School Chooser

Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy241 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubRotherham
School Chooser Score
98
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 96 to 100
Out of 100. Better than 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedStrong teachingOfsted report card, April 2026
Reached the expected level at 1193%England 63%
Attendance95.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families14%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull241 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher19.3School workforce census

Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School is a converter academy in Rotherham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 241 pupils, 31 more than it has places for. About 14 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 99 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in April 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Hall Close Avenue, Whiston, Rotherham, S60 4AG01709 541878whistonworrygoose.comMrs Vanessa Hill headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 21 April 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
Strong
Achievement
Strong
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Strong
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Strong
Early years
Strong
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
6 October 2021S5 InspectionOutstanding

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

30 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1193%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level30%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score113.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score113.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 89%89%20172018: 73%73%20182019: 83%83%20192023: 93%93%20232024: 87%87%20242025: 93%93%2025
Since 2017: +4%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017RotherhamEngland
Pupils tested303030303028
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths93%87%93%83%73%89%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths30%17%20%10%17%29%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score113.0110.0110.0106.0105.0107.0104.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score113.0111.0111.0105.0106.0108.0103.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score111.0106.0108.0106.0106.0111.0103.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard93%97%93%83%73%89%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard93%100%97%90%93%96%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)93%90%93%90%93%100%
Reading progressReading progress score+5.6+0.5-1.6-0.4
Maths progressMaths progress score+6.6-0.3+0.5+1.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged80%86%71%83%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged100%83%74%91%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
80%100%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
91%95%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
10%30%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Full212 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 2 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Rotherham council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll241Census January 2026
Places210115% full
Pupils from low-income families15%14% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English14%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%24 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.48 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils38%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)13%£41,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls124 / 117
White British pupils56%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (13), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), language and communications needs (5), Hearing impairment (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll241239235239240245
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals15%16%15%16%13%13%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language14%15%16%16%15%16%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%12%11%13%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%2%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school8.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.5%4.9%5.1%5.5%3.0%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.6%3.6%4.0%2.2%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%1.3%1.5%1.5%0.8%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence8.7%13.2%10.8%12.2%5.0%5.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.40.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers12.2full-time equivalent, 13 people
Pupils per teacher19.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,034
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.92024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,315England £7,128. Total £2.0m
Income per pupil£10,013England £7,587. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,809England £3,405
Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £319k, £1,356 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£399kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,315spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m11012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate76 per 1,000 people17% lower than the England average
Typical house price£190,000Rotherham
Nearest bus stop220 mPark Avenue/Cow Rakes Lane, 13 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Whiston Junior and Infant SchoolAcademy710 m191No overall grade 202561Compare
Sitwell Nursery & Infant SchoolCouncil1000 m221No overall grade 202540Compare
Sitwell Junior SchoolAcademy1000 m302Good 202275Compare
Herringthorpe Infant SchoolCouncil1.0 miles281No overall grade 202593Compare
Herringthorpe Junior SchoolAcademy1.0 miles354No overall grade 202597Compare
Listerdale Primary AcademyAcademy1.0 miles361Good 202451Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles211Good 202367Compare
Broom Valley Community SchoolCouncil1.5 miles401Good 202310Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School with the 46 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats100%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 99 is 37 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 13 · middle 62 · highest 93100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 99 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 99% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 96 to 100. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%well above
+0.33
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.21
Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%well above
+0.31
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.06
2024/25; 183 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.29
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School scores 99 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 96 to 100, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 21 April 2026 it rated teaching as strong, achievement as strong, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as strong.

How good are Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 93% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 30% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School have?

241 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 115% full.

Is Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 2 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School?

Pupils were in school 95.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School?

The average class had 29.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 38% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Whiston Worrygoose Junior and Infant School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Hall Close Avenue, Whiston, Rotherham, S60 4AG
Telephone
01709 541878
Website
www.whistonworrygoose.com
Headteacher
Mrs Vanessa Hill
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
White Woods Primary Academy Trust (16 schools)
Local authority
Rotherham
Ward
Sitwell
Constituency
Rother Valley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2013 (academy converter)
URN
140116 · LAESTAB 3722111 · UKPRN 10043081
Formerly
Whiston Worry Goose Junior and Infant School

Where these figures come from