St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School

St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School is a harmonious, welcoming school where pupils feel happy, safe and well supported. Inspectors found exceptionally strong relationships, impeccable behaviour and excellent personal development, with pupils showing curiosity, independence and pride in their learning. The school has improved significantly since its previous inspection, with leaders, governors and staff working in partnership with the local authority and diocese. The curriculum is ambitious and well delivered, reading is a clear strength, and pupils with SEND progress well because needs are identified quickly and support is carefully adapted. Children in the early years and Years 1 and 2 achieve well and are prepared for the next stage of their education. Attendance is high, safeguarding is effective, and governors provide strong support and challenge. The main area for improvement is writing. The school's approach to teaching transcription is not fully embedded, so some children in early years struggle with fine motor control and some key stage 1 pupils have not fully mastered letter formation and handwriting. Leaders should strengthen writing teaching so that all pupils become fluent writers.

Strengths

• Exceptionally strong relationships between staff and pupils create a caring, trusting community
• Pupils feel happy and safe and describe the school as caring and a place of trust
• Pupils respond enthusiastically to high expectations and achieve well
• Children are curious and independent learners from the Nursery Year onwards
• Behaviour is impeccable, with calm and productive classrooms
• Year 2 pupils act as positive role models and help younger pupils at social times
• The curriculum is ambitious and sets out essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary
• Teachers check understanding well and address gaps swiftly
• High-quality training helps staff deliver the curriculum effectively
• The school has a strong reading culture and pupils read with fluency and confidence
• Phonics is taught expertly and consistently, with quick support for pupils who need extra help
• Pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum
• Staff identify SEND needs quickly and provide effective, personalised support
• Pupils show excellent levels of interest and independence in their learning
• Personal development opportunities are excellent and carefully considered
• Attendance rates are high, with close work with families to overcome barriers
• Governors are committed, knowledgeable and provide effective support and challenge
• The school is considerate of staff workload and well-being
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• The school's approach to teaching writing is not fully embedded
• Some children in early years struggle with fine motor control
• Some key stage 1 pupils have not mastered letter formation and handwriting fully
• Teaching of transcription skills such as pencil grip, correct spacing and letter formation needs strengthening

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 9.9% of pupils at St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2019–20 St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School received £2,132 and spent £2,108 for each of its 534 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £159,000 (£298 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School have?

St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School has 152 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School cover?

St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School?

St Alphege Church of England Infant and Nursery School is at New Road, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 3DW.