Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery, Colchester

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 47

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~321m)Possible (~459m)Unlikely (~597m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Mark Millbourne
Pupils:156 / 180 capacity
LA:Essex
Phone:01206861836
Address:Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester, CO4 3JP
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Requires Improvement

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Requires Improvement

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 3 June 2025View full report
URN:114746
UKPRN:10076445
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Colchester
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

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 responses
Would recommend100%
Child is happy100%
Well taught100%
Good progress100%
Feels safe100%
Well behaved100%
Bullying dealt with25%
Kept informed100%
Handles concerns83%
Wider development100%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

18.2

Avg class size

18.2

Infant (KS1)

5

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Hazlemere School (o/s)
72m · 1 min walk
Sir Charles Lucas School (o/s)
177m · 3 min walk
Salary Close (opp)
213m · 3 min walk
Bromley Road (opp)
262m · 4 min walk
Acacia Avenue (adj)
331m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

87%

Available places

156 pupils

180 capacity

24 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Colchester

Medium pressure
New homes approved:4,700
Projected new pupils:1,175

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Colchester

Admissions Demand - Essex

Low demand0.87x oversubscription

Places available

17,913

Applications

15,619

Got 1st preference

90.3%

Got preferred school

98.4%

Primary admissions across Essex (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

3 June 2025
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Early YearsGood
26 March 2024
7 June 2018

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.42973%

Overall absence

19.69697%

Persistent absence

132

Enrolments

Authorised5.21254%
Unauthorised1.21719%
Persistent (10%+)19.69697%
Severe (50%+)0.75758%

Absence trend

4.51027%
18/19
4.13215%
20/21
8.7206%
21/22
7.43636%
22/23
5.99%
23/24
6.42973%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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