The Greenwich primary school where 'impeccable' pupils are ‘enthusiastic'
Inspectors visited Millennium Primary School in, based in John Harrison Way, on May 7 and 8, 2025, and found that pupils 'enjoy Millennium Primary School a great deal' and 'feel safe and secure because staff look after them well'.
Behaviour and attitudes were rated Outstanding, along with personal development. The quality of education, leadership and management, and early years provision were all rated Good.
Although the school previously held an Outstanding grade before converting to academy status, this was its first full inspection under the current framework.
Since September 2024, schools no longer receive a single overall effectiveness grade.
Inspectors said that pupils behave 'impeccably' in lessons and around the school, and that there are 'very few, if any, interruptions caused by poor behaviour'.
READ MORE:
Pupils were also described as being 'highly respectful of each other, staff and visitors'.
In the playground, pupils were seen 'playing extremely well together' and making the most of the equipment on offer, with a strong sense of fairness, teamwork and friendship.
Reading was identified as a particular strength. Pupils were found to reach 'high levels of fluency by the end of Years 1 and 2', with staff given credit for delivering phonics teaching with 'consistently strong' expertise.
The report said: 'Frequent checks on pupils' learning ensure that any gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions are tackled quickly.'
The curriculum has been 'comprehensively revamped' over the last year, with inspectors noting that it gives pupils a 'broad and ambitious experience'.
However, they did highlight 'a few inconsistencies' in how it is delivered across subjects, with some gaps in learning not being picked up quickly enough.
Leaders are already taking action to address this, including drawing on the expertise of more experienced staff to support teaching development.
Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) was praised, including the provision for pupils with autism, which inspectors said 'caters effectively' for their needs.
Ofsted also noted that attendance is now 'considerably higher than average', with the school rigorously following up absences.
The drop in suspensions this year was seen as further evidence of the school's clear expectations and positive culture.
Millennium Primary is part of the Maritime Academy Trust and is led by Executive Headteacher Rachel Mollett.
Inspectors said the trust and local advisory council 'carry out their governance role effectively' and that the school works closely with staff to manage workload and well-being.
Safeguarding was found to be effective.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
State pension mistake means nearly 200,000 owed up to £31,000
State pensioners could be missing out on THOUSANDS when they retire. BBC and ITV star Martin Lewis has issued a warning over a State Pension error - with some owed THOUSANDS. The issue saw parents and carers who took time off work between 1978 and 2010 to look after children due £100,000 or more when they retire, known as Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP). Mr Lewis says: "If you cared for a child or someone with a long-term disability between 1978 and 2010, you could wrongly have National Insurance gaps that reduce your State Pension. 100,000s could be affected, and while the Govt was contacting people, it isn't any longer - as highlighted by former Pensions Minister Steve Webb. READ MORE: PIP claimant takes DWP to court and wins after 'worst two hours of my life' READ MORE: Millions of Premium Bonds holders set to be handed 'unexpected' payment from NS&I READ MORE Next UK heatwave 'will be hotter than expected' with exact date it starts announced "Thus the onus is on you to proactively check. The impact can be huge." Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) was given for full tax years (6 April to 5 April) between 1978 and 2010, if any of the following were true: you were claiming Child Benefit for a child under 16, you were caring for a child with your partner who claimed Child Benefit instead of you, you were getting Income Support because you were caring for someone who was sick or disabled OR you were caring for a sick or disabled person who was claiming certain benefits. National Insurance credits for parents and carers replaced HRP from 6 April 2010. Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb described the gaffe as "a hammer blow to over 100,000 mothers who are receiving reduced state pensions because of errors on their National Insurance record." He said: 'The Government's letter-writing campaign has been a dismal failure, and this was entirely predictable given its reliance on a complicated online claims process.' One woman emailed the team at Mr Lewis's Money Saving Expert to share that she received 15 years' worth of back pay from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), totalling a staggering £31,674. A Labour Party government spokesperson said: 'We are determined to help people who have been left out of pocket as a result of historical errors which are no fault of their own. That's why we wrote directly to over 370,000 of those who were potentially affected and launched an online tool to help people check if they needed to claim. 'We carried out an extensive campaign to raise awareness of the issue and will continue regular communications to get people to check their National Insurance record.'
