New Invention Infant School

New Invention Infant School is performing well overall, with strong safeguarding measures and effective leadership. The school has established a supportive environment where pupils feel safe and included. Attendance rates are above national averages and behavior across the school is generally positive. The curriculum is well-structured, allowing pupils to progress effectively in most subjects, although there is room for improvement in early reading, particularly phonics teaching. Leaders are aware of these issues and are already taking steps to address them.

Strengths

• Effective safeguarding practices ensure pupils feel safe.
• Strong attendance rates exceeding national averages.
• Pupils demonstrate positive behavior and engagement in lessons.
• Broad and well-sequenced curriculum supports pupils' knowledge acquisition.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is highly effective.
• Targeted interventions help disadvantaged pupils succeed.
• High levels of pastoral support create a nurturing environment.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in phonics teaching in early years hinder progress.
• Too many pupils fail to pass the phonics screening check in Year 1.
• Variability in early reading instruction slows some children's progress.

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 New Invention Infant School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.7% 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 New Invention Infant 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 New Invention Infant School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.8% 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, 16.6% of pupils at New Invention Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.7% 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 2025–26 New Invention Infant School received £7,690 and spent £8,010 for each of its 305 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £21,000 (£68 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Willenhall · Walsall local authority: places and applications

What is New Invention Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for New Invention Infant School is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was New Invention Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

New Invention Infant School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does New Invention Infant School have?

New Invention Infant School has 320 pupils on roll.

What age range does New Invention Infant School cover?

New Invention Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is New Invention Infant School?

New Invention Infant School is at Cannock Road, New Invention, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV12 5SA.