Milborne Port Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of the many ways they contribute to the life of the school. For example, members of the school council plan fundraising events for charity. Older pupils plan games for children in Reception Year to play at breaktime.

They help children to take turns. Pupils take roles as monitors around the school. This gives them a sense of responsibility and pride.

At breaktimes, pupils mostly play well together. When there is unkindness, pupils know staff will help them to resolve it. In lessons, pupils focus on their learning.

Teachers plan lots of opportunities for pupils to talk about their learning. Pupils know the expectations well. They follow their ...teachers' instructions and move between talking and listening quickly.

In Reception Year, children move between the carpet and their desks sensibly.

The school is strengthening links with the community. For example, older pupils talk to senior citizens and serve food at the local lunch club.

The school choir sings at village events. Through this, pupils represent their school and contribute to the wider community. The school plans visiting speakers and trips to support the curriculum, such as a Reception class visit to a safari park.

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

The school has planned a broad and ambitious curriculum. More recently, the school has focused on developing a few of the foundation subjects. It has ensured the curriculum is well sequenced.

The school has deepened the knowledge and vocabulary it wants pupils to know. This means teachers know what pupils will learn and when. In a few parts of the curriculum, this planning is recent.

As a result, teachers are just beginning to develop their knowledge and expertise of these areas of the curriculum.

The school has some mixed-age classes. This is new for the school.

For these classes, the school has not fully considered how curriculum planning will ensure all pupils learn the full content.

In Reception Year, teachers plan the learning activities around common topics in which the children show interest. Staff help children to develop their communication through effective interactions.

In the pre-school, the school plans lots of outdoor activity for children to explore and develop. The focus on developing speech and language prepares children as they move on from the pre-school to the school.

Teachers check how well pupils understand their learning.

The school has recently implemented a common approach for pupils to revisit their learning. This helps pupils to remember more. The school evaluates how well this works.

They talk to pupils about their learning and look at their work. As a result, pupils are beginning to have a better recall of what they have learned. They use this knowledge to help them with new learning.

The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is carefully planned for. The school ensures all staff have well planned and relevant training to develop their expertise. This supports staff to ensure pupils with SEND have meaningful targets.

Teachers review these regularly. As a result, pupils and parents feel confident about the support pupils receive. Parents highlight the better communication they now have with the school.

The school ensures it teaches the reading programme with care. Staff regularly train to ensure they teach pupils to read well consistently. They track what letter sounds pupils know and which ones they need to secure.

They plan extra support to help pupils who need it. As a result, pupils make good progress through the reading curriculum.

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe, both online and in the community.

Through the personal, social, health education curriculum, pupils are aware of how they are growing and changing. They learn to stay healthy, both mentally and physically. The school plans for pupils to have a growing awareness of a range of careers.

For example, a pilot recently visited to talk to the pupils.

In recent years, the school has experienced instability and changing leadership. The new headteacher has provided a clear shared vision.

The school has clarity in the developments needed to bring about continued improvement. Staff feel well supported. They say the developments are well thought through.

Parents understand the challenges that the recent changes have brought. The governing body is diligent in its work to look outward and support the next steps the school is taking. They seek external advice and support to make sure they have a good understanding.

This helps them to challenge effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A few subjects in the wider curriculum have been recently developed.

Although they are well-planned, teachers are developing their expertise and knowledge of the content. The school should make sure teachers have the training and support to ensure the curriculum is well implemented in those subjects. ? Mixed-age classes are new to the school.

Some parts of the curriculum have not been precisely planned for this. As a result, the school does not know how all pupils will learn the full curriculum. The school needs to ensure the curriculum is planned so it is equitable for all pupils.