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
It's time to shorten school holidays and end six weeks of childcare hell
My eldest son Rafferty finishes nursery this week. It feels funny writing that down because I've been in denial about it for a while. Not for any sentimental reason (though there is a touch of that) but because the arrival of the summer holidays fills me with so much panic that I've chosen, rather unwisely, to stick my fingers in my ears and pretend it's not happening. Surely a shorter school holiday would be far more manageable – for all families? In fact, 53 per cent of all parents – single, married or otherwise – surveyed by Parentkind last week would prefer that the summer break was cut to a month. Tempting, no? I've even had to mute the nursery WhatsApp group too, because it's become the holiday camp headquarters. Parents are trading secret codes, exchanging insider tips and demonstrating levels of forward planning that terrify me. For the uninitiated, these holiday camps are action-packed days of fun hosted by schools and sports clubs – and a way to enable parents to carry on working as normal-ish out of term time. Thank goodness they exist, frankly. But they do have their downsides. For starters, they are expensive, at about £250 a week. And most of them finish at 3pm – perfectly reasonable, unless you're trying not to get sacked. You usually have to pack a lunch, too, which sounds like nothing – but over half-term was somehow the straw that broke me. Add to that the co-ordination: trying to match up camps with your kid's friends, so they don't end up in a random scout hut with a bunch of strangers and a deflated parachute. Hence the WhatsApp group chatter. I really must unmute. A unique kind of pressure Dr Ally Tomlins, a consultant clinical psychologist, sees my brand of seasonal stress all the time in her clinic. 'The summer holidays are often painted as a time of joy and togetherness, but for many families they can bring a unique kind of pressure,' she says. 'The mental load on parents can become overwhelming. They're juggling logistics, childcare, work commitments, sibling squabbles and the invisible labour of trying to 'make memories' while everyone is a bit hot, tired and off-routine.' Tell me about it. Rafferty usually loves a holiday camp. His days are spent leaping on giant inflatables, playing football and larking about. On one occasion, I showed up early to surprise him and he made me promise never to do it again. But that doesn't stop the guilt. At the end of my working day, I know that I'll still be scrolling Instagram feeling bad that he isn't doing something 'immersive' with dinosaurs, petting llamas with me at the zoo or flying to Mauritius. To be fair, I haven't made things easy for myself. I'm a solo mother by choice, so I can't swap out with a co-parent, because there isn't one. The burden of six weeks without childcare falls squarely on my shoulders, and as I'm self-employed, taking time off is its own financial and logistical maze, although luckily my youngest Milo, 16 months, has year round care at his nursery. But at least I knew what I was letting myself in for; many single parents didn't. Should we make it a month? Should we actually make it a month-long break, instead of the dreaded six weeks? Although it sounds appealing to adults, it may not really be the right thing for our kids. Dr Tomlins offers her perspective. 'Children benefit hugely from unstructured time,' she says. 'Long holidays give space to decompress, play deeply and develop life skills that don't fit neatly into a school timetable. So rather than shortening the holiday outright, we might focus on how we scaffold it better, with accessible community activities, safe spaces to play, and support for parents to manage their own wellbeing.' Grandparents are increasingly part of that solution – with more than half helping out while their children are at work. SunLife Insurance estimates that they save UK parents up to £96 billion a year in childcare costs. However, mine are, ahem, cruising the Norwegian fjords as we speak for their 50th wedding anniversary. How can I begrudge them that? Plus, they are in – or approaching (before my mother disowns me) – their eighties, there's only so much I can reasonably expect them to do. Thankfully, I have an exceptional support network around me, which helps. There are neighbours and friends who'll help with drop-offs and pick-ups and who can take the kids for playdates on the days I haven't been able to shell out for 'extended hours'. That stuff is gold dust when you're working full-time, solo parenting – or both. For once, the Europeans want to be more like us Looking at our European counterparts – where 12-, 13- and even 14-week breaks (gah!) are the norm in many countries – maybe I should count my blessings. In Lombardy, where three-month summer holidays are standard, mental health appointments with parents rise by up to 40 per cent every summer compared with the rest of the year. A petition with more than 70,000 signatures was even delivered to the Italian senate demanding holidays more in line with the British system. So perhaps I'll pipe down – or at least try to chill out. 'Intentional parenting with a light touch' could also help. 'That means approaching the holidays not as something to survive or perfect, but as an opportunity to pause, reset and connect in small, meaningful ways,' says Dr Tomlins. 