Hamstel Infant School and Nursery, Southend-on-Sea
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Southend-on-Sea, part of Portico Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. It was 87% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Southend-on-Sea (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery in detail
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Hamstel Infant School and Nursery, a thriving hub of infant and early years education, sited within the Southchurch Ward and serving the East Central area of Southend on Sea."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Hamstel Infant School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 125 families put Hamstel Infant School and Nursery as their first choice and 215 named it as one of their preferences, for 120 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 12 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Hamstel Infant School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hamstel Infant School and Nursery are Hamstel Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 73% reading, 64% maths); Temple Sutton Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 71% reading, 68% maths); Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 69% maths); and Bournemouth Park Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 84% reading, 76% maths).
Hamstel Junior SchoolTemple Sutton Primary SchoolSacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolBournemouth Park Academy
The trust
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery is one of 5 schools run by Portico Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
42 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hamstel Infant School and Nursery (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school and 98% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (76%).
Who goes there
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery has a SEN unit for autism: 3 places, 3 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Southend East Rail Station, about 900 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is North Avenue (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hamstel Infant School and Nursery stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Hamstel Infant School and Nursery issued 13 suspensions, 2.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Hamstel Infant School and Nursery are Southend High School for Girls (0.4 miles), Cecil Jones Academy (0.5 miles) and Southchurch High School (0.6 miles).
Southend High School for GirlsCecil Jones AcademySouthchurch High School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2013, 13 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school's mantra of 'happy staff make for happy children' is clear to see. Children quickly form trusting and warm relationships with each other and with adults. Key stage 1 pupils are good role models for their younger counterparts. Their behaviours reflect the school's values and so they develop into caring and respectful individuals who have a clear sense of what is right and wrong. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.
The school is ambitious for what children at this age can learn and do. Most children in the early years promptly gain independence, for instance, through playing with equipment and following the woodland trails in the outdoor learning area. The joys of exploration and discovery continue through their time at school, whether this is learning at the beach or visiting the local library. There is a wealth of activities for pupils to experience. This includes pupils who attend the special educational needs (SEN) unit. They access the school's many clubs with support.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is well established. Over time, the school has refined and adjusted what pupils learn so they achieve their best. For example, pupils receive extra support to practise their recall of number facts. This helps them with their problem-solving skills in mathematics. The close attention to pupils' learning needs, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), is paying dividends. Children and pupils learn to read quickly and confidently. This is demonstrated through the school's high outcomes with the phonics screening check. Older pupils are enthusiastic readers. They are proud to read what they call, 'the bigger chapter books'.
From Ofsted's October 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 May 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
20.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
42 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
30.6
Infant (KS1)
14
Total classes
6 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Hamstel Infant School and Nursery
OPERATION: SUN IS SHINING, GET READY FOR DIVING
17 Jul 2026
Courtney Orange Inspires the children
26 Jun 2026
Amazing Athletics
2 Jun 2026
Year 2 Learn First Aid
22 May 2026
Parents join our Outdoor Learning
22 May 2026
Gemma's Farm Visit
15 May 2026
From Hamstel Infant School and Nursery's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Hamstel Infant School and Nursery
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Hamstel Infant School and Nursery.
- Kidz Camp Essex SouthendAt the school · Not yet graded
- Mega Camps Southend730m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hamstel Infant School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hamstel Infant School and Nursery is in Southend-on-Sea; for families living there:
Apply to Southend-on-Sea for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 28 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 Southend-on-Sea is 29 (the median across 61 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 Hamstel Infant School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Hamstel Infant School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hamstel Infant School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hamstel Infant School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hamstel Infant School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Southend-on-Sea, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Hamstel Infant School and Nursery for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Southend-on-Sea 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
390 pupils
450 places
60 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Southend-on-Sea
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southend-on-Sea
Across Southend-on-Sea council
Places available
1,925
Applications
1,741
Got 1st preference
87.8%
Got preferred school
97.8%
All primary applications across Southend-on-Sea council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
24
EHC Plans
19.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery has a SEN unit for autism: 3 places, 3 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
434
Total Pupils
219
Boys
215
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
20.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,071
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,483
Per pupil
£2451k
Total funding
£153k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
16.7%
Persistent absence
293
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
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery
Questions parents ask about Hamstel Infant School and Nursery
What is Hamstel Infant School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Hamstel Infant School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Hamstel Infant School and Nursery is oversubscribed, Southend-on-Sea allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Hamstel Infant School and Nursery?
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 450 places.
How big are the classes at Hamstel Infant School and Nursery?
Classes at Hamstel Infant School and Nursery average 29.6 pupils (2025/26). 6 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Hamstel Infant School and Nursery?
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery has around 434 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Hamstel Infant School and Nursery have specialist SEN provision?
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery has a SEN unit for autism: 3 places, 3 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Hamstel Infant School and Nursery?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Hamstel Infant School and Nursery in 2024/25. 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hamstel Infant School and Nursery?
Apply through Southend-on-Sea's coordinated admissions process, naming Hamstel Infant School and Nursery 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 Hamstel Infant School and Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kidz Camp Essex Southend (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Hamstel Infant School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 28 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 Southend-on-Sea is 29 (the median across 61 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hamstel Infant School and Nursery?
Hamstel Infant School and Nursery is at Hamstel Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 4PQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)