Mill Green School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.

The headteacher is the linchpin in the success of this school. He is highly ambitious and his vision for the future of Mill Green School is the driving force behind the continued exceptional achievement of those students who are fortunate enough to attend the school. Without a doubt, students at the school make outstanding progress because they benefit from teaching which is also outstanding.

From their very low starting points, students across the school achieve well in reading, writing, communication skills and mathematics. Students enjoy and benefit from the emphasis placed on 'real-life' tasks which add purpose to learning. S...tudents' attitudes to learning are excellent.

They build life-skills which were 'unimaginable' to many parents before their child joined the school. Leaders and governors are resolute in their determination that students will gain maximum benefit from the well-planned and outstanding new build. Opportunities for bespoke vocational training are limited because the extensive outdoor area is not fully utilised.

Provision for those students in the sixth-form is outstanding. Most students make outstanding progress and achieve nationally recognised vocational qualifications by the time they leave school. All adults are highly effective in drawing on their strong relationships with the students to maximise every opportunity for learning to take place.

Astute planning, along with accurate assessment of students' progress, ensure that tasks and activities engage students well. Leaders and managers check carefully the quality of teaching. Leaders' first-rate feedback to teachers, coupled with a desire for excellence, mean that teachers' skills and students' achievement have improved since the last inspection.

Highly effective spiritual, moral, social and cultural development ensures that students' personal development is outstanding. The school's ethos, which is built around care, tolerance, respect and appreciation, has been transferred seamlessly into the new school. The governing body provides effective support and challenge to the school.

However, governors rely too heavily on reports from leaders and, therefore, do not have an independent view of how well the school is progressing. All students make outstanding progress in their self-confidence. Over time, those students who have difficulty in managing their own behaviour make excellent improvements and are well prepared for life beyond school.

Parents are very pleased with the school and they also acknowledge that the progress made by their children is 'unbelievable'.

Information about this school

Mill Green School educates students between the ages of 11 and 19 with a range of learning needs, including severe and profound learning difficulties. Mill Green School moved into a new, purpose-built, building in September 2014.

Plans are under way to change the age range of pupils attending the school to between 14 and 19. The age of students currently in the school is between 12 and 19. All the students have a statement of special educational needs, or an education, health and care plan.

The proportion of students known to be eligible for additional funding, in the form of the pupil premium grant, is high compared to all other schools. (The pupil premium supports disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are in the care of the local authority.) Students are mainly White British.

The proportion of girls in the school is low compared to that of boys. There are approximately three times as many boys as girls in the school. The school has several locally and nationally recognised awards.

The school has achieved: National Autistic Society accreditation; Eco-School Green Flag Award; the Quality Award for Work Experience and the Basic Skills Quality Mark, since the last inspection in March 2011. Off-site training for Key Stage 4 and sixth-form students is provided by St. Helens College and Wigan and Leigh College.