Milton Road Primary School

Inspection of Milton Road Primary School Ascham Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB4 2BD

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 8 and 9 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in attending their warm and friendly school. They make sure that everyone is welcome, with ‘no outsiders’. Pupils work hard and are rightly proud of their achievements. They rise to the high expectations the school sets, including in their typically high standards of behaviour and positive achievement. Pupils know that school is a safe place. They trust staff to step in if they are worried.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s exceptionally high ambition for pupils is reflected in its mission statement, ‘We are CREW, not passengers’, representing the school’s values of Courage, Responsibility, Excellence and Wisdom. This ambition is at the heart of school life. Year 6 pupils shine in their roles as one to-one ‘buddies’ for the early years children. Children value this support from their older peers. As young leaders, other pupils play an important part in managing events, including sports days.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from exciting, carefully planned activities, including themed events and visits to places of historical interest. The choir is a joyous representation of the school community. From the early years onwards, pupils build impressive levels of confidence progressively as they move through year groups. Consequently, they are well prepared for the next stage in education, including when they leave for secondary school.

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

The school’s ambitious curriculum is carefully designed. It is thoughtfully crafted to make best use of connections with the local area. Pupils achieve well across a wide range of subjects. Previous gaps in outcomes between disadvantaged pupils and their peers are closing. Curriculum content is sequenced in a logical order, beginning with the exceptional early years offer. Children in the Reception Year thrive in the school’s aspirational culture. They build strong foundations of communication, speech and language through meaningful interactions with staff and purposeful play.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported by appropriately trained staff. The school promptly identifies pupils’ additional needs. Skilful adaptations mean that most pupils with SEND learn successfully alongside their peers.

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

Staff are knowledgeable. They benefit from expert guidance from subject leaders. However, in a few areas, curriculum developments are more recent and are still embedding. Occasionally, expectations of what pupils should know and can do are not consistently high. When this happens, pupils do not learn as much, or as deeply, as they could. In most subjects, pupils’ learning is checked systematically. Any gaps in knowledge and skills, or misunderstandings, are addressed quickly.

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

Pupils learn to read and write accurately and fluently. The school’s sharp focus on these priorities is at the heart of its success. In the early years, children delight in practising their letters and sounds. Throughout the school, catch-up support is on hand for any pupils who need extra help. Pupils of all ages enjoy the stories they read together with 8 and 9 July 2025

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their teachers. They can explain how their reading inspires their creative writing, which is often impressive.

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Most pupils behave exceptionally well. They attend school regularly. The school’s efforts mean that gaps between disadvantaged pupils’ and others’ attendance are closed. Pupils learn collaboratively. They socialise and play thoughtfully together. Children settle quickly into routines in the Reception class. They learn to take turns and share cooperatively. Pupils are motivated to learn and contribute to lessons. Those who find it hard to manage their feelings are supported sensitively. Pupils are taught to make safe choices and to manage risks sensibly, including when online.

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Arrangements to promote pupils’ personal development are exemplary. The school is equally ambitious to build pupils’ confidence and character as it is for their academic success. The personal development curriculum is woven seamlessly through every element of school life. Pupil roles and responsibilities are valued, meaningful experiences. For example, Year 5 pupil librarians run the well-used school library every lunchtime. They review books and make reading recommendations for their peers.

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Pupils benefit from a wide range of expert visitors to the school, including ‘artists in residence’ and a local politician. They gain early introductions to the world of work through visits to local industry, including in farming and pharmaceuticals. Year 6 pupils enjoy an annual careers fair. Pupils appreciate and are respectful of individual differences. They are well prepared for local, national and global citizenship.

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Governors share leaders’ unwavering ambition for every pupil. The relentless focus on continuous improvement means that the school’s provision goes from strength to strength. Staff are proud to work here. They welcome the school’s consideration for their workload and well-being. They benefit from a wide range of professional development opportunities. Relationships with parents, carers and the wider community are, overall, highly positive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, more recent curriculum developments are still being embedded. This means that, in a few instances, expectations of what pupils should know and can do are not routinely high. When this happens, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that recent changes are embedded quickly, so that the curriculum is implemented in line with its ambitious intentions. This is so that pupils are supported systematically to achieve the best possible outcomes. 8 and 9 July 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). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Richard Wielechowski

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 May 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been no significant changes since the school’s ungraded inspection in May 2024.  The school does not currently make use of alternative provision.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 8 and 9 July 2025

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 Inspectors conducted deep dives in the following subjects: English, including early reading, geography, art and design, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects, including in science, history and computing.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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 lead inspector spoke with a group of governors, including the chair of governors.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the school’s other leaders, the inclusion leader, other school staff and groups of pupils.

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 Inspectors scrutinised behaviour logs, attendance records, minutes of governors’ and trustees’ meetings, school improvement plans and school policies.  The responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, were reviewed. These were considered alongside the free-text responses from parents. Inspectors also took account of responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and spoke informally with staff, pupils and parents during the school day.

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Inspection team

Christine Dick, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Benjamin Axon His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 July 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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