Milburn School

Overview

This ungraded inspection found that aspects of the school’s work “may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection,” triggering a future graded inspection. Despite this, the school remains a “happy and nurturing place” where pupils feel safe, valued, and proud of their community role.

Strengths

• Pupils arrive “happy and with a smile” and benefit from “warm relationships” with staff who know them well.
• The school offers a “wide and varied range of opportunities” for personal development, including outdoor activities and city visits.
• Staff provide “helpful, tailored support” for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enabling them to access the full curriculum.
• Early reading is prioritised, with well-trained staff ensuring struggling pupils receive the help needed to become “confident and fluent readers.”
• Governors “understand their role” and use information to hold the school to account for the quality of education.

Areas to improve

• In some subjects, the curriculum is not “carefully sequenced,” hindering pupils from making effective connections between new and prior knowledge.
• In some subjects, selected activities do not “reinforce the key knowledge” effectively, leaving some pupils insecure before moving on to new learning.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”