Doddinghurst Infant School, Brentwood
Doddinghurst Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Brentwood. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was 87% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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 26 Oct 2026
Doddinghurst Infant School in detail
Doddinghurst Infant School in its own words
In its own words: "At Doddinghurst Infant School we want every child to feel they truly belong. Our school is a warm, nurturing and inclusive place where children are known as individuals, cared for deeply and supported to grow with confidence."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby and gymnastics.
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Doddinghurst Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 73 families put Doddinghurst Infant School as their first choice and 123 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Doddinghurst Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Doddinghurst Infant School are Doddinghurst Church of England Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 73% reading, 61% maths); Kelvedon Hatch Community Primary School (1.2 miles, 60% reading, 75% maths); Bentley St Paul's Church of England Primary School (1.7 miles, 80% reading, 77% maths); and Blackmore Primary School (2.1 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths).
Doddinghurst Church of England Junior SchoolKelvedon Hatch Community Primary SchoolBentley St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolBlackmore Primary School
Who goes there
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (93%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 5 pupils (2.8%) received SEN support and 5 (2.8%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Shenfield Rail Station, about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is All Saints Close (opposite), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 26 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
Doddinghurst Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
11.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Doddinghurst Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Doddinghurst Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Doddinghurst Infant School 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
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 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 Doddinghurst Infant School
Will you get a place at Doddinghurst Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Doddinghurst Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Doddinghurst Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Doddinghurst Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Doddinghurst Infant School for 2014 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
87%
Available places
163 pupils
188 places
25 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Brentwood
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Brentwood
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
5.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
177
Total Pupils
95
Boys
82
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,962
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,601
Per pupil
£984k
Total funding
£27k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
15.7%
Persistent absence
108
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Doddinghurst Infant School
What is Doddinghurst Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Doddinghurst Infant School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2009 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Doddinghurst Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Doddinghurst Infant School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Doddinghurst Infant School?
Doddinghurst Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 188 places.
How big are the classes at Doddinghurst Infant School?
Classes at Doddinghurst Infant School average 29.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Doddinghurst Infant School?
Doddinghurst Infant School has around 177 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Doddinghurst Infant School?
6% of sessions were missed at Doddinghurst Infant School in 2024/25. 15.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Doddinghurst Infant School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Doddinghurst 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.
How many road collisions happen near Doddinghurst Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Doddinghurst Infant School?
Doddinghurst Infant School is at Church Lane, Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0NJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)