Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery, Colchester
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Colchester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. It was 97% 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 Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery in detail
Getting a place at Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery as their first choice and 60 named it as one of their preferences, for 36 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 Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery are Hazelmere Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 61% reading, 66% maths); Roach Vale Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 73% reading, 70% maths); Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 66% reading, 59% maths); and Unity Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 77% reading, 79% maths).
Hazelmere Junior SchoolRoach Vale Primary SchoolParsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolUnity Primary Academy
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% 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 their child is happy at the school (100%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 35 pupils (22.4%) received SEN support and 15 (9.6%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hythe (Essex) Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hazlemere School (outside), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 238 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery issued 6 suspensions, 3.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery are Colchester Academy (under 0.1 miles), The Gilberd School (1.7 miles) and The Trinity School (1.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 September 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Hazelmere Infant School creates a welcoming environment where children feel safe, valued and enjoy learning. The school has a strong phonics programme and excels at supporting children with additional needs through prompt identification and partnership with parents. Pupils develop excellent behaviour and character through the school's focus on core values and enriching personal development experiences.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics programme with well-matched reading books that develop children's love of reading
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs, with prompt identification and involvement of parents in planning
- Positive behaviour management approach with clear core values that help pupils make good choices
- Warm early years environment where children develop strong communication and language skills
- Personal development programme that teaches pupils about different cultures, healthy living, and community through visits and themed events
Areas for Improvement
- Staff do not assess pupils' understanding frequently enough, so teaching is not always adapted to meet individual needs
- Gaps in pupils' knowledge are not caught early enough, especially in reading, preventing timely catch-up support
- Leaders and governors have not rigorously monitored how well the curriculum is being taught across the school
- Teachers lack sufficient guidance and support to implement the curriculum consistently well
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Reading ambassadors and junior librarians roles, breakfast club, educational visits (Victorian school experience), themed events and assemblies
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery is a welcoming and inclusive school where pupils enjoy learning and behave well. However, the quality of education requires improvement because staff do not consistently check what pupils understand, which prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they could.
At a Glance
21.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
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
27.0
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
1
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery
Before and after school care
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Essex
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery.
- CMXSC @ Roach Vale Primary School390m away · Not yet graded
- Kidz4Ever Limited770m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
6 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 Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery 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
97%
Near capacity
175 pupils
180 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Colchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Colchester
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
35
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
32.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
156
Total Pupils
92
Boys
64
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
13.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,076
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,431
Per pupil
£1220k
Total funding
£80k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.4%
Overall absence
19.7%
Persistent absence
132
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
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery
Questions parents ask about Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery
What is Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, 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 Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery?
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery?
Classes at Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery average 27 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery?
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery has around 156 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery?
6.4% of sessions were missed at Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery in 2024/25. 19.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Hazelmere 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 Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery: CMXSC @ Roach Vale Primary School (390m away, registered, not yet graded) and Kidz4Ever Limited (770m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 6 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 Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery?
Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery is at Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3JP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)