Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School

About Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School

Healdswood Infants' and Nursery School is a state primary for children aged 3 to 7 in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, and it is currently educating more pupils than its official capacity suggests. With 198 children on roll against a capacity of 180, the school is clearly in demand locally. That demand is backed up by the admissions data for the 2025/26 intake: the school received 56 applications for 54 places, making it technically oversubscribed, and 48 of those applications were first-preference choices. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 43.9%, which is notably high and signals a catchment with significant socio-economic need. This is a school that serves its community directly, and the fact that it is oversubscribed despite that context suggests parents value what it offers. The school has a nursery provision, so families can start here from age three, and it is mixed and non-religious, with no formal religious character.

Academically, Healdswood has made a clear improvement in recent years. In its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in November 2021, the school was rated Good overall, with Good marks for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That is a significant step up from its previous graded inspection in March 2018, when it was rated Requires Improvement overall, with the same rating for leadership and management and a grade 2 (Good) for early years provision. The school does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results because it only goes up to Year 2, so there is no direct comparison with the Nottinghamshire local authority average of 61% for KS2. However, the improvement trajectory and the consistency of the Good ratings across all areas in 2021 are positive signals for a school that has clearly addressed earlier weaknesses.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of its size, including a sports hall, ICT suite, sensory room, and dedicated art and music rooms. There are also clubs covering drama, coding, gardening, art, book club and film club, plus sports such as cross country, netball, swimming and gymnastics. For children with additional needs, the school has identified provisions for social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School, 2.8 km away, but Healdswood’s oversubscription suggests many local families are happy with Good. This is a school that suits families in Ashfield looking for a community-focused infant and nursery setting with strong early years provision and a clear record of improvement.

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