Mill Lodge Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils make good progress because they are well taught. Over the past year, progress has been strengthened in reading, writing and mathematics but remains strongest in reading and mathematics.

Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, together with those who are eligible for pupil premium funding, make good progress and achieve well. Pupils' learning is effective because planned activities for different groups are usually well matched to their needs. The school checks on pupils' progress closely and uses well-targeted support to ensure that any pupils who are underachieving quickly get back on track.

Pupils' behaviour... is good in lessons and in the playground. They concentrate on their work and respond very positively to teachers' high expectations. Pupils are courteous and show respect to adults and to each other.

Pupils say that they feel very safe in school. The clear and purposeful leadership of the headteacher, together with the commitment and hard work of all the staff, have helped to maintain and further improve good teaching and achievement since the previous inspection. Governors are fully supportive of the school; they know it well and the next steps it has to take to improve.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils sometimes spend too long on tasks that do not challenge them. This impedes their progress, especially for the more-able pupils. Achievement in writing is not as strong as in reading and mathematics.

This is because : pupils do not frequently enough use their writing skills in different subjects or write extended pieces of work.

Information about this school

The school is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is broadly average.

In this school, the pupil premium supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils supported at school action is average.

The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. There is a before- and after-school club, but it is not managed by the governing body and was not included in the inspection. The school meets the government's current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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