Mill View Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud to attend Mill View. They benefit from very positive relationships that they have with staff.

This helps them to flourish into well-rounded young people by the end of Year 6. Pupils are kind and compassionate. They know that these are values that the school holds dear.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. This contributes to a calm and purposeful environment. Pupils enjoy coming to school and seeing their friends.

Pupils have high levels of attendance.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve exceptionally well. They rise to the high ambition that the school has of their learning.
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As a result, pupils leave very well prepared for the next stage in their education.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities on offer. For example, all pupils in key stages 1 and 2 have a leadership role.

As a member of one of the seven school councils, pupils impact positively on the life of the school. For instance, the councils are working together to develop a willow sculpture trail for the benefit of the whole school community. In addition, pupils take advantage of the clubs on offer.

These include tennis, cricket and chess. Pupils are helped to discover their talents. For example, every pupil has the opportunity to represent their school in a sports' match during the year.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum which sets out the most important knowledge pupils will learn and the order in which subject content is taught. The school has given careful consideration to pupils' interests and the local context when creating the curriculum. Teachers skilfully select activities which make learning meaningful and to excite pupils to want to learn.

Staff regularly check how well pupils are learning. They skilfully and quickly address any misconceptions as they arise. Staff deliver the curriculum expertly.

Pupils achieve exceptionally well.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Children in the Nursery class enjoy joining in with songs and stories.

They are very well prepared for the Reception Year where the teaching of the phonics programme begins. The phonics programme is delivered very well by highly trained staff. Parents and carers are helped to understand how to read with their children at home with books that match the sounds that pupils know.

Pupils who find it difficult to learn new sounds are given additional support. They quickly catch up with the programme. Pupils develop into confident, fluent readers who have a love of literature.

The needs of pupils with SEND are identified swiftly. They receive expert support from staff to make sure that these pupils can access the curriculum and learn alongside their classmates.

Pupils have highly positive attitudes to their learning.

They are inspired to want to try their best. They work together to tackle more challenging work and they do not give up when they are faced with obstacles. This high expectation starts in the early years, where children in the Nursery class persevere in their learning and play.

The school offers exceptional opportunities for pupils' personal development. For example, pupils delight in the regular opportunities that they receive to learn outside in the school's forest and kitchen garden. These activities enhance pupils' learning across a range of subjects.

For example, Year 3 pupils recently made minibeasts from natural materials.

Pupils regularly have the opportunity to apply their learning in real-life contexts. For example, Year 1 pupils put their learning about healthy foods into action by running a smoothie bar in a local community centre.

Pupils in Year 6 shared their history project about explorers with the wider community through exhibiting at a local museum.

Pupils have a very well-developed sense of right and wrong. They are helped to take action to make their school and wider community a better place.

For example, the school council chooses a charity each year to raise funds for. In addition, the school places great emphasis on the arts. Pupils are encouraged to develop their singing, dancing, acting and musical skills.

For instance, pupils in key stage 2 learn to play the guitar and many pupils are involved in drama and music performances.

Members of the local governing body and trustees offer expert support and challenge to the school. They are mindful of staff's workload and have refined systems to reduce it.

The trust offers a vast array of training opportunities that contribute to the staff's strong subject knowledge. This helps them to feel well-equipped to teach the curriculum effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.