Cunningham Hill Infant School

Cunningham Hill Infant School has been evaluated as outstanding across all domains in this inspection, reflecting its strong commitment to providing a high-quality education for its pupils. The school has not been inspected since March 2009 due to its previous outstanding rating and was exempt from routine inspections until November 2020. Throughout the school, there is a clear ambition for every pupil, fostering a stimulating learning environment where students thrive both academically and personally. The curriculum is meticulously planned and implemented with a strong emphasis on promoting a love for reading and ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve their potential. Pupils display excellent behaviour and engage actively in their learning, demonstrating respect for one another and for their teachers. The leadership team is dedicated to ongoing improvement and has established an ambitious culture focused on high expectations and personal development for all students.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education across all domains.
• Pupils demonstrate excellent behaviour and attitudes towards learning.
• Curriculum is meticulously planned and ambitious.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Early years provision sets a fantastic foundation for learning.
• Exceptional provision for personal development through values education.
• High levels of engagement and enthusiasm among pupils.

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 Cunningham Hill Infant School attended 96.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.3% 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 Cunningham Hill 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 Cunningham Hill Infant School had 20.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.5% 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, 11.7% of pupils at Cunningham Hill Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Cunningham Hill Infant School received £6,702 and spent £6,772 for each of its 180 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £193,000 (£1,074 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 St Albans · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Cunningham Hill Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cunningham Hill Infant School is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Cunningham Hill Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cunningham Hill Infant School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Cunningham Hill Infant School have?

Cunningham Hill Infant School has 180 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cunningham Hill Infant School cover?

Cunningham Hill Infant School for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is Cunningham Hill Infant School?

Cunningham Hill Infant School is at Cell Barnes Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 5QJ.