Lozells Junior and Infant School and Nursery Review 2026: A results-led community primary with a structured curriculum and strong early reading

At drop-off, this is a school that runs to clear routines. The day begins promptly, the expectations are consistent, and there is a strong sense that learning time matters. For families in Lozells, it is a state primary with nursery provision, serving ages 3 to 11, with a published capacity of 460 pupils.

The academic picture is solidly above average for England at the end of Year 6. In 2024, 78% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 25.67% reached greater depth, well above the England average of 8%. The overall KS2 scaled scores also sit comfortably above the national midpoint (Reading 106, Mathematics 106, and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling 110).

Demand for places is real. Reception entry data shows 178 applications for 60 offers, around 2.97 applications per place, so families should treat admission as competitive even without a published last distance figure.

The school defines itself through a clear set of values chosen by pupils via a ballot: Forgiveness, Determination, Honesty, Happiness, Respect and Kindness. That choice matters because it signals a culture where pupil voice is not just an add-on. The School Council structure reinforces this, with committees covering pupil voice, fundraising, curriculum, and safety and wellbeing. The committees are framed as practical ways to improve school life, and the language is direct about day-to-day priorities like conflict resolution and anti-bullying.

Early years is a visible part of the identity rather than a separate annex. The Early Years Foundation Stage offer is described in concrete, physical terms: two large purpose-built rooms and two outdoor play areas, backed by a stated aim to help children become active learners through high-quality resources. For parents comparing nursery and Reception offers, that level of specificity is useful because it suggests the environment has been designed for early childhood, not retrofitted.

There is also an interesting site context. External reports describe the school sharing a building known as HML alongside Holte School and Mayfield, with historic links through federation arrangements. Even if governance structures evolve over time, co-location can shape practicalities, from shared outdoor space to the feel of a multi-school site at busy times.

Leadership information is transparent on the school website. The headteacher is Mrs Avnish Dhesi, and senior leadership roles are listed publicly. The school does not clearly publish the headteacher’s appointment date in the sources available, so families who care about leadership tenure should ask directly during a visit or call.

For a primary school, the most relevant headline is the combined reading, writing and mathematics measure at the end of Key Stage 2. In 2024, 78% of pupils met the expected standard, compared with the England average of 62%. That gap of 16% is meaningful; it suggests the school is moving a substantial proportion of pupils to the national benchmark by Year 6.

The higher standard figure adds texture. At 25.67% achieving the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, the school sits well above the England average of 8%. This is the sort of number that often reflects both curriculum sequencing and teaching that pushes the most able beyond the basics, not just test familiarity.

Scaled scores support the same story. Reading and mathematics averaged 106, and grammar, punctuation and spelling averaged 110. These are comfortably above the national reference point for scaled scores, and they align with a school that takes foundational literacy seriously rather than leaving it to chance.

Rankings provide a broader comparator view. Ranked 2,907th in England and 51st in Birmingham for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits above England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England. That is a useful shorthand for parents comparing across Birmingham, particularly when local options can feel hard to separate.

Finally, demand data reinforces that performance and popularity usually travel together. With 178 applications for 60 offers at Reception entry, the school is oversubscribed, with roughly 2.97 applications per place. That competition level is not extreme by big-city standards, but it is high enough that families should plan carefully rather than assume a place will follow automatically from living nearby.

The most recent inspection describes a curriculum that has been reshaped over the past two years and deliberately ordered so pupils build knowledge in sequence and remember more over time. That matters because it points to a whole-school approach rather than isolated pockets of strong practice. A concrete example given is art and design: pupils learn about artists such as Pablo Picasso and use knowledge of cubism to construct their own work. This is a good signal of a curriculum that treats foundation subjects seriously, with vocabulary and knowledge taught explicitly, rather than being limited to occasional themed days.

Early reading is a standout thread. The inspection narrative emphasises phonics and a “keep up” approach, with staff tracking progress closely and supporting the weakest readers to improve fluency. For parents of Reception and Year 1 pupils, this is one of the most predictive indicators of future achievement because reading confidence tends to unlock access to the full curriculum by Key Stage 2.

Curriculum documentation on the website adds more context. The school references the Unity Schools Partnership CUSP curriculum model and connects it to research themes such as working memory and retrieval. Parents do not need to be curriculum specialists to find this useful; the practical implication is that subject content is likely planned in steps, with systematic revisiting rather than ad hoc coverage.

Home learning support is also structured. The school lists key platforms pupils may use, including TT Rockstars, Accelerated Reader, and Century via RM Unify. This is not a guarantee of “more homework”; rather it suggests a coherent set of tools for practice and reading development, particularly helpful for families who want consistent reinforcement outside the school day without relying on generic worksheets.

The main teaching development point emerging from the latest inspection is precision of ongoing assessment. The issue is not that teachers do not check learning at all, but that not all teachers do so sharply enough, which can allow misconceptions to persist. For parents, the practical question to ask is how class teachers spot and correct misunderstandings in real time, particularly for pupils who appear compliant but are quietly confused.

As a mainstream Birmingham primary, the standard progression is into Year 7 at local secondary schools, with destinations shaped by distance, sibling links, and the family’s preference list. The Ofsted listing for the postcode area includes Holte School, and wider Birmingham options are available depending on where a family lives and applies.

Birmingham is also an area where selective and non-selective routes can sit side by side. Some families will consider grammar testing alongside applications for comprehensive secondaries, while others will prioritise proximity, pastoral fit, and travel time. The most useful way to approach this is to start Year 5 with a shortlist of likely secondaries and then use Year 6 to check each school’s admissions rules and journey logistics.

