Millbrook Community Primary School

Inspection of Millbrook Community Primary School Kirkby Row, Westvale, Millbrook Community Primary School, Liverpool, Merseyside L32 0TG

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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 26 and 27 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this popular and rapidly growing school. The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic success. It fosters pupils’ curiosity and concentration effectively from a young age. As a result, pupils generally achieve well in many subjects. Children in early years settle in right from the start. Staff ensure that children are ready for learning in Year 1 and beyond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community, where pupils feel that they belong. The school has a consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know where the boundaries are. As a result, they are respectful and sensitive to each other’s needs. Staff provide effective support for pupils’ mental health and well-being. This helps pupils to become confident and successful learners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a positive contribution to the life of the school. For example, older pupils act as role models to younger ones. They help those who are new in school to feel happy and settled. Pupils take a full part in school life and they work hard supporting local and national charities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from a wide variety of clubs and trips, which broaden their experiences. These include residential visits and clubs, such as sports and arts.

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

The school has designed an ambitious, high-quality curriculum, which is enhanced with rich, well-planned experiences. These enrichment opportunities ignite pupils’ interests and broaden their aspirations and horizons. From the Nursery provision through to Year 6, pupils, including those with SEND, attain high standards.

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

Staff are well trained to support children in their learning. For example, in the early years, staff use interactions well to further children’s speech, language and physical development. This is helping to develop children’s communication and early writing skills more effectively.

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

In most subjects, pupils build up secure knowledge and skills as they progress through the curriculum. Subject content is broken down into small steps of learning. However, in a few subjects, the school has not identified the knowledge that pupils need to remember over time in sufficient detail. This makes it difficult for teachers to check how well pupils have secured the knowledge necessary for future learning. This affects how well some pupils learn in these subjects.

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

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND accurately and quickly. Staff are well trained to meet the needs of these pupils so that they learn the same content as their peers. As a result, pupils with SEND feel well supported and generally achieve well. 26 and 27 November 2024

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The school has prioritised the teaching of reading. Staff benefit from regular, specific training to support children’s ability to recognise and read sounds in the early years. This precise training ensures that the approach to the teaching of phonics is consistent and effective. By the end of key stage 1, most pupils, including those with SEND, become fluent readers. Weaker readers are well supported so that they achieve well over time. Older pupils demonstrate a love of reading. They use an increasing range of vocabulary across the curriculum. Pupils spoke positively about their favourite books and authors. They enjoy using the well-resourced school library.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and stay focused on their learning. Outside of lessons, pupils demonstrate good manners and show respect towards staff, visitors and each other. The school has rightly prioritised high expectations of pupils’ attendance and punctuality. It works closely with parents and carers to overcome any barriers that may prevent pupils from attending school as often as they should. As a result, pupils’ attendance is improving over time.

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The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are taught that all people are equal. They have a secure understanding of different cultures in the world and how to avoid stereotypes. The school offers various educational trips to different areas of the country and residential visits. Pupils enjoy taking on additional leadership responsibilities, such as being in the school council and becoming a playleader to support younger pupils. This sets them up well for the next stage of their education.

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Governors provide effective support and challenge to the school to continually improve the quality of education that pupils receive. This is especially important in the light of the current and future rapid expansion of the school to accommodate a significant rise in pupil numbers.

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Governors carefully consider staff’s work-life balance when making decisions about the school. As a result, staff say that they feel better equipped to design and assess pupils’ learning. Staff value this support and feel very proud to work at the school. Parents are right to speak highly of the school and what it offers to pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not defined the essential knowledge that pupils should learn clearly enough. This hinders teachers from ensuring that pupils remember what they need in order to progress well. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers are clear about the key knowledge that pupils should secure in readiness for future learning. 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

Local authority Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.millbrookprimaryknowsley.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision for its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors 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.

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Information about this inspection

 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. 26 and 27 November 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. 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 held discussions and looked at samples of work with other subject leaders.  Inspectors met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  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.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.

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 Inspectors met with governors and considered their vision of the school, their compliance to their statutory duties, and their response to the rapid expansion of the number of pupils joining the school.  Inspectors met with representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors met with a number of parents and took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. There was no response to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Keith Wright, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Morris 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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