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Burman Infant School, Solihull

Requires Improvement
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 4–7

Burman Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Solihull. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. It was 92% full in 2025.

Ofsted
Requires improvement (2023)
Demand
Every first choice offered
Attendance
In line with England
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Solihull (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Data last updated 27 Oct 2026

Burman Infant School in detail

Getting a place at Burman Infant School

For September 2026 entry, 20 families put Burman Infant School as their first choice and 98 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Admissions history and your chances at Burman Infant School

Compared with nearby schools

The nearest other state primary schools to Burman Infant School are Tudor Grange Primary Academy, St James (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 63% maths); Haslucks Green School (0.5 miles); Woodlands Infant School (0.6 miles, Good); and Mill Lodge Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 72% reading, 66% maths).

Tudor Grange Primary Academy, St JamesHaslucks Green SchoolWoodlands Infant SchoolMill Lodge Primary School

What parents say

52 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Burman Infant School (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 55% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (55%).

Who goes there

10.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Shirley Rail Station, about 640 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Colebrook (adjacent), 340 metres away.

The area around the school

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Burman Infant School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

Suspensions and exclusions

Burman Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.

Secondary schools nearby

The secondary schools closest to Burman Infant School are Light Hall School (0.5 miles); and Christ Church, Church of England Secondary Academy (1.2 miles).

Light Hall SchoolChrist Church, Church of England Secondary Academy

Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics

Location

Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Ella Saxty
Pupils:169
LA:Solihull
Phone:01217441843
Address:Velsheda Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 2JW
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Requires Improvement

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Requires Improvement

Early Years

Inspected 7 May 2025View full report
URN:104040
UKPRN:10070960
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Solihull West and Shirley
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.

What This School Does Well

Burman Infant School creates a warm, welcoming environment where children are happy to come to school. The teaching of reading is particularly strong, with expert staff and carefully chosen books that support all children's progress. The school also prioritises children's wellbeing and personal development through activities like daily calm time and a wide range of clubs and enrichment opportunities.

Key Strengths

  • Expert teaching of early reading with rising phonics outcomes and well-matched books for each child's learning level
  • Strong behaviour and positive attitudes, supported by clear routines and characters like 'Ruth Resilience' that teach pupils how to approach challenges
  • Excellent personal development opportunities including school council roles, daily calm time for emotional skills, and diverse clubs and visits

Areas for Improvement

  • Sometimes activities do not focus clearly on the essential knowledge pupils need to learn, causing them to struggle connecting new learning with previous knowledge
  • Staff do not consistently adapt learning well enough for pupils with special educational needs, which slows their progress
  • Early years provision requires improvement and needs the same focus on curriculum knowledge as other year groups

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear systems and procedures in place to keep pupils safe.

Extracurricular Activities

School council, clubs, visits, Solihull 'Egg Superheroes' project participation

Burman Infant School is a welcoming community where pupils enjoy learning and behaviour is good, but the quality of education requires improvement as pupils have gaps in their understanding that affect their readiness for the next stage of learning.

At a Glance

10.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

52 responses
Would recommend85%
Child is happy94%
Child does well87%
High expectations77%
Feels safe90%
Well behaved89%
Bullying dealt with (of parents with a view)55%
Kept informed83%
Handles concerns (of parents who raised one)77%
Wider development77%

Source: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

28.2

Avg class size

28.8

Infant (KS1)

6

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2025/26 academic year

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with Burman Infant School

Before and after school care

Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Burman Infant School.

  • Emerald ASC Solihull760m away · Not yet graded

Term dates

Burman Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Solihull. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.

2026 to 2027

  • Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
  • Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
  • Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)

2027 to 2028

  • Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
  • Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
  • Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)

Source: Solihull term dates

Getting There

Train Stations

Shirley Rail Station (Entrance)
635m · 10 min walk

Bus Stops

The Colebrook (adj)
336m · 5 min walk
Oberon Drive (opp)
357m · 6 min walk
Sansome Road (opp)
414m · 7 min walk
Hurdis Road (adj)
436m · 7 min walk
Antony Road (opp)
536m · 9 min walk

Free school transport

Check free transport to Burman Infant School from your postcode →

You apply to the council where you live. Burman Infant School is in Solihull; for families living there:

Apply to Solihull for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
15
Fatal
1
Serious
2
Children hurt
2

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight.

