Elmwood Infant School, Croydon
Elmwood Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Croydon. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. It was 98% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Croydon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Elmwood Infant School in detail
Elmwood Infant School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include yoga, dance, drama, guitar and cooking.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Elmwood Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 84 families put Elmwood Infant School as their first choice and 234 named it as one of their preferences, for 94 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 Elmwood Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Elmwood Infant School are Elmwood Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 81% reading, 77% maths); Chestnut Park Primary School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 57% reading, 60% maths); Ecclesbourne Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 84% maths); and Harris Primary Academy Croydon (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 83% maths).
Elmwood Junior SchoolChestnut Park Primary SchoolEcclesbourne Primary SchoolHarris Primary Academy Croydon
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Elmwood Infant School (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (75%).
Who goes there
75.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (51%), Black (21%) and Mixed (12%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is West Croydon Tram Stop, about 830 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Broad Green Avenue, 280 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1262 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 Croydon (488), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Elmwood Infant School issued 6 suspensions, 1.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Elmwood Infant School are Harris Invictus Academy Croydon (0.4 miles), St Mary's Catholic High School (0.5 miles), BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology (0.7 miles) and Harris Federation Post 16 (0.9 miles).
Harris Invictus Academy CroydonSt Mary's Catholic High SchoolBRIT School for Performing Arts and TechnologyHarris Federation Post 16
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); 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are happy and proud members of the Elmwood community. Each pupil's uniqueness is valued. Diversity is celebrated throughout the school. Pupils feel safe here and are kept safe. This is because of the warm and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils.
The school is ambitious for what pupils can achieve. Leaders and staff have sharply focused on ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well across the curriculum. This work is effective overall. Additionally, the school's '10 super skills' are well embedded throughout the curriculum and other aspects of school life. These are designed to support pupils to be successful learners and develop skills for the future.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Starting in early years, the school's curriculum identifies and clearly sets out the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. Leaders have also begun work on identifying and mapping out essential subject-related vocabulary across the curriculum. Teachers explain new learning clearly. Lessons typically provide pupils with purposeful opportunities to revisit and recap their prior learning.
However, across the curriculum, the school's intent and expectations for subjects are, in a few instances, not fully realised. For example, on occasions, the activities that pupils complete are not as sharply linked to the intended learning as they could be. In addition, checks of what pupils know and can remember are, at times, not ensuring that errors and misconceptions in learning are consistently identified and addressed.
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 September 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
30.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
23.3
Avg class size
26.3
Infant (KS1)
13
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Elmwood Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Elmwood Infant School.
- KG Doodles at West Thornton Primary School Canterbury Road810m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Elmwood Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Croydon. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 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 Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Elmwood Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Elmwood Infant School is in Croydon; for families living there:
Apply to Croydon for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 230
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 22
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 230 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 22 serious and 208 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
52 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 Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 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 Elmwood Infant School
Will you get a place at Elmwood Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Elmwood Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Elmwood Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Elmwood Infant School.
- Croydon publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Elmwood Infant School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Elmwood Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Croydon 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
98%
Near capacity
344 pupils
352 places
8 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Croydon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Croydon
Across Croydon council
Places available
4,828
Applications
4,082
Got 1st preference
89.6%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Croydon council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
55
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
19.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
357
Total Pupils
195
Boys
162
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
21.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,777
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,650
Per pupil
£2644k
Total funding
£171k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.4%
Overall absence
29.8%
Persistent absence
258
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 Elmwood Infant School
What is Elmwood Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Elmwood Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Elmwood Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Elmwood Infant School is oversubscribed, Croydon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Elmwood Infant School?
Elmwood Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Elmwood Infant School?
Classes at Elmwood Infant School average 23.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Elmwood Infant School?
Elmwood Infant School has around 357 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Elmwood Infant School?
7.4% of sessions were missed at Elmwood Infant School in 2024/25. 29.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Elmwood Infant School?
Apply through Croydon's coordinated admissions process, naming Elmwood 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 Elmwood Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Elmwood Infant School: KG Doodles at West Thornton Primary School Canterbury Road (810m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Elmwood Infant School's term dates?
Elmwood Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Croydon. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 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 Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Elmwood Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 230 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 22 serious and 208 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 52 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 Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Elmwood Infant School?
Elmwood Infant School is at Lodge Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2PL.
Sources: Croydon term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)