Mills Hill Primary School

About Mills Hill Primary School

Mills Hill Primary School is a large state primary in Oldham, currently home to 627 pupils against a capacity of 656, meaning it is nearly full but still has a handful of spaces in theory. In practice, it is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 111 applications for just 62 places, with 57 of those coming as first preferences. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.79, a clear signal of local demand. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 16.4%, which is above the national average for primary schools and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. The headteacher is Greg Ball, and the school has a nursery provision for three-year-olds, so families can start their child here from the earliest primary stage. The school is non-religious, with no faith character attached.

Academically, the picture is mixed. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 39% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is well below the Oldham local authority average of 58%. The school ranks 60th out of 67 primaries in Oldham on this measure, placing it in the bottom half of the borough and the bottom 50% nationally. However, individual subject scores tell a slightly more nuanced story: 88% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, with an average scaled score of 106, and 70% did so in reading (average score 105). Writing is where the school struggles most, with only 42% reaching the expected level and just 2% achieving a higher standard. The most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2021, rated the school Good overall, with Good across all categories including behaviour and leadership. That is a downgrade from its previous Outstanding rating in 2007.

The school offers a decent range of facilities for a primary, including a library, playing fields, art studios, a sports hall and a chapel. Sports provision covers tennis, cricket, rounders, dance, football and netball, and there are clubs for book, art and coding. SEND support is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. This makes it a viable option for families whose children require additional support. The school is oversubscribed, so anyone considering it should be prepared to apply as a first preference to maximise their chances. It will suit families who value a large, community-focused primary with strong maths and reading outcomes, but who are aware that writing results and overall combined attainment lag behind the local average.

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