Mellor Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 April 2026

Mellor is a school at the heart of the village. Pupils and staff are proud of its history. Each morning, pupils are welcomed by staff who know them well. They especially appreciate the beautiful woodland grounds that surround their classrooms. Pupils benefit from the many opportunities they have to learn outdoors. This helps them to develop a responsibility to care for the environment. In the early years, children have the opportunity to climb, dig and plant in the large outdoor provision. Pupils are safe and happy. They benefit from the nurturing approach from staff who are committed to the school's mission to ‘make people shine’. Pupils enjoy learning the ambitious curriculum. They achieve well. This is reflected in the end of Year 6 results from national tests and assessments. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and other pupils who experience barriers to success, are supported to learn all that they can. Pupils attend school regularly. Pupils are respectful. They are keen to work together. They are encouraged to develop meaningful relationships with one another and the local community. Unkind behaviour, including bullying, is not tolerated. Staff deal with rare occurrences swiftly. Pupils appreciate taking part in many memorable activities. They sing carols at the local train station and celebrate their school grounds during the open gardens day. Pupils enjoy sporting success in lacrosse and cross country with many opportunities to experience competitive play. There are opportunities to learn violin, keyboard and woodwind as well as to join the school choir. Additional funding is utilised well to enable all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, to have access to this rich offer. Pupils develop as responsible young citizens who are ready to meet the challenge of their secondary education by the time they leave Year 6.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that children in the early years learn consistently well across all areas of learning, especially in communication, so that they are better equipped for their move into Year 1.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils develop accurate letter formation so that they can write fluently and at length.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers encourage pupils to learn from their mistakes or misconceptions so that all pupils, especially those who need greater stretch and challenge, achieve more highly across the curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)