Millbank Primary School, Cardiff

Millbank Primary School is an English-medium school in Wales. Welsh schools are inspected by Estyn rather than Ofsted, and its latest report is published on Estyn's website.

It had 240 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

32% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 10% have additional learning needs (29% in 2020/21); 8% are learning English as an additional language; and 25% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 27 pupils (Year 6) to 30 (Year 1).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £5,208 per pupil, against £4,114 in 2021-22. It carried forward £19k of reserves at the end of 2024-25.

Estyn's report on its September 2025 inspection summarises Millbank Primary School like this:

"The headteacher provides effective leadership that drives a committed team with a clear vision that is focused on pupils’ well-being and progress. This purposeful direction creates a calm, inclusive school culture where pupils feel valued and respected. Leaders distribute responsibilities strategically, which strengthens leadership capacity and secures sustained improvement. Leaders implement a thorough self-evaluation process involving staff, governors and external partners. This process gives them a broad understanding of performance and enables them to bring about important improvements to aspects of the school’s work. However, evaluation work does not always focus closely enough on the quality of teaching and learning. This means that leaders do not always identify and address inconsistencies in teaching."

"Leaders promote professional learning effectively. Collaborative work with partner schools improves pedagogy, particularly in early years, and enhances the quality of provision across the school. Teachers plan stimulating learning experiences that reflect the Curriculum for Wales well. A literature-based approach to the curriculum helps raise standards in literacy and supports pupils’ personal development successfully. Pupils develop good oracy, reading and writing skills. However, pupils’ progress in mathematics and Welsh is too variable overall. Leaders allocate resources skilfully to reduce the impact of socio-economic disadvantage and strengthen provision for pupils with additional learning needs."

"Bespoke and highly effective specialist provision enables pupils with complex needs to regulate emotions, build confidence and reintegrate successfully into mainstream learning. A strong ethos of care and inclusion promotes positive relationships and good behaviour. Staff create a nurturing environment that supports pupils’ emotional well-being and encourages resilience. Leaders communicate effectively with parents and the wider community, which builds trust and fosters a strong sense of belonging. As a result, pupils engage enthusiastically, achieve well and develop as confident, respectful learners."

Estyn made 3 recommendations: (1) Further develop evaluation and improvement processes to identify and address inconsistencies in the effectiveness of teaching and learning; (2) Continue to improve provision to develop pupils’ mathematical skills; (3) Improve pupils’ Welsh language skills.

The nearest other state primary schools to Millbank Primary School are Trelai Primary School (0.4 miles), Herbert Thompson Primary (0.5 miles), Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna (0.7 miles) and Lansdowne Primary School (0.7 miles).

The nearest railway station is Waun-gron Park Rail Station, about 590 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ely Legion (o/s former), 170 metres away.