Laughton Junior and Infant School

About Laughton Junior and Infant School

Laughton Junior and Infant School sits in the middle of the pack in Rotherham, and its headline Key Stage 2 results tell a mixed story when set against the local authority average. The school achieved a 55% rate of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is five percentage points below the Rotherham average of 60%. That places it 53rd out of 84 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the bottom half of local schools. However, the picture is more nuanced when you look at individual subjects. In maths, 72% of pupils met the expected standard, and the average scaled score of 105 is solid. Writing was even stronger, with 76% reaching the expected level. Reading lagged a little behind at 66%. Where the school really stands out is in its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in January 2023, which rated it Good across every category — including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership — a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2015, which had some weaker early years provision.

Academically, Laughton is a school that performs broadly in line with national averages for a primary of its type, though it struggles to push a high proportion of pupils to the higher standard. Only 10% of children achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and the school ranks in the bottom 50 nationally on this metric, sitting at the 68th percentile. In individual subjects, the higher-standard rates were 28% in maths, 24% in writing, and 17% in reading. The school has no Progress 8 data available, so it is hard to say how much value it adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The Ofsted report from 2023 noted Good quality of education, Good personal development, and Good behaviour and attitudes, with the early years provision also rated Good — a step up from the Requires Improvement it received in that area back in 2015. The school serves a relatively low proportion of disadvantaged pupils, with 10.6% eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average for primary schools.

Laughton Junior and Infant School is a popular choice locally, and the numbers back that up. For the 2025/26 reception intake, the school had 30 places available and received 59 applications in total, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.97 applicants per place. Of those, 33 were first-preference applications, and 28 first-preference offers were made. The school has a nursery provision for children aged three and over, which may help families looking for a smooth transition into reception. Facilities include playing fields, a library, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, and a forest school area, which supports outdoor learning. The school offers a range of clubs including drama, book club, art club, gardening and science club, and sports provision covers swimming, athletics, gymnastics and netball. Its SEND provisions are broad, covering autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, visual impairment, physical disability, and social, emotional and mental health needs. This is a school that suits families who value a strong pastoral and creative offer alongside solid but not outstanding academic results, and who are comfortable with a slightly below-average headline performance in a competitive local area.

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