Thelwall Infant School

Thelwall Infant School demonstrates a good overall effectiveness in its educational delivery, marked by a friendly and inclusive environment where pupils feel welcomed and valued. The school has not been inspected under section 5 previously, due to its conversion to an academy and exemption from routine inspections until November 2020. Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum that enables children, particularly in the early years, to excel. The extensive support systems for pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), showcase the school’s commitment to their personal development and academic growth.

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum for all pupils including those with SEND
• Outstanding early years provision
• Strong relationships among staff and pupils
• Effective phonics and reading programs leading to confident readers
• Well-behaved pupils who display positive attitudes towards learning
• Strong support and engagement from the governing board

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have gaps in subject knowledge due to previously weaker curriculums

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 Thelwall Infant School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.9% 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 Thelwall 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 Thelwall Infant School had 25.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.4% 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, 7.1% of pupils at Thelwall Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.1% 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 Thelwall Infant School received £8,566 and spent £8,733 for each of its 122 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £8,000 (-£64 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of The Beam Education Trust, income was £6,460 and spending £6,646 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 Warrington · Warrington local authority: places and applications

Thelwall Infant School is part of The Beam Education Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Statham Primary School Lymm
• Ravenbank Primary School Lymm
• Oughtrington Primary School Lymm

What is Thelwall Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thelwall Infant School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Thelwall Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thelwall Infant School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Thelwall Infant School have?

Thelwall Infant School has 140 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thelwall Infant School cover?

Thelwall Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Thelwall Infant School?

Thelwall Infant School is at Thelwall Infant School, Pelham Road, Thelwall, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 2HF.