King's Ford Infant School and Nursery, Colchester
King's Ford Infant School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in Colchester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. It was 71% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- 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 Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
King's Ford Infant School and Nursery in detail
King's Ford Infant School and Nursery in its own words
In its own words: "At King's Ford Infant School and Nursery, we are proud to be a welcoming, inclusive and nurturing community where every child is valued and encouraged to flourish. Working in partnership with families, we strive to provide a safe, caring and friendly environment in which children feel happy, confident and ready to learn."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, multi-sports and dance.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at King's Ford Infant School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put King's Ford Infant School and Nursery as their first choice and 56 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 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 King's Ford Infant School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to King's Ford Infant School and Nursery are Kings Ford Academy (under 0.1 miles, Good, 55% reading, 41% maths); Montgomery Primary School, Colchester (0.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 76% maths); St Michael's Primary School and Nursery, Colchester (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 76% maths); and Gosbecks Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 60% maths).
Kings Ford AcademyMontgomery Primary School, ColchesterSt Michael's Primary School and Nursery, ColchesterGosbecks Primary School
What parents say
15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about King's Ford Infant School and Nursery (as of September 2025): 93% 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 they would recommend the school (93%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 29 pupils (18.8%) received SEN support and 2 (1.3%) 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
King's Ford Infant School and Nursery had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Colchester City Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Boadicea Way South (opposite), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood King's Ford 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, King's Ford Infant School and Nursery issued 20 suspensions, 12.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to King's Ford Infant School and Nursery are Paxman Academy (0.3 miles), Philip Morant School and College (0.7 miles), St Benedict's Catholic College (0.9 miles) and Colchester County High School for Girls (0.9 miles).
Paxman AcademyPhilip Morant School and CollegeSt Benedict's Catholic CollegeColchester County High School for Girls
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2015, 11 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Children are happy to attend school. They enjoy playing with their friends at playtimes. They trust adults to keep them safe and to listen to any worries that they may have.
Pupils build strong relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils' behaviour is positive throughout the school. They play well together, making sure that everyone is included. Pupils are cheerful, sensible and demonstrate good manners. Children in the early years learn to try hard and take great pleasure in working together.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
This is a school where ambition is high for all pupils. There is a drive for everyone to succeed. The curriculum builds coherently from early years through to the end of key stage 1. The curriculum is mostly well designed so that pupils learn skills and knowledge when they are ready to do so. However, in a small number of subjects the school has not identified exactly what pupils need to know with the same precision. This means that sometimes teachers find it difficult to design learning that helps pupils to learn and remember more. On occasion, this leads to gaps in pupils' learning.
Children in the early years achieve well from their individual starting points. Routines are quickly established to help children feel safe and secure. Children have many opportunities to learn how to share and take turns. Staff are skilful in creating meaningful learning opportunities for children. These spark curiosity. Children show tenacity and perseverance in their learning, for example when comparing the weight of pumpkins and other autumnal items.
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 July 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
20.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
15 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
22.0
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with King's Ford Infant School and Nursery
Before and after school care
King's Ford 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 King's Ford Infant School and Nursery.
- Premier Education Activities - Kings Ford Infants SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- CMXSC @ Gosbecks Primary School850m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to King's Ford Infant School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. King's Ford 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 14 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 King's Ford Infant School and Nursery
Will you get a place at King's Ford Infant School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against King's Ford Infant School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for King's Ford Infant School and Nursery:
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- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at King's Ford 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
71%
Available places
127 pupils
180 places
53 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)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
29
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
20.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
154
Total Pupils
86
Boys
68
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
19.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,948
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,226
Per pupil
£886k
Total funding
£59k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
14.1%
Persistent absence
92
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
King's Ford Infant School and Nursery
Questions parents ask about King's Ford Infant School and Nursery
What is King's Ford Infant School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
King's Ford 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 July 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for King's Ford Infant School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When King's Ford 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 King's Ford Infant School and Nursery?
King's Ford Infant School and Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 71% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at King's Ford Infant School and Nursery?
Classes at King's Ford Infant School and Nursery average 22 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to King's Ford Infant School and Nursery?
King's Ford Infant School and Nursery has around 154 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at King's Ford Infant School and Nursery?
5.7% of sessions were missed at King's Ford Infant School and Nursery in 2024/25. 14.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to King's Ford Infant School and Nursery?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming King's Ford 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 King's Ford Infant School and Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
King's Ford 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 an out-of-school club at the school: Premier Education Activities - Kings Ford Infants School (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre.
How many road collisions happen near King's Ford Infant School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 14 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 King's Ford Infant School and Nursery?
King's Ford Infant School and Nursery is at Gloucester Avenue, Shrub End, Colchester, Essex, CO2 9AZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)