Castle Hill Infant School, Ipswich

For September 2026 entry, 68 families put Castle Hill Infant School as their first choice and 136 named it as one of their preferences, for 77 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Castle Hill Infant School are Castle Hill Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 71% reading, 66% maths); Dale Hall Community Primary School (0.4 miles, 72% reading, 83% maths); St Pancras Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 79% maths); and The Beeches Community Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 64% reading, 66% maths).

Castle Hill Infant School is one of 16 schools run by Asset Education, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

40 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Castle Hill Infant School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).

In 2026, 51 pupils (20.3%) received SEN support and 35 (13.9%) 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.

Castle Hill Infant School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 24 places, 24 pupils on roll.

Castle Hill Infant School had 18 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Entrance1, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Elmcroft Road (adjacent), 100 metres away.

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

In August 2026, police recorded 133 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Castle Hill Infant School issued 19 suspensions, 8.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The secondary schools closest to Castle Hill Infant School are Ormiston Endeavour Academy (0.3 miles), Westbourne Academy (1 mile) and Northgate High School (1.8 miles).