Millfield Primary School

Inspection of Millfield Primary School Catshill Road, Brownhills, Walsall, West Midlands WS8 6BN

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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 1 and 2 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive here because they are happy and know that they are cared for. Staff know pupils well and put pupils’ best interests at the heart of all they do. This makes pupils feel safe and nurtured. Pupils meet the school’s high expectations for their behaviour and achievement. They agree unanimously that ‘everyone gets on well and that the teachers are helpful and kind’. Staff take care to ensure that everyone feels included.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined that all pupils will benefit from a rich range of opportunities which introduce them to a wide set of future possibilities. Pupils have high aspirations. They benefit from many trips and residential experiences both in the school grounds and further afield. These opportunities develop their confidence and resilience to try new things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have plentiful opportunities to develop and pursue their talents and interests. For instance, they attend clubs, take part in school performances and learn to play musical instruments. Outdoor learning is a regular feature of all subjects. The school has high quality and expertly maintained sports facilities. Many pupils choose to represent the school in sports competitions. They swim each week in the school pool and learn to canoe on the adjacent canal.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum. Learning is organised so that pupils build and deepen their knowledge securely over time. This begins in early years, where skilled staff ensure that children learn fundamental skills and knowledge. Right from the start, adults make use of opportunities to talk to children regularly. As a result, children benefit from hearing and using a wide range of vocabulary. Pupils continue to build on their learning as they move through the year groups at school. Everyone is included in the many trips, visitors and outdoor learning experiences. These opportunities enhance pupils’ experience of the vibrant curriculum and helps them understand the importance of their learning in a real life context.

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

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They skilfully identify pupils’ needs and adapt learning to enable all pupils to succeed. Teachers also provide pupils with accurate advice to help them improve their work. For example, they check pupils’ learning and address any misconceptions promptly. However, occasionally teaching does not ensure that pupils use an efficient pencil grip or form letters correctly. This hampers some pupils’ fluency when writing. The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. Staff check how well these pupils are learning and put in additional support to ensure they achieve well. Parents and carers are highly positive about the support their children receive.

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

Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and told inspectors that they ‘get lots of help to get even better at it’. Staff deliver the school’s phonics programme expertly. They ensure that pupils use the sounds they know to decode unfamiliar words accurately. 1 and 2 April 2025

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Staff check pupils’ learning to identify gaps in knowledge. They provide effective support to ensure that those who need extra help to catch up get it.

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Pupils behave well because the school’s approach to behaviour is applied consistently. Pupils know well what is expected of them have positive attitudes to their learning. The school is a calm and orderly place. Older pupils help others to resolve disagreements in their roles as ‘restorative leaders’.

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The school checks on pupils’ attendance effectively. It has put in place a number of successful strategies to improve attendance recently. However, whilst attendance is improving some pupils are persistently absent. These pupils do not benefit from the opportunities the school provides.

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The school’s personal development programme is a strength. Pupils learn about different lifestyles and value inclusion and diversity. They are clear that everyone should be treated equally. Pupils understand how fundamental British values are relevant to them. For example, they follow a democratic process when voting for pupil leaders. Pupils carry out different roles proudly and with great maturity. These include as sports crew and house captains. Pupils are responsible citizens. They organise charity fundraising events such as cakes sales and take part in the reindeer run to support the local community.

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Governors and the federation have a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and the areas which need further development. They provide the school effective challenge and support and, regularly check on staff well-being. Staff appreciate that school leaders are considerate of their workload. They are highly positive about the support and professional development they receive. They are proud to work at Millfield Primary.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally teaching does not ensure that pupils use an efficient pencil grip or form letters correctly. As a result, some pupils do not use a legible cursive or pre-cursive script, and this hinders their fluency when writing. The school should develop and apply a consistent approach to handwriting that enables all pupils to develop fluency in writing.  Despite the schools work to improve attendance overall, persistent absenteeism for a significant minority of pupils is too high. This means that these pupils miss important 1 and 2 April 2025

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learning and fall further behind. The school should continue its work, including with families, to ensure that these pupils attend school regularly.

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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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Cadmus Family of Schools Federation..  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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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. 1 and 2 April 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 a positive and open culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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 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 met with headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other school leaders, the federation chief operations officer, the chair of the federation board, local governors and spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self-evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance, and documentation relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspectors spoke with groups of staff and took account of views shared through the staff survey.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with groups of pupils both formally and

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during less structured parts of the day.  The inspectors took account of responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. An inspector spoke informally with parents on arrival to school.

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Inspection team

Corinne Biddell, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

John Bates Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 April 2025

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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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