Drayton Community Infant School, Norwich
Drayton Community Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 7 in Norwich, part of Clarion Corvus Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. It was 78% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- 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 Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Drayton Community Infant School in detail
Drayton Community Infant School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "A very warm welcome to Drayton Community Infant School. We are part of the Clarion Inclusive Trust, a small group of schools working together across Norwich and the surrounding areas. We are a friendly and child-centred infant school based in Drayton, to the west of the city of Norwich."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Drayton Community Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 49 families put Drayton Community Infant School as their first choice and 114 named it as one of their preferences, for 50 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 Drayton Community Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Drayton Community Infant School are Drayton CofE Junior School (0.3 miles, Good, 82% reading, 69% maths); Ghost Hill Infant and Nursery School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); Taverham VC CE Junior School (1 mile, Good, 84% reading, 75% maths); and Nightingale Infant & Nursery School (1.1 miles, Good).
Drayton CofE Junior SchoolGhost Hill Infant and Nursery SchoolTaverham VC CE Junior SchoolNightingale Infant & Nursery School
The trust
Drayton Community Infant School is one of 13 schools run by Clarion Corvus Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
24 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Drayton Community Infant School (as of September 2025): 88% 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 their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (71%).
Who goes there
8.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 15 pupils (8.1%) received SEN support and 2 (1.1%) 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
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Drayton Community Infant School.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Badgers Brook Road (opposite), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Drayton Community Infant School issued 4 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school excels at creating a safe, caring environment where every child feels valued and included. Teachers have high expectations and provide tailored support to help all pupils succeed, particularly those who need extra help catching up. The exceptional range of enrichment activities - from drama and archery to sports and cultural events - inspires curiosity and helps every child discover new talents.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional personal development programme that builds character, values, and life skills
- Well-designed, ambitious curriculum that is carefully sequenced to build knowledge and skills over time
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, integrated across all subjects with close partnership with parents
- High standards of behaviour and inclusive ethos where kindness and effort are consistently recognised
- Expert early reading instruction that develops fluency, confidence and love of diverse literature
Areas for Improvement
- Early years writing focus is not sharp enough - children need more support with letter formation and transcription to avoid developing poor habits early
- Some newer curriculum topics are not yet fully embedded, meaning teaching activities are not always well-matched to learning intentions
- Staff need more training to fully implement new curriculum approaches with confidence
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Drama clubs, archery, running clubs, international sports days, creative projects, before- and after-school care
Drayton Community Infant School creates a vibrant and inclusive environment where pupils feel safe, happy and eager to learn. The school has made significant improvements since its previous inspection, with strong achievement across a carefully sequenced, ambitious curriculum.
At a Glance
8.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
24 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
26.8
Infant (KS1)
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Drayton Community Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Drayton Community Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Drayton Community Infant School is in Norfolk; for families living there:
Apply to Norfolk for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Norfolk is 4 (the median across 462 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 Drayton Community Infant School
Will you get a place at Drayton Community Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Drayton Community Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Drayton Community Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Drayton Community Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Drayton Community Infant School for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Norfolk 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
78%
Available places
211 pupils
270 places
59 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Norwich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Norwich
Across Norfolk council
Places available
9,547
Applications
7,482
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All primary applications across Norfolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
15
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
9.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
185
Total Pupils
90
Boys
95
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,367
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,086
Per pupil
£1170k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
12.2%
Persistent absence
148
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
Drayton Community Infant School
Questions parents ask about Drayton Community Infant School
What is Drayton Community Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Drayton Community Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Drayton Community Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Drayton Community Infant School is oversubscribed, Norfolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Drayton Community Infant School?
Drayton Community Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 78% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Drayton Community Infant School?
Classes at Drayton Community Infant School average 26.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Drayton Community Infant School?
Drayton Community Infant School has around 185 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Drayton Community Infant School?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Drayton Community Infant School in 2024/25. 12.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Drayton Community Infant School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Drayton Community 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 Drayton Community Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Norfolk is 4 (the median across 462 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Drayton Community Infant School?
Drayton Community Infant School is at School Road, Drayton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR8 6EP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)