Milburn School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Milburn School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to Milburn School. At playtime and lunchtime, they enjoy playing games together. They agree the rules, take their turn and make sure that everyone can take part.

Pupils also told us that they enjoy learning because staff make the lessons interesting and fun.

Many pupils, parents and carers told us that the school is like one big, happy family. Older pupils take care of younger children.

During our visit, we saw older pupils reading to younger children and they showed them how to play a new game. Pupils help each other whenever they can. For example, we heard old...er pupils explaining to each other how they could set about solving complex mathematical problems.

Staff have high expectations of all pupils. Pupils behave exceptionally well both in lessons and around school. Pupils try hard with their work, even when it is tricky.

They achieve well.

Pupils trust staff to take good care of them and to keep them safe. They told us that there is no bullying at their school.

However, they are confident that if it did happen, staff would sort it out. Pupils are confident to speak to a member of staff if they are worried about anything. Pupils also know how to keep themselves safe online.

Pupils enjoy their trips and visits to different places, such as London. These help them to learn more about the world beyond their local area.

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

Over the past 18 months, leaders have developed the school's curriculum.

They have determined what pupils need to learn and when in most subjects. These ambitious plans cover the requirements of national curriculum. Leaders have organised how the curriculum is taught so that it works well for all pupils, including those who attend the school on a part-time basis.

In most subjects, leaders identify the essential knowledge for pupils to learn in each unit of work. This means that pupils have a secure understanding of the key subject knowledge and concepts at each stage of their learning. In a few subjects, such as history and geography, leaders do not outline precisely what pupils need to learn.

However, leaders have begun to address this as part of their school improvement plan. Leaders have made considerable progress in delivering this plan since they came into post.

Across the school, pupils achieve well.

Staff are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. They explain things clearly to pupils and help them if they have not understood. Pupils enjoy their lessons and are able to remember much of what they have been taught.

Staff create lots of opportunities to recap on previous learning. This helps pupils retain important knowledge over time.

The curriculum in the early years is very well planned and children achieve well.

For example, children get off to a flying start in learning to read. The classrooms are filled with a range of high-quality books. There are cosy reading corners where pupils enjoy listening to stories.

Staff make sure that there are plenty of opportunities for pupils to read and be read to during the day. Pupils love talking about the stories and characters in the books that they are reading.

Every morning starts with a phonics session for the youngest children.

All the children join in enthusiastically with these sessions. Children who lag behind get the extra help that they need to catch up quickly. Staff use well planned opportunities in continuous provision to practise new sounds with the children, as well as recapping on what they have learned previously.

Older pupils continue to make strong progress in their reading as they move through the school. Most read with accuracy and fluency.

The school is calm and orderly.

Staff have worked with pupils to agree how they should behave in lessons. Pupils follow these rules so that everyone can get on with their learning.

Staff are ambitious for their pupils.

They plan opportunities for pupils to learn about life beyond their local area. For example, pupils have visited London and Manchester. Pupils lend a hand in their local community.

For example, they help older local residents look after their gardens and host community lunches.

Staff put in place any adaptations and modifications needed to support individual pupils with their learning. Staff seek specialist advice and guidance if they have any concerns for pupils with special educational needs and or/disabilities (SEND).

Pupils with SEND achieve well.

Staff told inspectors that they love their jobs. Everyone benefits from the school's link with a larger local primary school.

Staff relish the training and support that they access with colleagues at this link school.

The leadership team is highly committed to the school. Governors have worked to stabilise the school's leadership and staffing.

Governors provide effective challenge and support to leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders carry out thorough checks to make sure that staff are suitable to work with children.

All staff undertake frequent training so that they understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff work with external agencies to get pupils and their families support when needed.

Staff are highly vigilant.

They keep a close eye on pupils. Staff make sure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe, such as when pupils are playing games online. Pupils and their parents and carers are confident that pupils are well cared for and safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The majority of the curriculum subjects are well planned and sequenced. However, leaders are still working out precisely what pupils need to learn and when in a few subjects, such as history and geography. Some pupils do not know and remember as much as they should in these subjects.

Leaders should continue to develop these curriculum areas.

The transition arrangements were applied on this inspection.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Milburn School to be good on 24–25 November 2015.