Crest Infant School, Rochester
Crest Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Rochester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. It was 51% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Medway (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Crest Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Crest Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Crest Infant School as their first choice and 120 named it as one of their preferences, for 54 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 Crest Infant School are Delce Academy (under 0.1 miles, Good, 76% reading, 69% maths); Balfour Infant School (0.3 miles, Good); Balfour Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 79% reading, 84% maths); and St Peter's Infant School (0.4 miles, Good).
Delce AcademyBalfour Infant SchoolBalfour Junior SchoolSt Peter's Infant School
What parents say
16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Crest 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 the school has high expectations for their child (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
44.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 28 pupils (23.1%) received SEN support and 7 (5.8%) 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.
Staffing
Crest Infant School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chatham Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Delce Academy (adjacent), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 465 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Medway (250), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Crest Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Crest Infant School are The Rochester Grammar School (0.2 miles), Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School (0.3 miles), The Thomas Aveling School (0.5 miles) and Holcombe Grammar School (0.6 miles).
The Rochester Grammar SchoolSir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolThe Thomas Aveling SchoolHolcombe Grammar School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from June 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Crest Infant School creates a genuinely happy environment where children feel valued and supported to achieve their best. Staff know each pupil well and provide expert help tailored to individual needs, whether through excellent phonics teaching or specialist support for those with additional needs. The school goes beyond academics to develop the whole child through a rich character curriculum, visits to places of worship and the community, and encounters with inspiring visitors like Olympic athletes.
Key Strengths
- Warm, welcoming environment where pupils love to be and behaviour is consistently calm and respectful
- Highly effective support for pupils with SEND in an inclusive setting with tailored help
- Strong teaching of English and mathematics with good subject knowledge and regular revisiting of prior learning
- Excellent phonics programme with expert support for pupils who struggle with reading
- Rich programme of clubs, activities, school visits and visitors that develops character, confidence and understanding of the wider world
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff lack secure subject knowledge in foundation subjects (such as science, history, geography), which means some pupils don't achieve as highly as they could
- Pupils sometimes lose concentration in foundation subjects when teaching is less confident
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and prioritise pupils' wellbeing and safety.
Extracurricular Activities
School visits to places of worship, local senior citizens centre and zoo, visits from police, fire brigade and military representatives, visiting authors and Olympic athletes, rich range of clubs and activities
Crest Infant School has maintained its good standards and provides pupils with happy childhood experiences and a wonderful start to their education. The school is a welcoming, inclusive place where staff understand every pupil's needs and have exceptionally high expectations for all learners.
At a Glance
44.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
16 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
24.5
Infant (KS1)
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Crest Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Crest Infant School.
- NexGen SportsAt the school · Not yet graded
- MFSE650m away · Not yet graded
- MFSE880m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Crest Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Crest Infant School is in Medway; for families living there:
Apply to Medway for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 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 Crest Infant School
Will you get a place at Crest Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Crest Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Crest Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Crest Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Medway, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Crest Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Medway 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
51%
Available places
137 pupils
270 places
133 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rochester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochester
Across Medway council
Places available
3,675
Applications
3,130
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
28.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
121
Total Pupils
68
Boys
53
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
13.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,402
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,539
Per pupil
£1054k
Total funding
£79k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.1%
Overall absence
28.7%
Persistent absence
122
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 Crest Infant School
What is Crest Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Crest Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Crest Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Crest Infant School is oversubscribed, Medway allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Crest Infant School?
Crest Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 51% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Crest Infant School?
Classes at Crest Infant School average 24.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Crest Infant School?
Crest Infant School has around 121 pupils on roll. 45% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Crest Infant School?
9.1% of sessions were missed at Crest Infant School in 2024/25. 28.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Crest Infant School?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming Crest 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 Crest Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: NexGen Sports (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more 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 Crest Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Crest Infant School?
Crest Infant School is at Fleet Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2QA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)