The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
A school can be both familiar and newly reinvented. Here, the reinvention is literal. Catherine Infant School moved into a new building in January 2025, following a full rebuild that added modern teaching spaces and expanded outdoor provision.
It serves children aged 3 to 7 and is set up as a true infant school, with Nursery through Year 2 on one site. The published capacity is 420, and the school describes a 60-place nursery alongside Reception to Year 2 classes.
Parents will notice three themes running through how the school presents itself. First, early literacy is treated as the engine of the curriculum, with phonics and structured reading routines starting from Nursery. Second, the wider curriculum is not left to chance, pupils revisit key knowledge, and staff use consistent routines and explanations. Third, the rebuild has been used as a chance to improve how children learn outdoors, not just indoors.
The school’s own language is warm and child-centred, and it is unusually specific about what it wants children to become: kind, respectful, resilient, and curious learners. Those values are not presented as wallpaper. They are used to frame expectations for independence in the early years and confidence in speaking and learning across the school.
One detail that helps capture the tone is the motto, “WE ARE ALL STARS”. It is positioned as an aspiration for every child rather than a reward for a few.
Pupil leadership is also part of the culture, even at infant age. Children take on roles such as eco-warriors and school parliamentarians, which gives structure to “voice” in a way that makes sense for younger pupils.
Location matters here too. The school sits in Belgrave and explicitly describes serving a community with many languages spoken.
Because this is an infant school (Nursery to Year 2), it does not publish Key Stage 2 outcomes, and there are no national test metrics in the standard primary tables to compare in the usual way.
The clearest external benchmark is inspection evidence. The ungraded Ofsted inspection in February 2025 found the school had taken effective action to maintain the standards that previously supported an Outstanding judgement.
Beyond the headline outcome, the report describes a curriculum designed for depth, strong staff subject knowledge, and early identification and support when pupils fall behind, including in phonics. Safeguarding is also confirmed as effective.
For parents, the practical implication is simple: if you want a school where early reading and language are treated as the core job, the evidence base supports that being a defining strength here.
The school is unusually transparent about its literacy methods.
For writing, it follows Talk for Writing, with a deliberate sequence that moves from imitation to innovation to independent application. It explicitly references a baseline “cold” task and a later “hot” task, which signals that pupils are expected to build towards independent outcomes rather than endlessly practising isolated skills.
Reading is taught through Read Write Inc phonics across the school, with comprehension developed through “Talk for Reading” style activities, including inference, retrieval, vocabulary work, and discussing author choices in age-appropriate ways.
The February 2025 inspection report reinforces that this structure is not just on paper, it points to consistent modelling by staff, routine revisiting of key knowledge, and swift support when pupils struggle to keep pace.
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
As an infant school, the key transition is into Year 3 at junior level. Leicester City Council sets out that Catherine Infant School is linked with Catherine Junior School, and children attending the infant school have priority for places at the linked junior school, provided families apply correctly through the junior admissions process.
That “apply correctly” point matters. There is no assumption of an automatic move, families still need to engage with the coordinated process and use preferences strategically.
The school also has a Designated Specialist Provision (DSP). Its own transition guidance sets out three routes by the end of Year 2 (or earlier if needed): a junior DSP placement in a mainstream school, a special school, or mainstream without DSP.
Admissions work differently depending on age.
Nursery admissions are managed directly by the school. The school describes a part-time nursery with 30 morning places and 30 afternoon places, plus some full-time places for eligible children. It also signals that families should apply in December for Nursery starting the following September (for example, September 2026 entry).
Reception applications are coordinated through the local authority. For the 2026 to 2027 intake, the local authority’s published deadline is 15 January 2026, with offers released on 16 April 2026.
Demand indicators suggest pressure for places. In the most recent recorded admissions cycle, 121 applications resulted in 91 offers, and the school was oversubscribed. Where families live, sibling links, and the authority’s criteria will shape outcomes, so it is worth using the FindMySchool Map Search to check your home location against realistic travel plans before you rely on this option.
100%
1st preference success rate
83 of 83 first-choice applicants received an offer
Places
91
Offers
91
Applications
121
The inspection evidence paints a school where behaviour expectations are clear and consistently applied, resulting in calm routines and positive adult interactions with pupils.
Attendance is treated as a priority, with systems described for working with families when attendance dips, and a culture that links regular attendance to achievement and confidence.
Inclusion is also a prominent thread. The inspection report highlights structured support for pupils with SEND and pupils with English as an additional language, particularly around early reading.
Enrichment is more detailed than many infant schools publicise, and the club list is specific rather than generic.
The school states that clubs run from 3:30pm to 4:20pm and rotates provision each half term. Examples named include Gardening, Multi-sports, Mindfulness, Zumba, Cricket, Football, Lego, Construction, and Arts & Crafts. The published Spring 1 2025 to 2026 list also includes Bhangra Club, Board Games Club, Phonics Club, Dance Club, Gymnastics Club, Tennis Club, and a Music Club.
Wider experiences are also visible through reading and curriculum activity, such as author visits, library visits, and themed reading days.
The implication for parents is that children who thrive on routine can still get variety, but in a controlled, age-appropriate format that does not overwhelm the core learning day.
The school day runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm, meeting the statutory 32.5-hour week expectation.
A key practical point is wraparound care. The school states it does not currently offer breakfast club or after-school wraparound care due to lack of demand, although after-school clubs do run on set days and times.
The rebuilt site is a genuine differentiator. Public information from the school and project partners describes features such as solar panels, a sports hall, a library, larger play areas, a sports pitch, and an outdoor classroom, plus a site design shaped by flood mitigation constraints.
Wraparound care limits. The school states it does not currently offer breakfast club or after-school wraparound care. For families with two working parents, this can be the deciding factor even if the school is otherwise an excellent fit.
Competition for places. The school is oversubscribed in the latest available data, with 121 applications and 91 offers. Families should plan for realistic alternatives and keep preferences strategic.
Infant-to-junior transition needs planning. Linked junior priority exists, but it does not remove the need to apply correctly for Year 3. Families who want the linked route should read the junior admissions guidance early.
DSP pathways vary. For families using Designated Specialist Provision, the end of Year 2 transition can involve several different routes, which benefits from early conversation and clear planning.
Catherine Infant School stands out for two reasons that are easy to evidence: a clearly structured early literacy model (phonics, reading comprehension, writing through Talk for Writing) and a rebuilt site designed to support modern early years learning indoors and outdoors.
It suits families who want a purposeful, routines-led infant education, and who can make the school day work without formal wraparound care. The main constraint is not the offer, it is securing a place, and then planning the Year 3 move carefully.
Inspection evidence from February 2025 describes a school maintaining previously established high standards, with strong curriculum thinking, effective phonics, and clear behaviour expectations. For parents, the most persuasive indicator is consistency, the curriculum and routines described in public documentation align closely with what is evaluated externally.
Reception applications are made through the local authority’s coordinated admissions system. For 2026 to 2027 entry, the published closing date is 15 January 2026, and offers are issued on 16 April 2026.
Nursery admissions are managed directly by the school rather than through the local authority. The school describes 30 morning places and 30 afternoon places, plus some full-time places for eligible children, and it advises families to apply in December for the following September start.
The school states it does not currently offer breakfast club or after-school wraparound care, due to lack of demand. It does run after-school clubs that finish at 4:20pm, but these are enrichment clubs rather than childcare provision.
Leicester City Council lists Catherine Infant School as linked with Catherine Junior School, with priority given to children attending the linked infant school when applying for a junior place. Families still need to apply for Year 3 and should follow the junior admissions guidance closely.
Get in touch with the school directly
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