King Richard III Infant and Nursery School

This is the sort of infant and nursery school that puts belonging first, then builds learning carefully on top. Families join from age 3, some arriving mid-year and new to the country, so routines and relationships matter. External review evidence describes a calm, welcoming culture where pupils settle quickly and achievements are celebrated.

Leadership is stable. The headteacher is Ms Lou Harrison, in post since January 2018 .

For parents, the practical headline is demand. Reception entry is oversubscribed, with 144 applications for 60 offers in the most recent admissions data supplied, which equates to 2.4 applications per place. That scale of competition shapes everything from property decisions to backup planning.

The school serves New Parks and the wider west Leicester community, and it talks openly about inclusiveness as a lived value rather than a poster on the wall. The most recent inspection report describes pupils and families feeling proud of the school, with pupils learning about identity and culture through class-sharing activities.

That community mix affects the day-to-day in positive ways, for example, staff investing time in getting to know families so children can settle quickly, even when they join part-way through the year. For children aged 3 to 7, that settling-in piece is not cosmetic, it is the foundation for confident speaking, good listening, and early literacy habits.

There is also a clear sense that the school wants children to enjoy learning early. In the early years, the inspection evidence references children engaging with painting, designing, and building, alongside adult-led work on simple mathematics concepts. The balance matters: play and creativity can sit alongside direct teaching, but only when routines are consistent.

As an infant and nursery school, there is no Key Stage 2 results profile to compare with England averages, because pupils move on before Year 6. What parents can look for instead is whether early reading and language development are taught systematically, and whether children leave Year 2 ready for junior school expectations.

On that front, the school’s published curriculum information puts early reading at the centre, using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds programme. Class communications also indicate a structured home-reading routine, including a decodable book alongside a chosen reading-for-pleasure book, plus regular group reading in school.

If you are comparing local options, use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to line up infant schools with nearby primaries and junior schools, because the “next step” at Year 3 is the real outcome marker for this phase.

The curriculum is broad for this age range, with clear subject strands laid out across the website, including art, computing, design and technology, geography, history, music, oracy, personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), religious education, and science.

Early reading is the most defined element. Little Wandle is designed around consistent routines: phoneme learning, blending, and timely catch-up. The school’s own description aligns to that approach, and the latest inspection evidence suggests reading curriculum work is beginning to improve pupil progress, even while wider curriculum consistency remains an improvement priority.

A useful additional layer is the way the school uses topic work to make writing purposeful. Year group pages show pupils using stimulus texts, building vocabulary, then applying it in different written forms, alongside fieldwork-style local geography work and practical design projects for younger pupils. For families, the implication is straightforward: children who learn best through doing, talking, making, and re-telling stories are likely to find plenty of ways into the curriculum.

Because the school’s upper age is 7, the main transition is into a junior school for Year 3. In Leicester, this is typically managed through local authority processes and varies by family preference and place availability.

The practical question to ask is whether your chosen junior school route is realistic from your address. Infant and junior admissions can operate as separate decisions, so families often plan for two application points: nursery entry (if taken), then Reception, then junior transfer.

The school is a maintained state school. Reception admissions are coordinated by Leicester City Council rather than handled solely by the school. Families should check the council's current Reception timetable for closing-date and offer-day details before applying.

Demand is a real feature here. The most recent admissions data supplied shows 144 applications for 60 offers for the primary entry route, with an oversubscribed status and 2.4 applications per place. This points to a school many local families actively choose, not one relying on convenience alone.

Nursery entry works differently in most areas, and families should expect a more direct conversation with the school about sessions, funded entitlement, and start patterns. Even when a nursery sits within a maintained school, places can be managed separately from Reception offers.

If you want to sanity-check your chances for Reception, use the FindMySchool Map Search to measure your home-to-school distance precisely, then cross-reference with historic allocation patterns for your local authority. Distance is never a guarantee, but it helps families plan with fewer surprises.

The headteacher is also listed as the Designated Safeguarding Lead, signalling that safeguarding oversight sits at the top of the leadership structure. The most recent inspection report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

For children in the early years and Key Stage 1, wellbeing is often about predictability: clear rules, adults who know the child, and quick response when routines wobble. External review evidence supports the idea that pupils understand school rules as the basis for feeling safe and learning calmly.

Extracurricular at infant level works best when it is simple, consistent, and genuinely usable for working families. Here, wraparound is framed as a core offer rather than an optional extra. Daisy Base provides breakfast club and after-school care for ages 3 to 7, with 40 breakfast places and 40 after-school places stated.

There is also a separate in-school breakfast provision supported by the National School Breakfast Programme, described as running in the morning with bagels and sometimes cereals. For parents, that combination can matter as much as any enrichment club, because it reduces friction in the day and supports consistent attendance.

For wider enrichment, school communications and curriculum materials show varied experiences, including practical art and design work, simple stop-motion approaches linked to animation themes, and sport coaching within physical education units. The implication is a “hands-on” feel, where children build early confidence by making, explaining, and sharing, not just completing worksheets.

The published school day runs from 8.45am to 3.00pm, with the site stating the school is open from 8.00am until 5.30pm to cover wraparound. Morning registration is between 8.45am and 9.00am, and gates are locked at 9.00am.

For travel planning, this is a local school serving local families, so walking routes and short car journeys are common. If you are considering wraparound, check how pickup timings fit with your commute, as after-school care capacity is finite.

• Requires Improvement judgement. The latest Ofsted inspection in April 2024 judged the school Requires Improvement overall. This does not mean children are unsafe, safeguarding is reported as effective, but it does signal that curriculum consistency and leadership impact still need to strengthen.

• Competition for Reception places. With 144 applications for 60 offers in the most recent data, some families will need a credible second choice and a plan for junior transfer later.

• Attendance and punctuality matter. Official review evidence highlights attendance improvement work and ongoing punctuality focus. Families should assume the school will be proactive in following up absence, particularly because missed time has outsized impact at this age.

• Infant-to-junior transition is a real decision point. This is not a “stay until Year 6” pathway. Parents need to be comfortable planning ahead for Year 3 and visiting junior options early.

This is a popular local infant and nursery school with a clear emphasis on inclusion, early reading routines, and practical support for families through wraparound care. The latest inspection judgement means parents should go in with open eyes about curriculum and leadership consistency, but the evidence also supports a calm culture where children can settle quickly and feel safe.

Who it suits: families in the New Parks area looking for a community-based start to schooling, with structured phonics, predictable routines, and wraparound that makes working life workable.