Signhills Infant Academy

Signhills Infant Academy is performing very strongly overall, with inspectors finding consistently high quality across achievement, behaviour, curriculum, early years, inclusion, leadership and personal development. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make effective progress from their starting points, and phonics outcomes at the end of Year 1 are above the national average. Attendance is above the national average, persistent absence is low, and pupils’ behaviour is exemplary, with bullying rare and respectful relationships throughout the school. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, teaching is highly skilled, and staff adapt learning carefully to meet pupils’ needs and close gaps. Early years children settle quickly and make a positive start, while inclusion support is precise and effective, including the use of pupil premium funding and specialist advice. Leadership, governance and trust oversight are strong, staff morale is positive, and personal development is broad, covering safety, leadership roles and enrichment. Safeguarding standards are met. The main development point is to continue embedding the early years teaching approach so children are even better prepared for the next stage of education. No areas of underperformance or significant concerns were identified in this inspection. The school is part of St Lawrence Academies Trust.

Strengths

• Pupils make effective progress across the curriculum, including those with SEND.
• Phonics attainment in Year 1 is above the national average.
• Attendance is above the national average and persistent absence is low.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary, and bullying is rare.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and builds knowledge over time.
• Teaching is highly skilled, with lessons adapted effectively to meet all pupils’ needs.
• Early years provision gives children a positive start and develops independence.
• Inclusion support is precise and effective, including use of pupil premium and specialist advice.
• Leadership, governance and trust oversight provide strong support and challenge.
• Personal development is broad, including swimming, leadership roles and enrichment.
• Staff feel involved in shaping priorities and are well supported.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Continue to embed the early years teaching approach so children are even better prepared for their next steps in education.

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 Signhills Infant Academy attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.7% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Signhills Infant Academy 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 Signhills Infant Academy had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 35.1% 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, 8.5% of pupils at Signhills Infant Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 2024–25 Signhills Infant Academy received £6,732 and spent £6,818 for each of its 221 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £130,000 (£589 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of St Lawrence Academies Trust Ltd, income was £7,771 and spending £7,618 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Cleethorpes · North East Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

Signhills Infant Academy is part of St Lawrence Academies Trust Ltd, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• The Humberston Church of England Primary School Grimsby
• The St Lawrence Academy Scunthorpe
• Westwoodside Church of England Academy Doncaster

What is Signhills Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Signhills Infant Academy is Strong standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Signhills Infant Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Signhills Infant Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Signhills Infant Academy have?

Signhills Infant Academy has 201 pupils on roll.

What age range does Signhills Infant Academy cover?

Signhills Infant Academy for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is Signhills Infant Academy?

Signhills Infant Academy is at Hardys Road, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, DN35 0DN.