Glenfield Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 February 2026

Pupils enjoy attending this inclusive school. This is reflected in their improving attendance. Pupils who struggle to attend are supported through strong family partnerships. They benefit from warm, caring relationships with staff. Pupils’ individual needs are well understood and met. Consequently, any barriers that a pupil may face are reducing. Everyone has a friend to help them when needed. 'Happiness heroes' are always on hand to help peers feel welcomed, included and valued in the school community. Playtimes are harmonious, with plenty of laughter and fun. Pupils delight in the range of games and activities on offer to develop their skills. They are kind to each other and behave well. Pupils feel safe. Bullying is rare. Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe online in age-appropriate ways. The approach of being ’ready, respectful and safe’ permeates the school. Pupils enjoy and engage well in learning. However, the curriculum has varied impact in developing pupils' reading and writing skills and knowledge. Pupils benefit from teachers who know them well. That said, teachers do not always adapt learning so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access it confidently alongside their peers. Pupils are proud of their school. They describe the school as a safe space and know what to do if anything worries them. Pupils understand the importance of tolerance and respect. They are very clear that everyone should be treated equally and fairly. Parents and carers are also welcomed into the heart of the school’s generous community. They appreciate the family feel and that every morning starts with a warm welcome and smiles. Pupils do not consistently achieve well enough. This is reflected in the proportion of pupils being successful in the phonics screening check. This has been significantly below the national average over time.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to embed and strengthen teaching strategies for developing handwriting, spelling and grammar across the curriculum so they can raise levels of achievement in writing.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently use assessment information to check pupils’ understanding systematically, and in response adapt their teaching so that pupils build successfully on prior learning.
• Leaders should ensure that phonics teaching is fully effective across the school so that all groups can achieve consistently well in their reading and gain the fluency they need.
• In the early years, leaders should ensure the consistent use of high-quality interactions from staff to extend children’s vocabulary and deepen their understanding of important knowledge as they play.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)