Hempstead Infant School, Gillingham
Hempstead Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Gillingham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade. It was 95% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- 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 Medway (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hempstead Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Hempstead Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 81 families put Hempstead Infant School as their first choice and 176 named it as one of their preferences, for 86 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 Hempstead Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hempstead Infant School are Hempstead Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 85% reading, 82% maths); Fairview Community Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths); Deanwood Primary School (1 mile, Good, 41% reading, 41% maths); and St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 78% reading, 78% maths).
Hempstead Junior SchoolFairview Community Primary SchoolDeanwood Primary SchoolSt Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
7.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (78%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 28 pupils (11.2%) received SEN support and 4 (1.6%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rainham (Kent) Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Infant School (adjacent), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hempstead Infant School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 53 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Medway (250).
Suspensions and exclusions
Hempstead Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Hempstead Infant School are Rainham School for Girls (1.3 miles) and The Howard School (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from September 2018, 8 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 Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2018 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
7.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.8
Avg class size
28.8
Infant (KS1)
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Hempstead Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hempstead Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hempstead Infant School is in Medway; for families living there:
Apply to Medway for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
1 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 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 Hempstead Infant School
Will you get a place at Hempstead Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hempstead Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hempstead Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hempstead Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Medway, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Hempstead Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Medway 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
95%
Near capacity
257 pupils
270 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Gillingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Gillingham
Across Medway council
Places available
3,675
Applications
3,130
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
12.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
251
Total Pupils
127
Boys
124
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
15.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,947
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1385k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
9.2%
Persistent absence
185
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
Hempstead Infant School
Questions parents ask about Hempstead Infant School
What is Hempstead Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Hempstead Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Hempstead Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Hempstead Infant School is oversubscribed, Medway allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Hempstead Infant School?
Hempstead Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Hempstead Infant School?
Classes at Hempstead Infant School average 28.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Hempstead Infant School?
Hempstead Infant School has around 251 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hempstead Infant School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Hempstead Infant School in 2024/25. 9.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hempstead Infant School?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming Hempstead 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.
How many road collisions happen near Hempstead Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 1 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hempstead Infant School?
Hempstead Infant School is at Hempstead Road, Hempstead, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 3QG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)