Victoria Infant and Nursery School

Victoria Infant and Nursery School is a federated infant and nursery school for children aged 2 to 7. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and the first since it was previously judged outstanding and then exempt from routine inspection. Under the current framework the school does not receive an overall effectiveness grade, but inspectors found strong provision across the judged areas. The school has high ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are happy, safe and respectful, behaviour is positive, and children in the early years settle well into routines. The curriculum is ambitious and particularly consistent in reading, writing and mathematics, where staff address gaps and prepare pupils well for Year 3. Phonics teaching is effective, support for pupils with SEND is strong, and personal development and safeguarding are well developed. Governors provide effective support and challenge, and leaders are considerate of staff workload and well-being. The main area for improvement is in a small number of foundation subjects, where some learning activities do not build pupils' understanding of the key knowledge and vocabulary set out in the curriculum. As a result, pupils' knowledge in these subjects is insecure and they do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure teachers are equipped to design activities that sufficiently cover the curriculum's key content in these subjects.

Strengths

• High ambition for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Pupils are happy, safe and respectful
• Strong behaviour expectations from the two-year-old provision
• Calm and purposeful classrooms
• Ambitious curriculum with a consistent approach in reading, writing and mathematics
• Effective phonics teaching that helps pupils become confident readers
• Strong early identification and support for pupils with SEND
• Children develop a love of books from the early years
• A broad range of personal development opportunities, including online safety, road safety and educational visits
• Governors provide effective support and challenge
• Leaders consider staff workload and well-being
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of foundation subjects, learning activities do not build secure knowledge or vocabulary, so pupils learn less well.
• Teachers in these subjects need better support to design activities that cover the curriculum's key content.

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 Victoria Infant and Nursery School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Victoria 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 Victoria Infant and Nursery School had 8.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.7% 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, 12.7% of pupils at Victoria 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 Victoria Infant and Nursery School received £8,265 and spent £8,809 for each of its 235 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £393,000 (-£1,670 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 Workington · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Victoria Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Victoria Infant and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Victoria Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Victoria Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Victoria Infant and Nursery School have?

Victoria Infant and Nursery School has 251 pupils on roll.

What age range does Victoria Infant and Nursery School cover?

Victoria Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Victoria Infant and Nursery School?

Victoria Infant and Nursery School is at Islay Place, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3XB.