Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School is performing exceptionally well. Inspectors found outstanding provision across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years. Pupils thrive, behave very well and are highly prepared for junior school, with particularly strong reading, writing and mathematics. The curriculum is meticulously designed, staff are well trained, and pupils, including those with SEND, make excellent progress. The school's specially resourced provision, The Place, provides highly effective support for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs and is closely integrated into school life. Leaders know pupils and families well and adapt learning to overcome barriers. Pupils enjoy a broad curriculum enriched by drama, debate, local trips and community links, and they develop confidence, resilience and sophisticated vocabulary. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and staff feel well supported by evidence-based leadership and trust collaboration. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2015. It remains part of The Wensum Trust and, under current arrangements, does not receive an overall effectiveness grade. No significant weaknesses were identified.

Strengths

• Meticulously designed curriculum enabling excellent pupil progress
• Exceptionally strong reading, writing and mathematics provision
• Very high standard of support for pupils with SEND
• Fully inclusive specially resourced provision for pupils with SEMH needs
• Pupils behave very well and are kind, resilient and engaged
• Strong early years provision that develops confidence and problem-solving
• Rich personal development through drama, debate, local trips and community links
• Effective safeguarding arrangements and strong staff support

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 Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.0% 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 Arden Grove Infant 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 Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.5% 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, 9.2% of pupils at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School received £7,696 and spent £8,964 for each of its 172 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £25,000 (£148 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Wensum Trust, income was £7,356 and spending £7,170 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 Norwich · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School is part of The Wensum Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Firside Junior School Norwich
• Kinsale Junior School Norwich
• Kinsale Infant School Norwich
• Hellesdon High School Norwich
• Heather Avenue Infant School Norwich
• Garrick Green Infant School Norwich
• Lodge Lane Infant School Norwich
• Acle Academy Norwich
• Wells-Next-the-Sea Primary and Nursery School Wells-Next-The-Sea
• Alderman Peel High School Wells-Next-The-Sea

What is Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School have?

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School has 173 pupils on roll.

What age range does Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School cover?

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School?

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School is at Arden Grove, Hellesdon, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6QA.