Carlton Mills

Overview

The report describes a school where pupils are “happy and proud” and benefit from a “caring and supportive environment.” Leaders have established a “calm and purposeful atmosphere” with strong relationships between adults and pupils, resulting in good behaviour and a genuine sense of care.

Strengths

• Early years provision is “Outstanding,” with staff prioritising language and social skills while children develop “high levels of self-regulation.”
• Reading is a clear priority, with a “consistent approach to the teaching of phonics” and extra support for pupils at risk of falling behind.
• Pupils thrive in an “inclusive culture” that celebrates diversity, with a “very good understanding of discrimination” and mutual respect.
• Staff create “warm and positive relationships,” ensuring bullying “hardly ever happens” and pupils feel safe to resolve concerns.
• Leaders are “ambitious” for pupils, providing “exciting and carefully planned learning opportunities” across the curriculum.

Areas to improve

• In subjects like geography and history, pupils do not remember essential knowledge consistently, leading to “gaps in some pupils’ knowledge” that hinder new learning.
• Targets for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are “not clear or precise enough,” meaning staff are unsure what pupils need to achieve.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” with leaders ensuring relevant checks are made and working well with external agencies to support pupil welfare.