Whitefield Infant School and Nursery

Whitefield Infant School and Nursery is a maintained infant and nursery school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Nelson. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2013, after a period of inspection exemption. Under the current framework the school does not receive an overall effectiveness grade, but it was judged outstanding in every key area: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school serves a community in which almost all pupils speak English as an additional language, and inspectors found it highly inclusive, with expert support for pupils’ language development and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils are happy, safe, polite and self-disciplined, and their behaviour is excellent. The curriculum is carefully constructed from Nursery to Year 2, with a strong emphasis on stories, rhymes and reading, and staff are highly skilled at teaching phonics and helping pupils who struggle with reading. Personal development is a notable strength, with pupils taking on leadership roles and learning values such as respect, kindness and gratitude through a wide range of trips, clubs and visitors. Attendance is improving well because of effective work with families and community organisations. Leadership is described as inspirational, staff are deeply happy, governors contribute exceptionally well, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Although published 2024 phonics screening results were below average, inspectors found that this reflected a cohort at an early stage of learning English, some with SEND and some new to the school, and that pupils achieve very well and become highly competent readers.

Strengths

• Expert teaching and support for pupils who speak English as an additional language
• Strong provision for pupils with SEND, with careful checking and skilful gap-closing
• Well-crafted curriculum from Nursery to Year 2
• High expectations and inspirational teaching that help pupils achieve exceptionally well
• Excellent behaviour and attitudes, including self-discipline, politeness and kindness
• Rich personal development through leadership roles, values education and pupil voice
• Wide range of trips, clubs and visitors that enrich pupils’ experiences
• Strong early years practice built on stories, rhymes and songs
• Highly effective attendance work with families and community organisations
• Inspirational leadership, expert staff and strong governance
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

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 Whitefield Infant School and Nursery attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.7% 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 Whitefield Infant School and Nursery 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 Whitefield Infant School and Nursery had 25.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.0% 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, 9.5% of pupils at Whitefield Infant School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% 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 Whitefield Infant School and Nursery received £7,047 and spent £7,063 for each of its 336 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £128,000 (£381 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 Nelson · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitefield Infant School and Nursery is Outstanding, from an inspection in April 2025.

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

Whitefield Infant School and Nursery was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Whitefield Infant School and Nursery have?

Whitefield Infant School and Nursery has 336 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitefield Infant School and Nursery cover?

Whitefield Infant School and Nursery for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Whitefield Infant School and Nursery?

Whitefield Infant School and Nursery is at Every Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 7HF.