Local area: Willen & Downhead Park
Local authority: Milton Keynes
Willen & Downhead Park in Milton Keynes Early years summary
Summary
Willen & Downhead Park (E02003465) is part of Milton Keynes local authority (view on map). Willen & Downhead Park has an approximate population of 6,200 people, of which 4.8% are children 5 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".
Willen & Downhead Park neighbours Hanslope, Castlethorpe & Sherington, Newport Pagnell South, Great Linford & Giffard Park, Linford Wood, Central Milton Keynes & Newlands, and Broughton West & Milton Keynes Village.
Headlines for early years in Milton Keynes
The data below is only available at local authority level
- 0.7% of pupils in state-funded settings in Milton Keynes have an EHC plan compared to 1.4% nationally. This places it among the bottom 10% of areas with pupils that have an EHC plan in state-funded settings
- 0.7% of pupils in Milton Keynes have been issued an EHC plan from their local authority compared to 1.6% nationally. This places it among the bottom 10% of areas with pupils that have an EHC plan
Guidance and data sources
Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.
The data displayed is sourced from:
Deprivation
Willen & Downhead Park is the least deprived area in Milton Keynes (out of 35) with 15% of children living in low-income families, compared to 31% across Milton Keynes and 38% nationally.
Provider information
Registered childcare providers
Willen & Downhead Park has 5 registered childcare providers.
| Type | Number in Willen & Downhead Park |
|---|---|
| All childcare providers | 5 |
| Childminders | 2 |
| Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care | 3 |
In Willen & Downhead Park, there has been 1 full inspection of childcare providers since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
Achievement: There have been no inspections of Achievement in Willen & Downhead Park so no outcomes are available for this area.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: 1 was graded 'expected standard' (of 1).
Children's welfare and wellbeing: 1 was graded 'expected standard' (of 1).
Curriculum and teaching: There have been no inspections of Curriculum and teaching in Willen & Downhead Park so no outcomes are available for this area.
Inclusion: 1 was graded 'expected standard' (of 1).
Leadership and governance: 1 was graded 'expected standard' (of 1).
The tables below show the outcomes of inspections of childcare providers in Willen & Downhead Park. The tables are split by provider type, and show the number of inspections that have taken place for each area, and the outcomes of those inspections.
Contents
All childcare
| Number of inspections | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Children's welfare and wellbeing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Childminders
| Number of inspections | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Children's welfare and wellbeing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care
| Number of inspections | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Children's welfare and wellbeing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inclusion | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Summary of Ofsted findings
Summary of Ofsted findings
Inspection of Milton Keynes’s local authority children’s services
These inspections focus on the effectiveness of local authority services and arrangements:
- to help and protect children, and enable families to stay together and get the help they need
- the experiences and progress of children in care wherever they live, including those children who return home
- the arrangements for permanence for children who are looked after, in stable, loving homes, including adoption
- the experiences and progress of care leavers.
| Inspection type | Inspection start date | Overall effectiveness | Impact of leaders | Help and protection | Children in care | Care leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILACS Standard Inspection | 28 October 2024 | Good | Good | Good | Good | Outstanding |
Area SEND inspection of Milton Keynes Local Area Partnership
The purpose of an area SEND inspection is to:
- provide an independent, external evaluation of the effectiveness of the local area partnership’s arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
- where appropriate, recommend what the local area partnership should do to improve the arrangements.
| Inspection outcome |
|---|
|
Milton Keynes was last inspected on 4 March 2024. The local area partnership's arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements. They were given no areas for priority action. The next full area SEND inspection will be within approximately 3 years. Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) ask that the local area partnership updates and publishes its strategic plan based on the recommendations set out in this report. |
Joint targeted area inspection of Milton Keynes local authority
The agencies for these inspections can include the police, children’s social care, probation services, education and relevant health services. Inspectors will also evaluate how local agencies work with education and childcare providers. The focus of these inspections is how effectively the local safeguarding partners work together at the practice and strategic levels.
| Theme | Inspection start date | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Children's mental health | 14 October 2019 | Link |
Early years population
Contents
Percentage of Willen & Downhead Park population by age group
Table showing percentage of Willen & Downhead Park population by age group
| % in Willen & Downhead Park | % in Milton Keynes | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 5 and under | 4.8% | 7.3% | 6.4% |
| Under 1 year | 0.5% | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| 1 year | 0.7% | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| 2 years | 1.0% | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| 3 years | 1.0% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| 4 years | 0.7% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| 5 years | 1.0% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
Local authority context
Early years pupil premium
In Milton Keynes, 3.7% of children are receiving the early years pupil premium, compared to 5.1% nationally.