2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.

7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.

The typical figure for schools in Solihull is 12 (the median across 90 schools, same distance and years).

Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.

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Commute and house prices

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Your chances of a place at Burman Infant School

Will you get a place at Burman Infant School? Get the admissions report

Your home postcode, set against Burman Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.

What the report includes for Burman Infant School:

  • The straight-line distance from your home to Burman Infant School.
  • Solihull publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Burman Infant School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
  • Applications, first choices and offers at Burman Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
  • How many families in Solihull got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
  • The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
  • Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.

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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

92%

Near capacity

165 pupils

180 places

15 spare places in 2025

2025, DfE school capacity data

Area Demand Pressure - Solihull

Low pressure
New homes approved:2,009
Projected new pupils:502

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Solihull

Across Solihull council

Low demand council-wide0.79 applications per place

Places available

2,638

Applications

2,090

Got 1st preference

91.7%

Got preferred school

99.0%

All primary applications across Solihull council (2026/27), not just this school.

This school: Every first choice offered

Inspection History(5)

7 May 2025
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsRequires Improvement
7 March 2023
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Early YearsRequires Improvement
19 May 2009
OutstandingReport
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding

SEND & SEN Provision

SEN Overview

23

SEN Support

7

EHC Plans

17.8%

of Total Pupils

2026 academic year

Provision & Specialist Facilities

No specialist provision recorded

Pupils by Need Type

Speech, Language & Communication17
Social, Emotional & Mental Health4
Moderate Learning Difficulty3
Hearing Impairment3
Visual Impairment1
Autistic Spectrum Disorder1
Other1
EHC Plan
SEN Support

Pupil Demographics

Ethnicity

White British
55.0%
Asian
26.1%
Black
4.2%
Mixed
6.5%
Chinese
3.6%
Other
1.2%
Unclassified
0.6%

2026 academic year

Key Indicators

Free School Meals10.1%
English as Additional Language17.2%

169

Total Pupils

87

Boys

82

Girls

2026 academic year

Workforce

10

Teachers

16.9:1

Pupil-teacher ratio

£50,103

Mean salary

2026 data

School Funding

£5,652

Per pupil

£1070k

Total funding

£30k

Pupil premium

Deprivation£36,497
EAL funding£36,613
Lump sum£145,611

2025-26 financial year allocations

Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.6%

Overall absence

16.5%

Persistent absence

121

Enrolments

Authorised4.1%
Unauthorised1.4%
Persistent (10%+)16.5%
Severe (50%+)0.0%

Absence trend

3.6%
18/19
5.0%
20/21
6.1%
21/22
5.0%
22/23
5.0%
23/24
5.6%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Questions parents ask about Burman Infant School

What is Burman Infant School's Ofsted rating?

Burman Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.

What is the catchment area for Burman Infant School?

No fixed boundary. When Burman Infant School is oversubscribed, Solihull allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

Is it hard to get a place at Burman Infant School?

Burman Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 180 places.

How big are the classes at Burman Infant School?

Classes at Burman Infant School average 28.2 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.

How many pupils go to Burman Infant School?

Burman Infant School has around 169 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.

What is attendance like at Burman Infant School?

5.6% of sessions were missed at Burman Infant School in 2024/25. 16.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).

How do I apply to Burman Infant School?

Apply through Solihull's coordinated admissions process, naming Burman Infant School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.

Does Burman Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?

Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Burman Infant School: Emerald ASC Solihull (760m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.

What are Burman Infant School's term dates?

Burman Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Solihull. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).

How many road collisions happen near Burman Infant School?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Solihull is 12 (the median across 90 schools, same distance and years).

Where is Burman Infant School?

Burman Infant School is at Velsheda Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 2JW.

Sources: Solihull term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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