Briar Hill Infant School

Briar Hill Infant School is a happy, high-performing infant school where pupils thrive academically, socially and emotionally. Inspectors found that staff have high ambitions for all pupils and these are realised regardless of starting points, with strong relationships and a child-centred culture underpinning the school’s work. Pupils behave impeccably, enjoy learning and benefit from a broad personal development offer, including pupil-led clubs, enrichment visits and community and charity links. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leaders, governors and staff are highly effective. The curriculum is meticulously sequenced, teaching is strong and pupils build knowledge well over time; pupils who struggle are helped to catch up. Reading has a sharp focus from Reception, and pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported, including through the specially resourced provision for communication and interaction needs. The early years provision is similarly strong, with purposeful continuous provision and activities that develop children’s interests and skills. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since February 2014; it had been exempt from routine inspection until November 2020. The school is part of a federation with St Margaret’s Church of England School and has a specially resourced provision for six pupils with communication and interaction needs. Inspectors identified no significant weaknesses.

Strengths

• High ambitions for all pupils are realised regardless of starting points
• Strong, nurturing relationships between staff and pupils create a happy school
• Pupils behave impeccably in lessons and at social times
• Pupils are kind, respectful and articulate their learning well
• Pupil voice is valued and leads to new clubs and enrichment opportunities
• Pupils benefit from visits, community links, charity work and global projects
• Leaders are child-centred and proactively evaluate and refine provision
• Staff receive effective professional development and subject-specific training
• Governors have an accurate view of the school and listen to pupils and families
• The curriculum is meticulously sequenced and builds knowledge over time
• Teaching uses effective strategies such as rhyme and action to aid recall
• Pupils who fall behind are helped to catch up through adapted re-teaching
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and exceptionally well supported
• Specialist Blossom and Bluebell rooms meet communication and interaction needs
• Reading has a sharp focus from Reception and pupils become fluent readers
• Personal, social and health education is a golden thread across school life
• Early years continuous provision develops interests, literacy and numeracy
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

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 Briar Hill Infant School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.3% 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, 0.3% of pupils at Briar 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 Briar Hill Infant School had 23.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.2% 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, 14.2% of pupils at Briar Hill Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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 Briar Hill Infant School received £6,868 and spent £7,077 for each of its 296 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £35,000 (£117 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 Leamington Spa · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

What is Briar Hill Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Briar Hill Infant School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Briar Hill Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Briar Hill Infant School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Briar Hill Infant School have?

Briar Hill Infant School has 296 pupils on roll.

What age range does Briar Hill Infant School cover?

Briar Hill Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Briar Hill Infant School?

Briar Hill Infant School is at Coppice Road, Whitnash, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV31 2JF.