils to talk about their learning. Pupils know the expectations well. They follow their teachers’ instructions and move between talking and listening quickly. In Reception Year, children move between the carpet and their desks sensibly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is strengthening links with the community. For example, older pupils talk to senior citizens and serve food at the local lunch club. The school choir sings at village events. Through this, pupils represent their school and contribute to the wider community. The school plans visiting speakers and trips to support the curriculum, such as a Reception class visit to a safari park.

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better?

The school has planned a broad and ambitious curriculum. More recently, the school has focused on developing a few of the foundation subjects. It has ensured the curriculum is well sequenced. The school has deepened the knowledge and vocabulary it wants pupils to know. This means teachers know what pupils will learn and when. In a few parts of the curriculum, this planning is recent. As a result, teachers are just beginning to develop their knowledge and expertise of these areas of the curriculum.

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better?

The school has some mixed-age classes. This is new for the school. For these classes, the school has not fully considered how curriculum planning will ensure all pupils learn the full content.

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better?

In Reception Year, teachers plan the learning activities around common topics in which the children show interest. Staff help children to develop their communication through effective interactions. In the pre-school, the school plans lots of outdoor activity for children to explore and develop. The focus on developing speech and language prepares children as they move on from the pre-school to the school.

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better?

Teachers check how well pupils understand their learning. The school has recently implemented a common approach for pupils to revisit their learning. This helps pupils to remember more. The school evaluates how well this works. They talk to pupils about their learning and look at their work. As a result, pupils are beginning to have a better recall of what they have learned. They use this knowledge to help them with new learning. 1 and 2 May 2024

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is carefully planned for. The school ensures all staff have well planned and relevant training to develop their expertise. This supports staff to ensure pupils with SEND have meaningful targets. Teachers review these regularly. As a result, pupils and parents feel confident about the support pupils receive. Parents highlight the better communication they now have with the school.

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The school ensures it teaches the reading programme with care. Staff regularly train to ensure they teach pupils to read well consistently. They track what letter sounds pupils know and which ones they need to secure. They plan extra support to help pupils who need it. As a result, pupils make good progress through the reading curriculum.

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Pupils learn to keep themselves safe, both online and in the community. Through the personal, social, health education curriculum, pupils are aware of how they are growing and changing. They learn to stay healthy, both mentally and physically. The school plans for pupils to have a growing awareness of a range of careers. For example, a pilot recently visited to talk to the pupils.

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In recent years, the school has experienced instability and changing leadership. The new headteacher has provided a clear shared vision. The school has clarity in the developments needed to bring about continued improvement. Staff feel well supported. They say the developments are well thought through. Parents understand the challenges that the recent changes have brought. The governing body is diligent in its work to look outward and support the next steps the school is taking. They seek external advice and support to make sure they have a good understanding. This helps them to challenge effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few subjects in the wider curriculum have been recently developed. Although they are well-planned, teachers are developing their expertise and knowledge of the content. The school should make sure teachers have the training and support to ensure the curriculum is well implemented in those subjects.  Mixed-age classes are new to the school. Some parts of the curriculum have not been precisely planned for this. As a result, the school does not know how all pupils will learn the full curriculum. The school needs to ensure the curriculum is planned so it is equitable for all pupils. 1 and 2 May 2024

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 1 and 2 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.milborneport.somerset.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 January 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher commenced their role in September 2023. Prior to this, an interim headteacher had been in post.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.  The school has a pre-school, ‘The Beeches’, for children from two years old.  There is before- and after-school provision managed by the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 1 and 2 May 2024

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and history. 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.  Inspectors looked more widely across the curriculum. They met with subject leaders, reviewed plans and looked at pupils’ work in other foundation subjects.  The inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and staff. They also met with members of the governing body, including the chair.  The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to an adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. The inspector met with school leaders to review how they respond to behaviour

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incidents and pupils’ attendance.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered key documentation, including school development plans and minutes of governors’ meetings.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Debbie Tregellas Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 May 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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