Field House Infant School

Field House Infant School has demonstrated a strong overall performance, achieving a good rating across all inspected areas. The school is characterized by a welcoming and nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The school places significant emphasis on motivating its pupils and fostering their aspirations, effectively preparing them for future educational endeavors. Furthermore, its early years provision is recognized as outstanding, providing children with an excellent start to their learning journey. This is the first inspection under section 5 since the school has transitioned to being part of the Embark Multi Academy Trust.

Strengths

• Welcoming and cheerful environment for pupils.
• Supportive adults who know the pupils well.
• Ambitious curriculum that helps pupils aim high.
• Outstanding early years provision tailored to children's needs.
• Strong focus on reading from the early years.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Foundation subjects lack precise identification of key knowledge.
• In some lessons, learning activities do not fully engage pupils.

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 Field House Infant School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.8% 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 Field House 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 Field House Infant School had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 17.4% of pupils at Field House Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Field House Infant School received £7,737 and spent £7,450 for each of its 192 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £141,000 (£738 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Embark Multi Academy Trust, income was £8,703 and spending £7,965 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 Ilkeston · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

Field House Infant School is part of Embark Multi Academy Trust, which runs 29 schools. The nearest others:

• Chaucer Infant School Ilkeston
• Chaucer Junior School Ilkeston
• Ladywood Primary School Ilkeston
• Richardson Endowed Primary School Ilkeston
• Howitt Primary Community School Heanor
• Aldercar High School Nottingham
• Aldercar Infant School Nottingham
• Draycott Community Primary School Derby
• Horsley Woodhouse Primary School Ilkeston
• Kilburn Junior School Belper

What is Field House Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Field House Infant School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Field House Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Field House Infant School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Field House Infant School have?

Field House Infant School has 201 pupils on roll.

What age range does Field House Infant School cover?

Field House Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Field House Infant School?

Field House Infant School is at Lower Whitworth Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 4LT.