Little Milton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Little Milton Church of England Primary School Stadhampton Road, Little Milton, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX44 7QD

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Little Milton is still a ‘small school with a big ambition’, despite recent challenges. Pupils are happy and safe in a caring school where every child is important. Parents and carers strongly agree. One parent’s comments, reflective of many, were: ‘Little Milton is a gently nurturing, wholesome and inspiring school. Pupils are proud of their school and value being part of the local community.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Consistent routines, a structured approach to learning and an inviting environment enable the youngest children to settle quickly and develop good attitudes to learning. The school has recently strengthened its expectations for pupils’ behaviour and learning. Pupils have responded positively to this. Attendance is improving. Good behaviour significantly contributes to pupils’ ability to learn effectively. As a result, achievements for pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are now improving. However, outcomes in some subjects are still lower than they should be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive excellent care from dedicated staff. They trust the adults who look after them. Pupils have many chances to take on responsibilities. They take these seriously. These opportunities help pupils to build character and feel part of the school community.

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

The school has successfully refocused on improving pupils’ learning. Pupils’ achievement is steadily improving as a result. Leaders are developing an ambitious curriculum. They 3 June 2025

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want all pupils to be able to build on what they know and achieve all that they can. This intent is focused and clear. The school is strong in its commitment to develop the curriculum so that this intent is realised in the work that pupils produce.

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The school has rightly made reading a top priority. Phonics teaching for the youngest children is now consistent, structured, and well delivered. The school closely monitors pupils’ progress in phonics. If pupils are falling behind, teachers take swift action to make sure they catch up quickly. For older pupils, the teaching focus is on developing fluency. Some pupils do not have the comprehension skills needed to interpret what they read, such as the ability to retrieve information effectively. The school knows this and is taking steps to improve these skills, but more work is needed.

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The school is developing the curriculum in subjects beyond English and mathematics. The curriculum now covers the broad content that pupils need to learn within individual subjects. Some subjects, such as computing, are already under development. However, for other subjects, the school has not identified the specific content and order in which it needs to be learned. As a result, some pupils have developed gaps in their knowledge. Pupils are unable to build on what they already know, so they do not achieve as much as they should in these subjects. The school has already identified this as an area that needs improvement.

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Teachers plan interesting lessons to capture pupils’ interest and imagination. This helps pupils to remember what they learn. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They use subject-specific vocabulary effectively to develop pupils’ understanding. Teaching in the early years builds children’s stamina and independence in learning. Teachers have embraced the school’s recent focus on higher expectations in behaviour and learning. This has had swift, significant impact. Pupils recognise that their good behaviour helps them to learn. Pupils’ achievement is improving across the curriculum as a result. Low-level behaviour incidents are rare, and have minimal impact on pupils’ learning. Teachers check on pupils’ understanding regularly. They correct misconceptions effectively. The school provides effective support to help pupils who find learning more difficult. Teachers modify tasks and activities appropriately for pupils who need this. This ensures that pupils can

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Pupils’ personal development is integrated within the curriculum. Pupils have many opportunities to take up roles of responsibility such as becoming a school councillor or worship leader. These roles build confidence and promote resilience. They also strengthen pupils’ commitment to the school community. Pupils are tolerant and accepting. They look after one another. They play together frequently across the different year groups. This all adds to the ‘family’ feel of the school, which pupils value.

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New school leaders have rapidly established a harmonious and committed team spirit among staff. Staff appreciate their efforts and there is now a real team commitment to improving outcomes for pupils. The Diocese of Oxford, together with the school governors, have provided steady support through a time of turbulence. Support from the local authority has been unwavering. Staff feel part of a valued team as leaders consult them about the changes underway. 3 June 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils have not yet developed the skills to read with fluency. As a result, these pupils are not able to interpret and understand what they are reading. This hinders their development of comprehension skills such as retrieval and inference. The school should ensure that teaching enables pupils to swiftly and securely develop reading fluency so that they can achieve as well as they should.  In subjects in the wider curriculum, the school has not specified precisely enough for teachers the essential knowledge and skills that pupils need to know. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge, and they do not achieve as well as they should. The school should clearly define what pupils need to know in all subjects so that pupils build new learning on solid foundations of knowledge and achieve well.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2019. 3 June 2025

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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). 3 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Alyson Frost (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average rural village school.  The school consists of three mixed-age classes.  As a Church of England school, the school’s last section 48 inspection for schools with a religious character was in October 2023.  The school has appointed an executive headteacher and a head of school during the last academic year.  There has been a complete change of the three class teachers during the last academic year.  The school currently uses one alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 3 June 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school, the special educational needs coordinator and other senior staff, including subject leaders. The lead inspector met governors, including the chair of the governing body. He spoke to a representative of the Church of England, Diocese of Oxford. In addition, he spoke to a representative of the Oxfordshire local authority.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the views of parents submitted to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspectors also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Bill James, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kimberley Kemp Ofsted Inspector 3 June 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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