The Mill Primary Academy

The Mill Primary Academy is performing well overall, with many pupils achieving high standards in reading, writing, and mathematics by the end of key stage 2, including for disadvantaged students. The school has a positive culture of safeguarding, and pupils feel safe and supported. Despite strong overall results, there are areas for improvement, particularly in English grammar, punctuation, and spelling, as well as the consistency of teaching practices across subjects. The school operates under The Kemnal Academies Trust and is committed to providing a nurturing environment for all students.

Strengths

• High attainment at the expected standard in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Effective phonics provision supports fluent and confident reading.
• Strong pastoral support promotes good attendance and positive behaviour.
• Well-embedded approach to writing encourages ambitious language use.
• High-quality pastoral care contributes to pupils feeling safe and supported.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching practices lead to gaps in pupils' prior knowledge.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is variable and not always effective.
• Oversight of inclusion lacks precision, affecting the access of some pupils to learning opportunities.
• Teachers do not always address errors in spelling, grammar, and handwriting.

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 Mill Primary Academy attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.1% 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, 2.9% of pupils at The Mill Primary Academy 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 Mill Primary Academy had 20.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.4% 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, 18.1% of pupils at The Mill Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 2024–25 The Mill Primary Academy received £6,259 and spent £6,558 for each of its 545 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £245,000 (£449 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of The Kemnal Academies Trust, income was £8,501 and spending £8,452 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Crawley · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

The Mill Primary Academy is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust, which runs 45 schools. The nearest others:

• The Bewbush Academy Crawley
• Hilltop Primary School Crawley
• Seymour Primary School Crawley
• Broadfield Primary Academy Crawley
• Thomas Bennett Community College Crawley
• The Oaks Primary School & Nursery Crawley
• Weyfield Primary Academy Guildford
• Gray's Farm Primary Academy Orpington
• Kemnal Technology College Sidcup
• Orchards Academy Swanley

What is The Mill Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Mill Primary Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was The Mill Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Mill Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does The Mill Primary Academy have?

The Mill Primary Academy has 531 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Mill Primary Academy cover?

The Mill Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The Mill Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Mill Primary Academy?

The Mill Primary Academy is at Ifield Drive, Ifield, Crawley, West Sussex, RH11 0EL.