Margaret McMillan Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is friendly and welcoming. Pupils learn in a calm and nurturing environment.

All at the school want pupils to do well in various aspects of school life. The school's culture reflects its motto of 'inspiration, aspiration and determination'. These high expectations are at the heart of the school's ambitious curriculum and inclusive approach to the variety of experiences on offer.

Staff encourage pupils to develop their vocabulary, ask questions and be curious. Pupils learn effective communication and language skills. They are immersed in the joy of reading from the early years.

Relationships between pupils and staff are positive. The caring ethos he...lps pupils to feel safe. Pupils understand the school's expectations for their behaviour.

Staff deal with incidents of poor behaviour effectively. Pupils appreciate that staff will help them with their worries. Pupils have positive attitudes and concentrate well in lessons.

They show respect for the views of others and behave well.

Pupils enjoy a variety of school activities and clubs. These include mechanics, rock climbing and ballet.

Pupils develop skills of leadership by holding positions of responsibility, such as for school council, eco warriors, librarians and early years associates. They like participating in sports competitions. Pupils relish their residential outdoor adventure experiences.

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

Since the last inspection, leadership of the trust and the school has changed. The curriculum has been reviewed and revised. Curriculum subjects build and extend pupils' knowledge and skills from the early years.

The strong focus on language development particularly supports the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils are encouraged to make connections in their learning across different curriculum subjects. For example, older pupils are confident to discuss their opinions about different types of renewable energy by drawing on their scientific and geographical knowledge.

The school has successfully strengthened the curriculum for subjects such as history and geography. However, teachers' checks on pupils' learning in some curriculum subjects are not as effective as they are in others. The school cannot be certain that all pupils are making the best possible progress in some subjects.

Reading is the school's highest priority. Staff help parents and carers to support their children to read at home. Phonics is taught well.

Staff provide prompt and effective support to ensure that pupils keep up with the phonics programme. Books are everywhere in school. Pupils love using the school library.

The choice of books in school is diverse. They reflect pupils' lives and develop their understanding of the world. Recent changes to the way older pupils develop their reading skills beyond phonics are helping them to become increasingly confident and fluent readers.

Most pupils achieve well in writing by the end of Year 6. However, the quality of some pupils' written work is affected by weaknesses in their knowledge of grammar and punctuation. Sometimes, these aspects of pupils' writing go uncorrected by teachers.

Pupils in the early stages of learning to write are not consistently taught the skills they need to hold their pencil correctly and form neat, legible handwriting.

The school provides children in the early years with a rich variety of thoughtfully designed experiences. Children are nurtured and valued as individuals.

Staff are positive and enthusiastic role models for children. They provide effective guidance and support for parents. Children are happy and enthusiastic learners.

They acquire the knowledge and skills they need to equip them well for Year 1.

The school identifies and supports the needs of pupils with SEND well. Leaders ensure that staff have suitable resources to meet pupils' needs.

Teachers adapt learning when necessary to help pupils to access the curriculum.

Most pupils attend well. Persistent absence has been a particular challenge for the school since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leaders are not complacent. They work effectively with external professionals and parents to look at the reasons for absence and to offer guidance and support. This determined approach is significantly improving rates of attendance.

The curriculum supports pupils' personal development well. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including online. They learn about the importance of equality and individual liberty.

They appreciate and respect the diversity of different faiths and values. Pupils understand the importance of positive physical and mental health. They enjoy enrichment activities, including musical performances and trips and visitors linked to the curriculum.

Older pupils were recently enchanted by watching a performance of 'A Christmas Carol' by a national ballet company.

Governors work effectively with trust leaders to ensure purposeful improvements. Staff enjoy working here.

Leaders are considerate of staff's welfare and workload. Parents typically praise the way staff are 'friendly, approachable and professional'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's checks of the progress pupils make are not as well developed in some curriculum subjects as they are in others. Leaders cannot be sure that all pupils are being supported to do their best in all subjects. The school should ensure that the checks of what pupils know, and can do, across the curriculum are analysed thoroughly and that leaders use their analysis to ensure that all pupils achieve the best possible outcomes.

• The school's teaching of handwriting, punctuation and grammar is not as effective as it could be. This means that some pupils may not make the progress in writing that they could. The school should ensure that all staff understand how to develop pupils' handwriting skills and to use and apply accurate punctuation and grammar in their writing.