The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School

The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School is performing well overall. Inspectors found a happy, inclusive school with a strong caring culture, where pupils attend very regularly, behave exceptionally well and feel safe. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school is rated strong for attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Leaders have created a purposeful environment from Nursery onwards. Pupils with SEND and those facing barriers receive carefully targeted support, and staff are skilled at helping pupils manage their emotions and focus on learning. Reading and writing have improved rapidly, the early years curriculum is well established, and pupils benefit from a rich personal development offer that prepares them well for Year 3. However, achievement, curriculum and teaching, and early years are rated at the expected standard rather than strong. Inspectors found that some pupils have gaps in mathematical knowledge that are not addressed precisely enough, and that new maths learning is sometimes introduced before prior knowledge is secure. There are also slight variations in teaching quality that leaders should continue to address. The school has 248 pupils on roll, a below-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, and is located in a below-average deprivation area.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, attend very regularly and are excited to come to school.
• Behaviour is exemplary and the school culture is purposeful, well ordered and respectful.
• Bullying is rare, discrimination is not tolerated, and pupils treat each other with kindness.
• Inclusion is a major strength, with early and accurate identification of needs and strong support for pupils with SEND.
• Leaders and governors have a remarkable positive impact and provide effective support and challenge.
• Personal development is rich, with strong PSHE, online safety, health and wellbeing education.
• Pupils receive superb pastoral support and are well prepared for future education.
• Writing and reading have improved rapidly, and children quickly become fluent, confident readers.
• The early years curriculum is well considered, and Nursery children are flourishing.
• Staff receive comprehensive professional learning and are proud to work at the school.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, visits and leadership opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have gaps in mathematical knowledge that teachers do not address precisely enough.
• In mathematics, new learning is sometimes taught before pupils' prior knowledge is secure.
• There are slight variations in the quality of teaching that leaders should continue to address.

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 The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School attended 96.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.2% 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, 0.4% of pupils at The Cobbs 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 The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School had 21.4 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, 12.6% of pupils at The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School received £8,739 and spent £8,342 for each of its 206 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £288,000 (£1,400 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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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Warrington · Warrington local authority: places and applications

What is The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School have?

The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School has 231 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School cover?

The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School?

The Cobbs Infant and Nursery School is at Wood Lane, Appleton, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 3DB.