Acorn Infant Academy, Witham
Acorn Infant Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Witham, part of Bridge Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. It was 76% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Acorn Infant Academy in detail
Getting a place at Acorn Infant Academy
For September 2026 entry, 41 families put Acorn Infant Academy as their first choice and 99 named it as one of their preferences, for 68 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Acorn Infant Academy are Witham Oaks Academy (under 0.1 miles, Good, 83% reading, 81% maths); Templars Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 60% reading, 54% maths); Elm Hall Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 72% reading, 59% maths); and Howbridge Infant School (1.1 miles, Good).
Witham Oaks AcademyTemplars AcademyElm Hall Primary SchoolHowbridge Infant School
The trust
Acorn Infant Academy is one of 11 schools run by Bridge Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
32 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Acorn Infant Academy (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).
Who goes there
4.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 53 pupils (27%) received SEN support and 7 (3.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Acorn Infant Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 12 places, 15 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Acorn Infant Academy had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Witham (Essex) Rail Station, about 1040 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Spa Road (n-bound), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 149 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Acorn Infant Academy issued 18 suspensions, 8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Acorn Infant Academy are Lift Maltings (0.7 miles) and Lift New Rickstones (1 mile).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Acorn Academy creates a warm, supportive environment where children thrive. Teachers use well-planned learning activities and clear teaching to help pupils gain secure knowledge, with excellent support for early readers and those with additional needs. The school teaches pupils to be kind and respectful of each other while preparing them well for life in modern Britain.
Key Strengths
- Well-structured curriculum that builds pupils' knowledge over time, starting from Nursery
- Effective overhaul of early reading approach with skilled teaching of phonics and strong pupil progress
- Strong early years provision with stimulating activities that help children become independent and confident
- High expectations for behaviour with clear routines; improved attendance through positive 'soft start' breakfast program
- Excellent pastoral care and safeguarding - pupils know adults will listen and help with any worries
Areas for Improvement
- Some teachers do not check what pupils have learned effectively enough, missing gaps and errors that slow progress
- Some subject leaders lack the knowledge and skills needed to fully develop and monitor their curriculum areas
- Published reading outcomes do not yet reflect the positive impact of the new reading approach
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear systems in place and staff who listen and provide support to pupils.
Extracurricular Activities
Art clubs, gardening clubs, sports clubs, musical performances, competitions, trips, charity fundraising
Acorn Academy is a good infant school where pupils enjoy attending and work hard in a safe, welcoming environment. The school has effectively addressed previous inspection concerns and continues to develop its curriculum and teaching quality.
At a Glance
23.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
32 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
20.4
Avg class size
20.9
Infant (KS1)
10
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Acorn Infant Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Acorn Infant Academy.
- YMCA Essex @ Witham Oaks AcademyAt the school · Not yet graded
- Spring Lodge Pre-school & Out of School Clubs440m away · Ofsted: Good
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Acorn Infant Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Acorn Infant Academy is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 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.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Acorn Infant Academy
Will you get a place at Acorn Infant Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Acorn Infant Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Acorn Infant Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Acorn Infant Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Acorn Infant Academy for 2020 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex 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
76%
Available places
204 pupils
270 places
66 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Witham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Witham
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
53
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
30.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Acorn Infant Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 12 places, 15 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
196
Total Pupils
100
Boys
96
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
13.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,948
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,675
Per pupil
£1332k
Total funding
£97k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
16.9%
Persistent absence
160
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Acorn Infant Academy
Questions parents ask about Acorn Infant Academy
What is Acorn Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?
Acorn Infant Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Acorn Infant Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Acorn Infant Academy is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Acorn Infant Academy?
Acorn Infant Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Acorn Infant Academy?
Classes at Acorn Infant Academy average 20.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Acorn Infant Academy?
Acorn Infant Academy has around 196 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Acorn Infant Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Acorn Infant Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 12 places, 15 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Acorn Infant Academy?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Acorn Infant Academy in 2024/25. 16.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Acorn Infant Academy?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Acorn Infant Academy 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 Acorn Infant Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: YMCA Essex @ Witham Oaks Academy (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Acorn Infant Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Acorn Infant Academy?
Acorn Infant Academy is at Spa Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1NA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)