Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School, Orpington
Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Orpington, part of Chancery Education Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2023. It was 93% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bromley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School in detail
Getting a place at Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 67 families put Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School as their first choice and 297 named it as one of their preferences, for 86 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 Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School are Darrick Wood Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 74% maths); Farnborough Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 71% reading, 71% maths); Tubbenden Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 84% maths); and Holy Innocents Catholic Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 81% reading, 70% maths).
Darrick Wood Junior SchoolFarnborough Primary SchoolTubbenden Primary SchoolHoly Innocents Catholic Primary School
The trust
Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School is one of 4 schools run by Chancery Education Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
7.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 37 pupils (11.8%) received SEN support and 21 (6.7%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Orpington Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lovibonds Avenue (->s), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 107 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bromley (188).
Suspensions and exclusions
Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School are Darrick Wood School (under 0.1 miles), Newstead Wood School (0.4 miles), Ravens Wood School (1.3 miles) and Bishop Justus CofE School (1.4 miles).
Darrick Wood SchoolNewstead Wood SchoolRavens Wood SchoolBishop Justus CofE 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
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its December 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
7.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
28.1
Infant (KS1)
8
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School is in Bromley; for families living there:
Apply to Bromley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 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 Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School
Will you get a place at Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bromley, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bromley 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
93%
Near capacity
252 pupils
270 places
18 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Orpington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Orpington
Across Bromley council
Places available
3,982
Applications
3,203
Got 1st preference
87.7%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Bromley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
21
EHC Plans
18.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
314
Total Pupils
161
Boys
153
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
22.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,224
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,472
Per pupil
£1433k
Total funding
£27k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
10.4%
Persistent absence
182
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
Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School
Questions parents ask about Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School
What is Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2023.
What is the catchment area for Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School is oversubscribed, Bromley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School?
Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School?
Classes at Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School average 29.4 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School?
Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School has around 314 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School in 2024/25. 10.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School?
Apply through Bromley's coordinated admissions process, naming Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery 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.
How many road collisions happen near Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School?
Darrick Wood Infant & Nursery School is at Lovibonds Avenue, Orpington, Kent, BR6 8ER.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)