Grove House Infant and Nursery School, Dereham
Grove House Infant and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Dereham, part of Unity Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. It was 88% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Grove House Infant and Nursery School in detail
Getting a place at Grove House Infant and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Grove House Infant and Nursery School as their first choice and 50 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Grove House Infant and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Grove House Infant and Nursery School are Dereham Church of England Junior Academy (0.2 miles, Good, 71% reading, 66% maths); Dereham Church of England Infant and Nursery Academy (0.3 miles); King's Park Infant School, Dereham (0.6 miles, Good); and Dereham, Toftwood Community Junior School (0.9 miles, Good, 82% reading, 71% maths).
Dereham Church of England Junior AcademyDereham Church of England Infant and Nursery AcademyKing's Park Infant School, DerehamDereham, Toftwood Community Junior School
The trust
Grove House Infant and Nursery School is one of 15 schools run by Unity Education Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
8.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Grove House Infant and Nursery School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is (Dereham) Mid Norfolk Railway, about 640 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Moorgate Cottages (adjacent), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 121 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 Norfolk (28), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Grove House Infant and Nursery School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Grove House Infant and Nursery School are Dereham Neatherd High School (0.8 miles) and Northgate High School (0.8 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 December 2013, 12 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
Grove House is a welcoming, caring place where children thrive. The school excels at teaching reading and phonics, with daily story time as a highlight that builds confident readers. Early years children flourish through creative learning centred on curiosity and independence, setting strong foundations for their future.
Key Strengths
- Strong teaching in English and mathematics with clear sequencing and vocabulary development
- Excellent phonics teaching leading to confident readers and writers
- Early years children develop independence and curiosity very well through learning powers characters
- Warm, inclusive school culture with high behaviour expectations and positive pupil conduct
- Strong family engagement and partnerships creating a nurturing environment
Areas for Improvement
- Activities in some foundation subjects (non-English and maths) do not sufficiently focus on essential subject knowledge
- Pupils sometimes struggle to recall and connect learning in these subjects
- Teachers need to ensure activities clearly focus on the knowledge pupils should learn across all subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with warm staff-pupil relationships and a safe, inclusive school culture prioritising pupils' wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Art, music, celebration days, eco council, school council, breakfast club
Grove House Infant and Nursery School has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. Pupils enjoy school, form strong friendships, and achieve well with high teacher expectations and clear routines.
At a Glance
30.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
20.8
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Grove House Infant and Nursery School
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Grove House Infant and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Grove House Infant and Nursery 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
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 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 Grove House Infant and Nursery School
Will you get a place at Grove House Infant and Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Grove House Infant and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Grove House Infant and Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Grove House Infant and Nursery School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Grove House Infant and Nursery School for 2017 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
88%
Available places
79 pupils
90 places
11 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dereham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dereham
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
12
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
18.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
83
Total Pupils
43
Boys
40
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
11.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,857
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,535
Per pupil
£605k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
7.0%
Persistent absence
57
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
Grove House Infant and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about Grove House Infant and Nursery School
What is Grove House Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Grove House Infant and Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Grove House Infant and Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Grove House Infant and Nursery 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 Grove House Infant and Nursery School?
Grove House Infant and Nursery School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 90 places.
How big are the classes at Grove House Infant and Nursery School?
Classes at Grove House Infant and Nursery School average 20.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Grove House Infant and Nursery School?
Grove House Infant and Nursery School has around 83 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Grove House Infant and Nursery School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Grove House Infant and Nursery School in 2024/25. 7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Grove House Infant and Nursery School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Grove House Infant and 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 Grove House Infant and Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 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 Norfolk is 4 (the median across 462 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Grove House Infant and Nursery School?
Grove House Infant and Nursery School is at Gilpins Ride, Littlefields, Dereham, Norfolk, NR19 1BJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)