Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, Chigwell
Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Chigwell, part of Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2022 did not change this grade. It was 77% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- 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
Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery in detail
Getting a place at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery as their first choice and 64 named it as one of their preferences, for 41 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 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery are Limes Farm Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 61% reading, 64% maths); Manford Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 67% reading, 69% maths); Early Years Assessment Service and Centre Co Manford Primary School (0.6 miles); and Fairlop Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 89% reading, 88% maths).
Limes Farm Junior SchoolManford Primary SchoolEarly Years Assessment Service and Centre Co Manford Primary SchoolFairlop Primary School
The trust
Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery is one of 16 schools run by Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
55.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (24%), Asian (19%) and Black (15%).
Staffing
Limes Farm 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 tram or metro stop is Hainault, about 640 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Westmede (adjacent), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 198 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery are King Solomon High School (1 mile), West Hatch High School (1.1 miles), Forest Academy (1.2 miles) and Ilford County High School (1.2 miles).
King Solomon High SchoolWest Hatch High SchoolForest AcademyIlford County High School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 4 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: The school remains Good.
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
20.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
24.6
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery.
- Super Star Sport Provision & Camps @ Limes Farm InfantsAt the school · Not yet graded
- Chiglets Holiday SchemeAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Limes Farm 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
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 17 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
3 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 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Limes Farm 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 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery for 2019 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
77%
Available places
128 pupils
166 places
38 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chigwell
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chigwell
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(2)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
25.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
182
Total Pupils
87
Boys
95
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
22.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,148
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,576
Per pupil
£983k
Total funding
£47k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
17.6%
Persistent absence
91
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
Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery
Questions parents ask about Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery
What is Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2022, 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 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Limes Farm 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 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery?
Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 166 places.
How big are the classes at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery?
Classes at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery average 24.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery?
Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery has around 182 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery in 2024/25. 17.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Limes Farm 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 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: Super Star Sport Provision & Camps @ Limes Farm Infants (registered, not yet graded) and Chiglets Holiday Scheme (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 17 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 3 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 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery?
Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery is at Limes Avenue, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 5LP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)