Waterthorpe Infant School

Waterthorpe Infant School demonstrates a strong performance across various domains, maintaining a 'Good' overall effectiveness rating. The school is characterized by its inclusive approach, ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), feel welcomed and supported. The curriculum is ambitiously designed, aiming to meet high expectations and adapting to the needs of its diverse student body, which is reflected in the dedication of its staff and the strong relationships formed with pupils. The school continues to offer numerous extra-curricular activities that promote a well-rounded development for its students. However, there are some concerns surrounding pupil attendance and the timely identification of basic errors in mathematics. Some students are not attending school regularly enough, impacting their learning opportunities. Additionally, while the progress in core subjects like phonics and mathematics is commendable, improvements are needed in ensuring that all students retain key knowledge across all subjects, particularly in areas such as design and technology. Overall, the school is well-positioned for further improvement.

Strengths

• Strong inclusive ethos that supports all pupils, including those with SEND.
• High expectations for all students with a broad and ambitious curriculum.
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils create a nurturing environment.
• Effective teaching of phonics leading to significant pupil progress.
• Well-planned additional personal development programs for pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Some groups of pupils do not attend school regularly enough.
• Basic errors in mathematics are not identified and addressed promptly.
• Knowledge retention is not consistent across all subjects, particularly in design and technology.

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 Waterthorpe Infant School attended 90.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 28.1% 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, 6.8% of pupils at Waterthorpe 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 Waterthorpe Infant School had 14.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 22.0% of pupils at Waterthorpe Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.3% 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 2025–26 Waterthorpe Infant School received £10,994 and spent £11,396 for each of its 112 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £67,000 (£598 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 Sheffield · Sheffield local authority: places and applications

What is Waterthorpe Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Waterthorpe Infant School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Waterthorpe Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Waterthorpe Infant School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Waterthorpe Infant School have?

Waterthorpe Infant School has 123 pupils on roll.

What age range does Waterthorpe Infant School cover?

Waterthorpe Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Waterthorpe Infant School?

Waterthorpe Infant School is at Thorpe Drive, Waterthorpe, Waterthorpe Ni School, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S20 7JU.