Herringthorpe Infant School

Herringthorpe Infant School is a highly effective, caring infant school where pupils are proud of their school and thrive in a welcoming environment built on positive relationships. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, following a long period of exemption after an earlier outstanding judgement, and under the current framework no overall effectiveness grade is awarded. Pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from high ambitions, a broad and well-sequenced curriculum, and strong preparation for their next steps.

Strengths

• Warm, caring and welcoming environment built on positive staff-pupil relationships
• High ambitions for all pupils, including pupils with SEND
• Impressive pupil behaviour, responsibility and independence
• Exceptional support for pupils who need help managing emotions or behaviour
• Personal development is exceptionally strong, including diversity, tolerance and inclusivity
• Early years provision has been transformed and children quickly develop a love of learning
• Curriculum is ambitious, broad and carefully sequenced across subjects
• Reading is a top priority and phonics is taught consistently well
• Provision for pupils with SEND is a strength, including well-thought-through support pathways
• Attendance has improved considerably through effective work with parents and carers
• Pupils learn how to stay safe online and in the environment and develop local and global awareness
• Leaders are relentless, staff feel well supported and professional development is high quality
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, teaching for a small group of pupils does not build securely on what they already know and can do
• Some pupils have less secure opportunities to practise and apply their knowledge
• Governors sometimes over-rely on the school for information and do not challenge or hold leaders to account as effectively as they could
• Governors lack a strategic overview of some aspects of the school’s work

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 Herringthorpe Infant School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.2% 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, 0.3% of pupils at Herringthorpe 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 Herringthorpe Infant School had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.2% 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, 14.9% of pupils at Herringthorpe Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.8% 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 Herringthorpe Infant School received £8,798 and spent £8,870 for each of its 263 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £124,000 (£471 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 Rotherham · Rotherham local authority: places and applications

What is Herringthorpe Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Herringthorpe Infant School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Herringthorpe Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Herringthorpe Infant School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Herringthorpe Infant School have?

Herringthorpe Infant School has 281 pupils on roll.

What age range does Herringthorpe Infant School cover?

Herringthorpe Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Herringthorpe Infant School?

Herringthorpe Infant School is at Chatterton Drive, Herringthorpe, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S65 2JW.