Ordsall Primary School

Ordsall Primary School is performing well, having achieved a 'Good' rating across several areas during its recent inspection. The school is characterized by a positive atmosphere where pupils feel safe and valued, contributing to their enjoyment of learning and support from staff. While there are notable strengths in areas such as pupil engagement, leadership, and safeguarding protocols, challenges remain in the curriculum planning, especially in the early years provision. The school is aware of these areas needing improvement and is actively working to enhance the curriculum for better knowledge retention and sequencing across subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils display positive attitudes towards learning.
• Staff provide friendly and supportive environments.
• The school has effective safeguarding arrangements.
• Pupils have access to a diverse range of literature.
• Leaders are ambitious and dedicated to improving the curriculum.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum planning and sequencing are not yet fully developed in all subjects.
• Independent activities in early years do not challenge children sufficiently.
• Misconceptions in continuous provision are not identified quickly enough.

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 Ordsall Primary School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.2% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Ordsall Primary 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 Ordsall Primary School had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.1% 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, 13.7% of pupils at Ordsall Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% 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 Ordsall Primary School received £7,031 and spent £7,156 for each of its 561 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £346,000 (£616 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 Retford · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

What is Ordsall Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ordsall Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.

When was Ordsall Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ordsall Primary School was last inspected in July 2022.

How many pupils does Ordsall Primary School have?

Ordsall Primary School has 576 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ordsall Primary School cover?

Ordsall Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Ordsall Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ordsall Primary School?

Ordsall Primary School is at Ordsall Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7SL.