'Start by getting clear on your values. What do you really want your children to remember from these weeks? It's usually not the expensive outings, but the moments of playfulness, calm and feeling seen. And remember: 'Good enough is great'.' And – as every adult born pre the digital age knows, getting bored is an essential part of the summer holiday routine. Dr Tomlins adds, 'If the goal is joy and connection, you don't need to entertain your children every minute. In fact, boredom is a gateway to creativity. Give them time to be 'delightfully under-stimulated' – it supports emotional regulation and independence.' Music to my ears – now that I've removed my fingers from them. Small, spontaneous moments of playfulness feel achievable. I can feel my shoulders drop just thinking about the holidays in that way. A camp-free day here and there to spend intentional, quality time together feels like a revelation. Suddenly, I can look forward to a day off to get really involved in Rafferty's latest Lego creation or to play swingball with him in the garden. As Dr Tomlins puts it: 'Summer can bring both joy and tension. My advice is to lower the bar and raise the connection. Focus on small wins: a shared laugh; a moment of calm; a soft evening spent side by side. That's where the joy of childhood and family life really lives.' She's right, I think. Just last week, Rafferty and I did some 'gardening' together, which mostly involved him painstakingly spraying all the plants with his tiny water pistol and then sweeping up the odd leaf with a dustpan and brush. He's still talking about it now. I won't pretend I'm looking forward to every minute of the summer. I know there will be moments when I want to hide in a cupboard – and possibly will. But perhaps I'll go in with lower expectations – and that reminder from Dr Tomlins on the fridge: 'Good enough is great'. See you on the other side. Dominique Afacan's newsletter, Nesting, is on Substack Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword


Forbes
12 hours ago
- Forbes
Rethinking College: How More Valuable Degrees Are Closing America's Talent Gap
Faith Lockhart recalls her time as a neuroscience major at Agnes Scott College in Georgia. 'Instead ... More of teaching you to merely be a lab assistant, they teach you how to be a scientist,' she said. By Jamie Merisotis Critics of higher education have a point: Average inflation-adjusted tuition has gone down, but remains too high. Degrees pay off, but too many grads struggle finding good jobs. The system needs an overhaul if it's going to prepare America for our increasingly tech-driven workforce. Just within the next six years, 42 percent of jobs will require a bachelor's degree, according to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. More broadly, 72 percent of jobs in the US will require learning or training beyond high school. At this moment, only 55 percent of adults have a post-high school degree or credential, a talent shortage rapidly reaching crisis proportions. 'Even if every unemployed worker were to fill an open job within their respective industry, there would still be millions of unfilled job positions, highlighting the widespread labor shortage,' the US Chamber of Commerce reported in April. Degrees That Work Education and training beyond high school is the answer, and forward-looking colleges and universities have recognized that they need to adapt to provide greater value. They're not abandoning commitments to general education in critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. But many are working to offer better connections to careers while focusing on lower costs, better advising, and immersive learning. Schools with noteworthy approaches can be found in every part of the country and include Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, a historically Black institution near Fort Bragg, the nation's largest Army base. Veterans make up a third of the student body and have included Jeremy Ricketts, who served combat tours with the Army in Kosovo, Iraq, and Kuwait. Ricketts, in his 40s, felt out of place at another school because of his age. But Fayetteville State works to attract and retain military veterans, and the older and more conservative Ricketts told Lumina Foundation that he feels at home. 'It's a university that allows people from all different ethnic backgrounds and different experiences to just speak up, where nobody belittles each other for their beliefs,' he said. 'It's like, 'Hey, you like Democrats, I like Republicans. Cool; let's go get something to eat.'' Working Together The notion of helping students feel accepted is also part of the approach at Agnes Scott College, a private, all-women's school in metro Atlanta with a thousand students and a focus on career preparation, leadership, and hands-on learning. Dax Vandevoorde of New Jersey was a standout math student and president of her high school's prestigious robotics team—and one of only three women on the 50-member team. 'I was so tired of being the female engineer,' she said. Along with STEM courses, Agnes Scott offers traditional liberal arts with real-world business experience and leadership Up With Employers These examples fit a pattern of progress in which schools realize they need to make career preparation a core element of bachelor's degrees. The National Skills Coalition found that 84 percent of business leaders believe it's essential for schools to work with employers to develop work-based learning opportunities. Employer engagement, as it's called, takes many forms, including: All of this means that thousands of students at forward-looking colleges and universities are benefiting from alliances with employers and economic development agencies. As the need for talent drives the demand for advanced learning, smart moves at colleges and universities are helping boost the value of their degrees. These partners are building new technologies, new career pathways—and new and better bachelor's degrees at a time when all of us need them for the country's future.