Milwards Primary School and Nursery

Milwards Primary School and Nursery has demonstrated significant improvement since its previous inspection, achieving an overall effectiveness rating of good. The school is effectively integrated into the community, providing a supportive environment where pupils feel safe and are encouraged to succeed academically and socially. The leadership fosters a culture of care and high expectations, empowering both students and staff. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, allowing pupils to grasp important concepts and develop essential skills, particularly in literacy and personal development.

Strengths

• Strong community ethos that helps new pupils settle quickly.
• High expectations leading to good behavior among pupils.
• Ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge step-by-step.
• Effective ongoing training for teachers which enhances learning.
• Well-regarded SEND provision that ensures inclusion and support for all students.
• Improved early years provision with engaging resources.
• Active parental engagement in reading initiatives.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils are given reading books that do not match their reading knowledge.
• Inconsistent application of the behavior policy across staff.

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 Milwards Primary School and Nursery attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Milwards Primary School and Nursery 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 Milwards Primary School and Nursery had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.8% 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, 14.2% of pupils at Milwards Primary School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.4% 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 Milwards Primary School and Nursery received £7,353 and spent £7,526 for each of its 219 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £90,000 (£410 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Harlow Inspirational Learning Trust, income was £6,363 and spending £6,366 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 Harlow · Essex local authority: places and applications

Milwards Primary School and Nursery is part of Harlow Inspirational Learning Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Henry Moore Primary School Harlow

What is Milwards Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Milwards Primary School and Nursery is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Milwards Primary School and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Milwards Primary School and Nursery was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Milwards Primary School and Nursery have?

Milwards Primary School and Nursery has 226 pupils on roll.

What age range does Milwards Primary School and Nursery cover?

Milwards Primary School and Nursery for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Milwards Primary School and Nursery's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Milwards Primary School and Nursery?

Milwards Primary School and Nursery is at Paringdon Road, Harlow, Essex, CM19 4QX.