Milwards Primary School and Nursery

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 3 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Paringdon Road, Harlow, CM19 4QXOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Milwards Primary School and Nursery is a primary school in Harlow for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. It ranks 12th of 30 primary schools in Harlow. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 7 November 2023, report published 13 December 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 November 2023

The school is at the centre of the community. Adults know pupils and their families well. The community ethos of the school enables new pupils to settle quickly. Pupils say it is easy to make friends. They feel looked after as adults provide well-thought- out care. Pupils like the 'little extras' leaders provide, such as daily bagels for everyone. They know adults will help them if they have worries. Pupils behave well. They rise to the school's high expectations, being polite and showing good manners throughout the school day. Pupils stay focused as they enjoy their lessons. This is because adults adapt the curriculum to make learning manageable and accessible to all pupils. Pupils receive the support they need at the right time. Pupils appreciate the many opportunities they have to learn new things. This may be through having mental health sessions and learning how to breathe properly or looking after the rescue chickens. They feel prepared for life's challenges. Pupils know how to keep safe online and outside of school. Pupils enjoy sharing their learning in weekly assemblies. They are proud to be selected as 'star of the week' for excellent work.

What the school should improve

  • The books given to a few pupils are not precisely matched to their reading knowledge. As a result, these pupils struggle to read and are not catching up quickly enough. Leaders need to ensure all adults are trained to match pupils' books to the sounds they know.
  • The school's behaviour policy is not consistently applied by all adults. This means that in a small proportion of lessons, pupils' behaviour does not match the school's expectations. Leaders should ensure all adults receive training to support the consistent implementation of the behaviour policy.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

30 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths77%

77%, 15 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths7%

7%, 1 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score106

106, the same as the England average.

Maths, average scaled score105

105, the same as the England average.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

226 pupils on roll, with places for 240

Eligible for free school meals29.2%

29.2%, 2.7 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language28.8%

28.8%, 7.2 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support14.2%

14.2%, 0.6 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan4.4%

4.4%, 1.6 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Milwards Primary School and Nursery

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Kingsmoor Academy0.2 milesOfsted: Good79% met the expected standard
St James Church of England Primary School0.4 milesOfsted: Good53% met the expected standard
Water Lane Primary Academy0.5 milesOfsted: Good36% met the expected standard
Jerounds Primary Academy0.6 milesOfsted: Good76% met the expected standard
Longwood Primary Academy0.6 milesOfsted: Good77% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
HARLOW INSPIRATIONAL LEARNING TRUST
Age range
3 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mr Michael Doughty
Address
Paringdon Road, Harlow, CM19 4QX
Local authority
Essex
URN
144631

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.