Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School

Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School is a nurturing infant and nursery school where pupils are well supported in their first years of education. Safeguarding standards are met, pupils behave very well and feel safe, and the school has a strong reading and phonics culture. The curriculum has been improved in recent years, early years provision is effective, and inclusion and personal development are well established. Pupils, including those with SEND, generally achieve well and are ready for key stage 2. The school is located in an area of above-average deprivation, and the proportions of pupils with SEND and EHC plans are close to national averages. Leaders have made positive changes since the last inspection and have supported staff well through them. The main areas for improvement are attendance and governance. Persistent absence is above national average, particularly for some pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and although new attendance systems are in place, their impact is not yet sustained. Governors have not historically held leaders to account well enough, though they are now developing more appropriate systems. Teaching is generally effective, but checks on pupils' understanding are sometimes not sharp enough, meaning a few pupils do not secure essential knowledge before moving on to more complex learning. Overall, the school is performing at the expected standard in most areas, with clear, focused next steps to address the remaining concerns.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve very well in phonics, with most passing the Year 1 phonics screening check.
• The school has a strong reading culture, including the '100 book challenge' and regular reading for fluency.
• Pupils across the curriculum demonstrate secure knowledge and can talk confidently about their learning.
• Pupils with SEND make suitable progress from their starting points and are well supported.
• The curriculum has improved, with clear knowledge identified in all subjects and a refined early years curriculum.
• Early years staff build warm relationships and help children settle, and children achieve well.
• Inclusion is strong, with effective support through the 'Rainbow' provision and carefully considered pupil premium strategy.
• Personal development is well developed, covering mental health, respect, difference, online safety and healthy relationships.
• Pupils behave very well, follow the school values and bullying is rare and dealt with quickly.
• Pastoral support is caring, responsive and accessible to pupils.
• Leaders act in pupils' best interests, manage change effectively and support staff professional development.
• Parents are generally happy with the school and proud that their children attend.
• Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe.

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence is above national average, with some SEND and disadvantaged pupils missing too much school.
• Attendance systems are new and their impact on improving attendance is not yet sustained over time.
• Governors have not historically held school leaders to account well enough or had the information to challenge sufficiently.
• Revised governance systems are appropriate but in the very early stages of implementation.
• Teachers' checks on pupils' understanding are occasionally not effective, so some pupils do not secure essential knowledge before moving on.
• Leaders need to ensure teachers consistently use effective strategies to check understanding and embed knowledge.
• Leaders need to maintain focus on attendance so persistent absence reduces over time.
• Leaders need to implement revised governance systems effectively to hold leaders to account more rigorously.

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 Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.3% 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 Shaw Cross 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 Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.5% 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 Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School received £7,715 and spent £7,220 for each of its 208 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £98,000 (-£472 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 Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School have?

Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School has 223 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School cover?

Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School?

Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School is at Leeds Road, Shaw Cross, Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF12 7HP.