School profile

The Willows School and Early Years Centre

Primary · Community school · Milton Keynes, MK6 2LP

Good

Map showing The Willows School and Early Years Centre

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

The Willows School and Early Years Centre Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 13 Mar 2014

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeCommunity school
Ages0 to 7
Pupils174
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Joanna Orbell
Local authorityMilton Keynes
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 110379.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils174
Girls88
Boys86
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.40.2%
First language not English43.7%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.145
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.104
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.28.3%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.40
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.10
Average class size15.6

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
25.9%
African
23.6%
Other White
19%
Pakistani
8.6%
White and Black African
4%
Other Asian
3.4%
Other ethnic group
3.4%
Indian
2.9%
Bangladeshi
2.9%
Other Black
1.7%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher18.7
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.7.1
Teachers (FTE)9.3
Teaching assistants (FTE)12.28
Support staff (FTE)21.04
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/258.7
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/258.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.25
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.41
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.25
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.25
Applications from another local authority (Reception)1

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolMilton KeynesEngland
Overall absence6.4%, worse than England, worse than Milton Keynes4.7%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.17.4%, worse than England, worse than Milton Keynes11.4%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0%, better than England, better than Milton Keynes0.9%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate3.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions2.1%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near The Willows School and Early Years Centre
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryOrchard AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
0.4 miPrimaryJubilee Wood Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryShepherdswell AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryFalconhurst SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryOldbrook First School and NurseryCommunity school
Good
0.8 miSecondaryThe Milton Keynes AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.0 miSecondarySt Paul's Catholic SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryDowns Barn SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miPrimarySouthwood SchoolFoundation school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryGermander Park SchoolFoundation school
Good

Frequently asked questions about The Willows School and Early Years Centre

What is The Willows School and Early Years Centre's Ofsted rating?

The Willows School and Early Years Centre is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 13 Mar 2014.

How hard is it to get into The Willows School and Early Years Centre?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, The Willows School and Early Years Centre made 25 offers from 41 applications (1.6 per offer), and 25 of 25 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend The Willows School and Early Years Centre?

The Willows School and Early Years Centre has 174 pupils aged 0 to 7.

What is the capacity of The Willows School and Early Years Centre?

The Willows School and Early Years Centre had 145 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at The Willows School and Early Years Centre?

At The Willows School and Early Years Centre, the average class had 15.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18.7 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at The Willows School and Early Years Centre?

In 2025/26, pupils at The Willows School and Early Years Centre missed 6.4% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 17.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.