Heathlands Primary School

Heathlands Primary School is performing at the expected standard across the areas inspected, and safeguarding standards are met. Inspectors found a calm, inclusive and values-based school where pupils are happy, feel safe and achieve close to national expectations by the end of Year 6. The curriculum is carefully designed, reading and phonics are a clear priority, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils are generally well supported to access the full curriculum. Attendance is improving, behaviour is typically respectful, and governance and trust support are effective. The school’s main development points are about consistency rather than fundamental weakness. Leaders are already focused on embedding the new writing approach, especially handwriting and transcription, and on making sure feedback helps pupils address misconceptions. In the early years, staff interactions are not always as strong when children are exploring or following their own interests. Disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes in reading and writing remain below national averages, and leaders recognise that persistent absence and access to wider opportunities need continued attention for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. The school is part of East Midlands Education Trust and is smaller than average, with a pupil population of 182. It is located in an area of well above average deprivation. Parents are positive about the school, pupils benefit from strong pastoral support and a rich personal development programme, and leaders are described as having an accurate understanding of strengths and priorities.

Strengths

• Pupils make secure progress through a carefully designed curriculum from early years to Year 6.
• Reading and phonics are a clear priority, with a systematic and consistent programme.
• Mathematics teaching is strong, with clear explanations and effective modelling.
• Behaviour across the school is typically calm, respectful and purposeful.
• Leaders have robust attendance systems and persistent absence is reducing.
• Pupils with SEND and those eligible for pupil premium access the full curriculum and receive targeted support.
• Governance is effective, with trustees and local governors providing appropriate support and challenge.
• The early years provision is warm, inclusive and focused on communication and language.
• Pupils benefit from a rich personal development programme that prepares them well for life in modern Britain.
• Pastoral support is strong, and pupils feel safe and well cared for.
• Parents value the visibility of leaders and are positive about communication.
• Staff access high-quality professional learning, and leaders manage workload and wellbeing thoughtfully.

Areas for Improvement

• The new approach to writing is not yet consistently implemented, particularly for handwriting and transcription.
• In the early years, staff interactions during child-initiated play do not always extend vocabulary and deepen understanding as effectively as focused teaching.
• Feedback does not always address pupils’ misconceptions or clearly model expectations.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes in reading and writing are below national averages, with wide gaps.
• Persistent absence remains a priority for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Current systems do not consistently ensure all disadvantaged pupils benefit from the full range of wider opportunities.
• Support for disadvantaged pupils could be more effective in some subjects.

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 Heathlands Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.3% 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 Heathlands Primary 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 Heathlands Primary School had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.8% 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, 10.9% of pupils at Heathlands Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 Heathlands Primary School received £7,092 and spent £7,042 for each of its 180 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £12,000 (-£66 per pupil).

Across all 23 schools of East Midlands Education Trust, income was £7,496 and spending £7,400 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 Mansfield · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

Heathlands Primary School is part of East Midlands Education Trust, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Lake View Primary and Nursery School Mansfield
• The Joseph Whitaker School Mansfield
• Blidworth Oaks Primary School Mansfield
• Larkfields Infant School Nottingham
• The Kimberley School Nottingham
• Hollywell Primary School Nottingham
• Gilthill Primary School Nottingham
• Mornington Primary School Nottingham
• Kimberley Primary School Nottingham
• Awsworth Primary and Nursery School Nottingham

What is Heathlands Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Heathlands Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was Heathlands Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Heathlands Primary School was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Heathlands Primary School have?

Heathlands Primary School has 183 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heathlands Primary School cover?

Heathlands Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Heathlands Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Heathlands Primary School?

Heathlands Primary School is at Ransom Road, Rainworth, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG21 0DJ.