Holmesdale Infant School

Holmesdale Infant School is a happy, nurturing infant school where pupils are well cared for and behave well. Inspectors found the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision to be good. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2013, after a period when it was exempt because it had been judged outstanding. The school has experienced turbulence but is now more stable and improving rapidly under current leadership. The curriculum has been revised and sequenced, early years provision has been transformed, pupils with SEND are quickly identified and well supported, and reading is central to the curriculum. Governors provide effective support and challenge, staff value the support they receive, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is early reading and phonics. The school’s new systematic approach is still in its early stages, some pupils have gaps in phonics knowledge, and the impact on pupils’ reading fluency and confidence is not yet fully realised. Extra support has begun, but the new curriculum needs to be securely embedded and consistently implemented.

Strengths

• Happy and nurturing ethos praised by pupils and parents
• Pupils behave well and respond to high expectations and routines
• Strong focus on pupils’ physical and mental health and well-being
• Well-developed outdoor areas and a range of enrichment activities
• Children get off to a strong start in the early years
• Curriculum has been reviewed and sequenced across all areas
• Pupils with SEND are a high priority and receive personalised support
• Reading is at the heart of the curriculum with a strong reading culture
• Pupils are enthusiastic learners and staff plan interesting lessons
• Governors provide well-informed support and challenge
• Staff value support for their workload and well-being
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• New early reading and phonics approach is not yet securely embedded
• Some pupils have residual gaps in phonics knowledge
• Impact on pupils’ reading fluency and confidence is not yet fully realised

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 Holmesdale Infant School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.0% 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 Holmesdale 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 Holmesdale Infant School had 18.6 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, 10.7% of pupils at Holmesdale Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Holmesdale Infant School received £7,678 and spent £7,625 for each of its 150 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £21,000 (£138 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 Dronfield · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Holmesdale Infant School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Holmesdale Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Holmesdale Infant School was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does Holmesdale Infant School have?

Holmesdale Infant School has 150 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holmesdale Infant School cover?

Holmesdale Infant School for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is Holmesdale Infant School?

Holmesdale Infant School is at The Avenue, Dronfield, Derbyshire, S18 2LR.