Thurcroft Infant School

Thurcroft Infant School is a warm, caring school that has high expectations for pupils and prepares them well for the move into key stage 2. This was its first routine section 5 inspection, and it took place as part of the James Montgomery Multi-Academy Trust. The school was judged good across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision; under current arrangements, no overall effectiveness grade is awarded. The school’s strengths include a well-designed early years curriculum, strong relationships with parents, and a clear priority on reading from Reception. Pupils enjoy school, behave well, attend more regularly, and benefit from a broad personal development offer, including community activities and extra-curricular clubs. Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported effectively, and mathematics teaching has been improved so that pupils build knowledge logically and develop problem-solving and reasoning skills. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is assessment during lessons. Staff sometimes do not check carefully enough whether pupils have understood what is being taught, which means a small number of pupils have gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that staff check pupils’ learning more carefully so they can identify those who need further support.

Strengths

• Warm, caring ethos with high expectations for pupils
• Pupils are well prepared for key stage 2
• Broad early years curriculum with strong parent relationships and early language development
• Reading is a priority with a well-designed curriculum and effective support for pupils who fall behind
• Mathematics teaching has improved and pupils develop problem-solving and reasoning skills
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported well
• Pupils behave well, have good manners and attend more regularly
• Personal, social and health education helps pupils learn how to stay safe and understand British values
• A wide range of extra-curricular opportunities is well attended
• Staff feel supported and leaders consider workload and well-being
• Stronger community links are welcomed by parents and families
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Staff sometimes do not check carefully enough how well pupils are learning during lessons, leaving a small number of pupils with gaps in knowledge

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 Thurcroft Infant School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.9% 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 Thurcroft 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 Thurcroft Infant School had 19.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.6% 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, 31.5% of pupils at Thurcroft Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 Thurcroft Infant School received £7,245 and spent £7,579 for each of its 232 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £4,000 (£18 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of James Montgomery Academy Trust, income was £6,982 and spending £6,835 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 Rotherham · Rotherham local authority: places and applications

Thurcroft Infant School is part of James Montgomery Academy Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• Laughton Junior and Infant School Sheffield
• Bramley Sunnyside Junior School Rotherham
• Kiveton Park Meadows Junior School Sheffield
• Kiveton Park Infant School Sheffield
• Anston Hillcrest Primary School Sheffield
• Brinsworth Howarth Primary School Rotherham
• St Ann's Primary School Rotherham
• Harthill Primary School Sheffield
• Ferham Primary School Rotherham
• Meadow View Primary School Rotherham

What is Thurcroft Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thurcroft Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Thurcroft Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thurcroft Infant School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Thurcroft Infant School have?

Thurcroft Infant School has 232 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thurcroft Infant School cover?

Thurcroft Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Thurcroft Infant School?

Thurcroft Infant School is at Locksley Drive, Thurcroft, Thurcroft Infant School, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S66 9NT.