For pupils in Year 6, transition tends to go best when the primary has a strong reading culture and clear routines for learning, because those habits transfer into the larger, less sheltered environment of secondary school. On the evidence available, those foundations are a strength here, particularly through phonics and fluency work earlier in school.

For Reception entry, applications are coordinated by the local authority. The school’s own admissions page makes the oversubscription priorities clear and aligns with standard Birmingham practice.

First priority is given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school. Next come looked-after children and previously looked-after children, then siblings of children already on roll, and then children who live nearest to the school. Distance is described as a straight-line measurement from home to the main entrance, calculated by computer to the nearest metre.

The demand data supports what that policy implies in practice. With 178 applications and 60 offers, entry is competitive, and families should assume that living close will matter once priority groups are applied. Where families sometimes misjudge this is by assuming nursery attendance guarantees a Reception place. In Birmingham, you must still apply for Reception, and nursery attendance does not automatically convert into an offer.

Timing matters. For September 2026 entry, Birmingham’s published process indicates applications opened on 1 October 2025 and closed on 15 January 2026, with primary offers issued on 16 April 2026. Families applying in future cycles should expect similar timings, even if the exact dates shift slightly year to year.

A practical tip: if you are weighing multiple local primaries, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check your distance and then compare it with recent offer patterns. Even without a published last-distance figure here, seeing your exact distance helps you plan sensibly and avoid relying on guesswork.

Nursery admissions appear to include a direct application route via the school’s nursery form, which indicates a separate process from Reception entry. Families should still treat Reception as a separate, local-authority-coordinated application, regardless of nursery attendance.

There are two pastoral signals worth highlighting. First, the School Council structure includes a Safety and Wellbeing Committee, and it uses straightforward language about keeping children safe and addressing bullying. That kind of pupil-facing clarity is often correlated with consistent staff messaging and fewer grey areas for children.

Second, safeguarding is treated as an explicit area with named roles on the website, including designated safeguarding leads. For parents, the practical implication is that there is a defined pathway for escalating concerns, and that staff responsibilities are not vague or purely informal.

The latest Ofsted report, from October 2024, states that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Beyond that headline, the improvement focus on classroom assessment also links indirectly to wellbeing, because pupils who are regularly checked for understanding are less likely to drift into anxiety, avoidance, or disengagement as learning gaps widen.

This is not a school that relies on generic “we have clubs” messaging. The sports offer is published as timetabled provision and includes partnerships and named strands.

A good example is the after-school sports timetable, which includes an Aston Villa coach-led invasion games club for Years 1 and 2, and a Warwickshire cricket coach-led cricket club for Years 3 and 4. There is also a dance club in the published programme. These specifics matter because they indicate consistent delivery rather than occasional sessions.

Older pupils also have targeted opportunities, such as a Year 5 and 6 boys’ football team club listed in the Spring programme. For children who thrive on structured sport, this kind of age-specific provision can be a genuine motivator, particularly in upper Key Stage 2 when engagement can dip for some pupils.

The school’s wider enrichment culture shows up in pupil leadership too. Committees for fundraising and curriculum, alongside pupil voice, give pupils a way to influence school life beyond a single annual election. That matters for confidence and communication, especially for children who are not naturally sporty but enjoy organisation, responsibility and public speaking.

Academic enrichment extends into home learning through structured platforms. TT Rockstars supports fluency and speed in number facts; Accelerated Reader supports reading habit and comprehension practice; Century provides adaptive practice. Used well, these tools can make home practice calmer and more focused, particularly for families balancing multiple children or shift work.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The school day has published timings. Gates open at 08:40 and the official start is 08:50, with the school day finishing at 15:20. Break and lunch times are staged by phase, with different lunch sittings for Early Years and for Years 1 to 6.

Nursery has its own session model. Published timings include full-time patterns across the week as well as separate morning and afternoon sessions, with a 15:30 finish for nursery sessions. For nursery fee details, families should use the school’s official information, and eligible families can access government-funded early education hours.

Wraparound matters for working families. A breakfast club is referenced in official documentation, and after-school clubs run on specific days. If you need later pick-up beyond clubs, ask what is currently offered, as arrangements can change across terms.

For travel, most families will approach on foot or by local public transport within Lozells. The school shares a wider site context with other education settings in the area, which can influence traffic and congestion at peak times, so it is worth doing a timed trial run during the school week.

• Competition for Reception places. With 178 applications for 60 offers, admission is competitive. Families should treat distance, siblings, and priority categories as decisive factors and plan alternatives sensibly.

• Assessment consistency is an improvement focus. The most recent inspection highlights that not all teachers check understanding sharply enough at all times, which can allow misconceptions to persist. Ask how each year group uses ongoing checks and how quickly gaps are addressed.

• Nursery does not remove the need to apply for Reception. Nursery has its own application route, while Reception is part of the coordinated local authority process. Families who assume an automatic pathway can be caught out, so treat these as separate steps.

• A multi-school site can shape the daily experience. Co-location has practical upsides (shared area context) but can also mean busier peak times. Visit at the times you will actually travel, not just at a quiet midday slot.

Lozells Junior and Infant School and Nursery combines a structured approach to learning with outcomes that sit above England average, particularly at the higher standard measure at Key Stage 2. Early reading is a clear strength, and the curriculum is described as deliberately sequenced, with examples that show ambition beyond English and maths.

It suits families who value clear routines, strong reading foundations, and a school that takes both pupil voice and enrichment seriously. The main constraint is admission; demand is high enough that families should plan early, understand the oversubscription rules, and keep realistic alternatives in play.