Millbrook Primary School

Inspection of Millbrook Primary School Worsley Road, Freshbrook, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 8NU

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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

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The headteacher of this school is Karen Shawyer. This school is part of Grove Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Aaron Griffiths, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by AJ Cripps. 26 and 27 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a welcoming place. Staff look after pupils well. They help pupils to share their feelings and pupils receive support to manage their emotions. Staff and pupils have positive relationships. This means pupils feel happy and safe. They trust staff to help them and this means they settle well into their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils demonstrate the school’s ‘purple promises’ by showing kindness and respect to each other. They move around the school in a calm and orderly manner. Older pupils help younger pupils to have happy playtimes and they play well with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to fulfil their potential and most pupils achieve well. Pupils are enthusiastic to learn and share their ideas. Staff praise pupils for their good work and this motivates them to produce high-quality work. Most pupils listen to instructions and follow routines well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their character by visiting the local care home, where they read stories and sing to the residents. The school council is proactive in keeping the school site litter free. They organise events to raise money for national charities, for example, by holding a dance competition. This helps pupils to develop a sense of responsibility.

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

Reading is at the heart of this school. Pupils read a wide range of high-quality texts. As pupils move through the school, they receive books to keep at home. These texts support pupils to deepen their curriculum knowledge and widen their understanding of the world. Reading is an important part of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) curriculum. There are many opportunities for children to listen to stories and engage in active rhymes and songs. Staff support children to use drama to bring stories alive. For example, in pre- school, children act out the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’. Staff support them to sequence the events and use the vocabulary and language from the story. This helps children to build their language and knowledge of familiar tales.

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

The school has implemented an effective phonics curriculum. Children in the Reception Year become familiar with the routines of learning to read. They quickly begin to learn letters and sounds. Staff check that pupils are building their knowledge well. Pupils practise reading books with the sounds they know. Staff support pupils to build confidence and fluency.

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

The school has designed and implemented an ambitious curriculum. This starts in EYFS and supports pupils to build their knowledge over time. The curriculum identifies the vocabulary that pupils need to know and the skills they will build and return to. The school has an accurate understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including those in the ‘ark’ unit. It identifies and assesses pupils’ needs and supports them to access the curriculum. This helps pupils to build their knowledge and progress well through the curriculum. 26 and 27 November 2024

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Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. Most pupils listen and respond well to staff. Staff understand the individual needs of pupils and they support them in an expert and sensitive way.

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In some subjects, some activities that teachers plan do not secure or deepen pupils’ learning well enough. As a result, pupils do not always learn as much as they could and do not secure their knowledge well.

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Pupils reflect on the lives of others. They learn about the injustices faced by children in other countries, and they discuss why this is unfair. Pupils make a positive contribution to their local community by holding a harvest service in the church to collect items for the foodbank. This helps them to show empathy for others and make a positive contribution to the community.

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The school’s work on resilience is supporting pupils to build their skills of managing challenges. ‘Resilience rucksacks’ remind pupils of the skills they need to overcome difficulties. For example, in a ‘road to resilience’ assembly, pupils consider the skills they need to persevere.

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The academy committee, trust leaders and trustees have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and next steps. They regularly check the effectiveness of the school’s work and challenge the school to ensure it continues to improve. Staff value the supportive culture in the school. They are positive about the training they receive, which helps to teach the curriculum well.

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Parents and carers are positive about the school. They value the weekly blogs and ‘welcome Wednesdays’, which helps them to continue their child’s learning at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, some activities that teachers plan do not secure pupils’ knowledge. This prevents pupils from building their knowledge well over time. The trust should support teachers in developing activities that deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding in all subjects. 26 and 27 November 2024

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined Grove Learning Trust in March 2024.  The school has a specialist resource base for 19 for pupils with complex learning needs.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 26 and 27 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, and the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator.  Trustees, trust leaders and members of the academy committee met with the lead inspector.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to pupils and looked at samples of work in writing, geography

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and design and technology.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors spoke to some parents at the end of the school day.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Caroline Musty, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Wigley Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

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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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