About us

Wheldon Infant School and Nursery is located on Francis Street, very close to the town centre of Castleford. The school caters for children aged between 3 and 7 years and is smaller than average in size. This gives the school a distinctive family feel. We have 135 places in main school and 78 part-time spaces in our nursery.

 Pupil numbers and class sizes 

The Annual Admission Number is 45 pupils per year group, which ideally prevents mixed classes between Reception and Year 1. Reception children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and Year 1 children follow the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum; it is preferable to teach classes within the correct Key Stages.

 Numbers on roll remain steady thanks to ongoing residential development and the offer of breakfast and after school clubs. The school operates a Nursery on site where we offer between 15- and 30-hour provision. Our Nursery limit is 78 children – 39 per session. This consists of a maximum of 26 30 hour places.

From September 2024:

 Reception 1 – 23

Reception 2 – 22

Year 1 – 30

Year 2/1 – 15 year 2 15 year 1 - this is split on age. The oldest year 1 children and the youngest year 2 children.

Year 2 – 30

Nursery – 39 AM place

                  39 PM places

(26 lunchtime places)

 Accommodation and premises

 The school is a mix of old and new building styles. The classrooms generally are different sizes, with a capacity of 30 children per classroom. Nursery has one large room, a separate toilet area, a sensory area and a large designated outdoor area with its own forest school area.

 Reception classrooms consist of two large rooms, a toilet area and a designated, outside area.

 Key Stage 1 consists of three classrooms with a maximum capacity of 30 children in each. They have their own playground area and Year 1 has a small designated outdoor provision area. They also have a designated toilet area. The entrance area that is next to the key stage one classrooms is an intervention area for a group of high need SEN students.

 We have an established forest school area that all children can access.

 Despite its urban setting, the school has large grounds to the rear which provide excellent outdoor facilities for playtimes, PE and sport, science and the wider curriculum.

 The hall is used as the library area, assemblies, PE lessons, dining and for group work and interventions throughout the day.

 We have a learning zone area that was previously the cloakrooms where small group interventions take place.

 Implications for Teaching and Learning and Pressure on resources

 This is solidly good school verified by OFSTED in April 2019. The school prides itself on the learning opportunities and experiences it provides as well as the outstanding care we offer our children. The school's high commitment to do the best for each child underpins the very good partnership between home and school. Children’s skills vary widely when they join the Nursery, but are often below the expectations for their age.

School/governing body policy over a number of years

 The Local Authority and Governing Body have a stated policy to work to the PAN of 45 and to turn down any applications that would take numbers above that figure. The school is able to consistently accommodate on time applications in the normal admissions round for the children from its core catchment area.