Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School

Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School is a community primary school with nursery provision. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the graded inspection did not include an overall effectiveness grade. Inspectors found the school performing well across the key judgements, with high expectations, a broad and ambitious curriculum, and most pupils achieving well. Pupils are happy, relationships are positive, and safeguarding is effective. The school’s strengths include a well-sequenced curriculum from Nursery onwards, strong phonics and reading provision, accurate identification of SEND, and effective support for pupils who need extra help. Children in the early years learn in a nurturing environment with a strong focus on communication, and pupils benefit from a well-designed personal development programme and a wide range of clubs and leadership opportunities. Leadership is effective, staff feel supported, and governors know the school well. The main areas for improvement are limited but specific. In a minority of classes, classroom routines are not consistently established, so some pupils do not settle promptly and do not learn as well as they could. At playtimes and lunchtimes, some pupils do not behave sensibly or use play equipment appropriately, and the school should ensure expectations are clear in these settings.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, enjoy learning and have positive relationships with staff.
• The school has high expectations and most pupils achieve well.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and clearly sequenced from Nursery onwards.
• Teachers present information clearly and use effective resources and activities.
• Writing is a particular strength, with pupils using increasingly complex vocabulary by the end of key stage 2.
• Early years provision has a strong focus on communication and prepares children well for key stage 1.
• Reading is prioritised, with effective phonics teaching and well-matched books.
• Pupils who need extra reading help are identified quickly and supported well.
• SEND is accurately identified and pupils receive effective support to access the curriculum.
• Pupils have an impressive understanding of British values, equality and how to keep safe.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips and leadership responsibilities.
• Leaders manage staff workload and well-being well, and governors provide effective support and challenge.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a minority of classes, classroom routines are not well established, so some pupils do not settle promptly to learning.
• Some pupils do not behave sensibly at playtimes or lunchtimes and do not use play equipment appropriately.

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 Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.3% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Mapperley Plains Primary 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 Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School had 21.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 30.1% 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, 12.4% of pupils at Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery 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 Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School received £6,608 and spent £6,483 for each of its 342 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £15,000 (£43 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).

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What is Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School have?

Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School has 347 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School cover?

Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School?

Mapperley Plains Primary and Nursery School is at Central Avenue, Mapperley, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG3 5LD.