Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School

Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School is a school where most aspects of provision meet expected standards. Safeguarding requirements are met, and pupils are happy, safe and behave well. The school is smaller than average, with 212 pupils on roll, and serves a community with below-average deprivation. Leaders have a clear direction and have built a positive, inclusive culture. Strengths include strong early reading and phonics teaching, a high-quality early years provision, and effective inclusion for pupils with SEND and vulnerable pupils. Pupils develop secure basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, and they benefit from a well-planned personal development programme. Leadership and governance are effective, and staff feel well supported. However, attendance is a significant concern: overall absence and persistent absence are above national averages, and recent improvements have not yet fully addressed this, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Teaching in mathematics and writing is not yet as consistent as in other subjects, and a small number of curriculum areas still need development. Leaders have identified these priorities and are taking action, but the impact is not yet fully embedded.

Strengths

• Pupils develop secure early reading and phonics skills and become confident, fluent readers.
• Early years provision is a high priority and effectively builds children's language, communication and early reading, writing and number skills.
• Inclusion is strong: pupils' needs are identified early and staff adapt teaching so that pupils with SEND and vulnerable pupils can access the same learning.
• Leaders have a clear direction, use accurate self-evaluation, and governors provide effective support and challenge.
• Personal development and wellbeing are well planned, with pupils learning about relationships, health, online safety and respect for different beliefs and cultures.
• Pupils behave well, show kindness and respect, and feel safe and happy at school.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
• Staff teach key vocabulary effectively, and pupils use subject-specific language and make links across subjects.
• Leaders support staff wellbeing and workload, and communication with parents is effective.
• Pupils take part enthusiastically in clubs and trips, and disadvantaged pupils are supported to access wider opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance is below national average, and persistent absence is higher than in most schools.
• Recent attendance improvements have not yet had enough time to fully improve attendance for all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Teaching in mathematics and writing is not yet as consistent as in other subjects.
• Leaders are still developing staff subject knowledge in a small number of curriculum areas.
• The school's attendance strategy needs to be embedded to sustain recent gains and raise attendance for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Greater consistency is needed in the delivery of mathematics and writing across the school.

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 Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.4% 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, 2.8% of pupils at Holtsmere End 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 Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.3% 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, 11.9% of pupils at Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School received £7,971 and spent £7,787 for each of its 193 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £165,000 (£854 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 Hemel Hempstead · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School have?

Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School has 201 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School cover?

Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School?

Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School is at Shenley Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 7JZ.