Chater Infant School, Watford
Chater Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Watford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. It was 94% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Chater Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Chater Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 60 families put Chater Infant School as their first choice and 156 named it as one of their preferences, for 58 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Chater Infant School are Chater Junior School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 78% reading, 75% maths); Lanchester Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 76% reading, 81% maths); Laurance Haines School (0.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 82% maths); and Watford St John's Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 80% reading, 72% maths).
Chater Junior SchoolLanchester Primary SchoolLaurance Haines SchoolWatford St John's Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
7.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 96.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (67%), other ethnic groups (9%) and Mixed (7%).
Getting there
The nearest Underground station is Watford Underground Station, about 730 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Durban Road (sw-bound), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 700 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Chater Infant School issued 6 suspensions, 2.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Chater Infant School are Watford Grammar School for Boys (0.3 miles), Watford Grammar School for Girls (0.5 miles), Westfield Academy (0.6 miles) and Croxley Danes School (1 mile).
Watford Grammar School for BoysWatford Grammar School for GirlsWestfield AcademyCroxley Danes School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
At Chater Infant School pupils thrive and flourish. The school's tailored approach to learning helps each pupil achieve well. The school embraces its many cultures and ethnicities, creating an inclusive environment where pupils feel valued, safe and eager to learn.
The school sets high expectations. These are reinforced through the 'Chater Charter'. Pupils are kind, polite and respectful towards each other and adults in the school. They listen carefully to instructions. The youngest children quickly learn routines and all pupils understand what is expected of them.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum is precisely structured and routinely evaluated to address pupils' differing needs. This includes for pupils who are new to English and those that join the school at different times. Teachers prioritise developing pupils' communication and language skills. In mathematics, teachers meticulously break down learning into manageable steps. They provide strategies to enable pupils to confidently tackle word problems and apply reasoning skills effectively. In other subjects, such as art, teachers provide clear models of what they expect pupils to do and achieve.
Children in Nursery begin to develop a love for books and stories. The school's phonics programme is structured to ensure that all pupils learn the letter sounds. Skilled adults continually check and adapt the phonics lessons. Adults provide targeted support to help pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to catch up. Teachers offer workshops and information sessions to parents to explain how the school teaches reading. This helps reinforce the skills being taught at school. This work helps pupils to learn the English language and read fluently.
From Ofsted's July 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
7.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
27.3
Avg class size
29.6
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Chater Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Chater Infant School.
- Brightway Education390m away · Not yet graded
- Barracudas Watford870m away · Not yet graded
- Kidz Zone Club - Lanchester Primary School910m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Chater Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. 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 Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Chater Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Chater Infant School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 50
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 16
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 50 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 34 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
12 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 Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 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 Chater Infant School
Will you get a place at Chater Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Chater Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Chater Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Chater Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Chater Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hertfordshire 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
94%
Near capacity
177 pupils
189 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Watford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Watford
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
16.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
223
Total Pupils
104
Boys
119
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
22.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,879
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,233
Per pupil
£1245k
Total funding
£35k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.4%
Overall absence
14.8%
Persistent absence
128
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
Questions parents ask about Chater Infant School
What is Chater Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Chater Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Chater Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Chater Infant School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Chater Infant School?
Chater Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 189 places.
How big are the classes at Chater Infant School?
Classes at Chater Infant School average 27.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Chater Infant School?
Chater Infant School has around 223 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Chater Infant School?
6.4% of sessions were missed at Chater Infant School in 2024/25. 14.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Chater Infant School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Chater 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 Chater Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Chater Infant School: Brightway Education (390m away, registered, not yet graded), Barracudas Watford (870m away, registered, not yet graded) and Kidz Zone Club - Lanchester Primary School (910m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Chater Infant School's term dates?
Chater Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. 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 Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Chater Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 50 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 34 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 12 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 Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Chater Infant School?
Chater Infant School is at Chater Infant School, Southsea Avenue, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 7RD.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)