Monkwick Infant and Nursery School, Colchester
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in Colchester, part of The Sigma Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. It was 56% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- 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 27 Oct 2026
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School in detail
Getting a place at Monkwick Infant and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 34 families put Monkwick Infant and Nursery School as their first choice and 59 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 Monkwick Infant and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Monkwick Infant and Nursery School are Monkwick Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 64% reading, 68% maths); St. George's School (0.8 miles, Good, 67% reading, 62% maths); Cherry Tree Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 83% reading, 86% maths); and Old Heath Community Primary School (1 mile, Good, 80% reading, 80% maths).
Monkwick Junior SchoolSt. George's SchoolCherry Tree AcademyOld Heath Community Primary School
The trust
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School is one of 12 schools run by The Sigma Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 44% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Monkwick Infant and Nursery School (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 does well at the school (94%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 23 pupils (15.4%) received SEN support and 10 (6.7%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Colchester Town Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Monkwick Avenue (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 146 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, Monkwick Infant and Nursery School issued 28 suspensions, 16.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Monkwick Infant and Nursery School are The Thomas Lord Audley School (under 0.1 miles) and Paxman Academy (1.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 June 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will be in a happy, welcoming school where they are encouraged to read and learn with enthusiasm. Teachers know how to support all learners, including those with additional needs, and your child will be part of a caring community where everyone looks out for each other. The school has high expectations and a rich curriculum that helps children understand how different subjects connect together.
Key Strengths
- Rich, expertly-designed curriculum that connects knowledge across different subjects - pupils regularly revisit and build on what they have learned
- Strong focus on reading and language from Nursery onwards - pupils are excited to read and phonics teaching is effective
- Well-trained staff who use effective methods to check pupils' learning and provide timely support for those falling behind
- Positive behaviour and inclusive culture where pupils look out for each other and everyone feels welcome
- Adapted provision for pupils with SEND, including the 'Nest' speech, language and communication support
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment methods in some foundation subjects are new and not yet fully embedded, so teachers don't always have clear information about what all pupils have learned
- Some strategies for supporting pupils with SEND are not used consistently enough
- Approaches to checking learning in a few subjects do not reliably identify gaps in pupils' knowledge
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Football, archery, drama, arts and crafts, legendary lunchtimes activities, trips, local walks
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School has maintained good standards following its previous inspection. Pupils are happy, well-behaved and supported in their learning within a welcoming, inclusive community.
At a Glance
26.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
18 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
21.3
Avg class size
21.0
Infant (KS1)
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Monkwick Infant and Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Monkwick Infant and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Monkwick Infant and Nursery School 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 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 Monkwick Infant and Nursery School
Will you get a place at Monkwick Infant and Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Monkwick Infant and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Monkwick Infant and Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Monkwick Infant and Nursery School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Monkwick Infant and Nursery School for 2015 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
56%
Available places
150 pupils
270 places
120 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(4)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
22.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
149
Total Pupils
87
Boys
62
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
11.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,607
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,076
Per pupil
£1037k
Total funding
£59k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.7%
Overall absence
22.8%
Persistent absence
101
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
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about Monkwick Infant and Nursery School
What is Monkwick Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Monkwick Infant and Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Monkwick Infant and Nursery School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Monkwick Infant and Nursery School?
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School was not full in 2025: it ran at 56% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Monkwick Infant and Nursery School?
Classes at Monkwick Infant and Nursery School average 21.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Monkwick Infant and Nursery School?
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School has around 149 pupils on roll. 26% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Monkwick Infant and Nursery School?
7.7% of sessions were missed at Monkwick Infant and Nursery School in 2024/25. 22.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Monkwick Infant and Nursery School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Monkwick Infant and Nursery 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 Monkwick Infant and Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 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 Monkwick Infant and Nursery School?
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School is at School Road, Monkwick, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8NN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)