The Willows School and Early Years Centre

The Willows School and Early Years Centre continues to perform well, maintaining a good standard of education since its last inspection in 2018. The school is noted for its inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and valued, contributing positively to their personal development. There is strong leadership with a focus on high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is ambitious and most subjects are taught in a well-sequenced manner, equipping pupils with the knowledge they need to progress effectively.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and feel safe, demonstrating a positive attitude towards learning.
• The school promotes inclusivity and celebrates cultural diversity.
• Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum that is well-sequenced for most subjects.
• Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge and plan engaging lessons.
• Effective support is provided to help children learn early numeracy and literacy skills in early years.

Areas for Improvement

• Some non-core subjects are not as well sequenced, which may hinder precise learning.
• A small number of pupils with complex SEND needs do not receive sufficiently tailored support.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Willows School and Early Years Centre attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.1% of pupils at The Willows School and Early Years Centre were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Willows School and Early Years Centre had 18.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 23.0% of pupils at The Willows School and Early Years Centre were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 The Willows School and Early Years Centre received £8,322 and spent £8,971 for each of its 174 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £63,000 (-£364 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

What is The Willows School and Early Years Centre's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Willows School and Early Years Centre is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was The Willows School and Early Years Centre last inspected by Ofsted?

The Willows School and Early Years Centre was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does The Willows School and Early Years Centre have?

The Willows School and Early Years Centre has 174 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Willows School and Early Years Centre cover?

The Willows School and Early Years Centre for pupils aged 0 to 7.

Where is The Willows School and Early Years Centre?

The Willows School and Early Years Centre is at Fishermead Boulevard, Fishermead, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 2LP.