Children looked after
The percentage of 'children looked after' in Milton Keynes is 1.0% for under 1 year olds and 0.5% for 1 to 4 year olds. The national average is 0.6% for under 1 year olds and 0.4% for 1 to 4 year olds.
Contents
Table showing percentage of children looked after in Milton Keynes
| Number in Milton Keynes | % in Milton Keynes | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children looked after (under 1 year) | 34 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Children looked after (aged 1 to 4 years) | 69 | 0.5% | 0.4% |
Percentage of children looked after in Milton Keynes
Special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded schools
This data is taken from the school census data for children aged 5 and under with special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded settings.
In Milton Keynes, 4.5% of children aged 5 and under receive SEN support in state-funded settings and 0.7% have an EHC plan, compared to 4.5% and 1.4% nationally.
0.7% of pupils in state-funded settings in Milton Keynes have an EHC plan compared to 1.4% nationally. This places it among the bottom 10% of areas with pupils that have an EHC plan in state-funded settings.
Contents
Percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group
Table showing percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group
| Number in Milton Keynes | % in Milton Keynes | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) | 999 | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (under 2 years) | 27 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (3 years) | 95 | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (4 years) | 385 | 10% | 9.2% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (5 years) | 492 | 12% | 12% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) | 147 | 0.7% | 1.4% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (under 2 years) | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (3 years) | 3 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (4 years) | 39 | 1.0% | 3.1% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (5 years) | 104 | 2.6% | 4.8% |
Education, health and care plans
This data is taken from the local authority level data for children aged 5 and under issued with an education, health and care (EHC) plan in Milton Keynes.
In Milton Keynes, 0.7% of children aged 5 and under have an EHC plan, compared to 1.6% nationally.
0.7% of pupils in Milton Keynes have been issued an EHC plan from their local authority compared to 1.6% nationally. This places it among the bottom 10% of areas with pupils that have an EHC plan.
Contents
Percentage of children with an EHCP in Milton Keynes by age group
Table showing percentage of children with an EHCP in Milton Keynes by age group
| Number in Milton Keynes | % in Milton Keynes | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: Children with an EHCP (age 5 and under) | 153 | 0.7% | 1.6% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (under 2 years) | 4 | 0% | 0% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (3 years) | 7 | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (4 years) | 45 | 1.1% | 3.4% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (5 years) | 97 | 2.4% | 5.0% |
Early years funded takeup
In Milton Keynes, take-up of funded early years places is 83% for 2-year-olds, 89% for 3-year-olds, and 95% for 4-year-olds, compared to 72%, 88%, and 93% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places
Table showing percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places
| Funded early years places for 2-year-olds | Number of eligible 2-year-olds | % of population aged 2 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Keynes | 614 | 17% | 83% |
| National | 119,598 | 19% | 72% |
| Funded early years places for 3-year-olds | Number of eligible 3-year-olds | % of population aged 3 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Keynes | All 3-year olds are eligible | 89% | |
| National | 88% | ||
| Funded early years places for 4-year-olds | Number of eligible 4-year-olds | % of population aged 4 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Keynes | All 4-year olds are eligible | 95% | |
| National | 93% | ||
The 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old funded places tables look different because they measure different things; funded places for 2-year-olds are only for children considered to be disadvantaged, while for 3- and 4-year-olds everyone is entitled to a funded place.
Children's overweight and obesity
In Milton Keynes, 22% of reception-age children are overweight or obese, compared to 24% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese
Table showing percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese
| Number in Milton Keynes | % in Milton Keynes | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's overweight and obesity (reception-age children) | 755 | 22% | 24% |
Oral health
In Milton Keynes, 18% of children aged 5 have visible tooth decay (oral health issues) compared to 22% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay
Table showing percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay
| Number examined in Milton Keynes | % examined in Milton Keynes | % in Milton Keynes | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral health (visible tooth decay in 5-year-olds) | 367 | 9.5% | 18% | 22% |