Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School, Watford
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Watford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. It was 98% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School in detail
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 10 November 2026 and an open day on Wednesday 25 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Hertfordshire
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School as their first choice and 150 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 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 Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School are Parkgate Junior School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 68% reading, 73% maths); The Grove Academy (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 76% reading, 77% maths); Knutsford Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 78% maths); and Cherry Tree Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 74% reading, 83% maths).
Parkgate Junior SchoolThe Grove AcademyKnutsford Primary AcademyCherry Tree Primary School
Who goes there
4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 61.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (43%), White British (20%) and Mixed (10%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Watford North Rail Station, about 330 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Asda Hypermarket (outside), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Parkgate Infants' and Nursery 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 309 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School issued 15 suspensions, 7.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School are Future Academies Watford (1.3 miles), Saint Michael's Catholic High School (1.5 miles) and Parmiter's School (1.7 miles).
Future Academies WatfordSaint Michael's Catholic High SchoolParmiter's School
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils at Parkgate thrive in a strong school community, where cultural diversity is respected and celebrated. There are positive relationships among adults, parents, and pupils. This helps create a safe and supportive environment.
Children in the early years get off to a good start to their education. They learn how to stay safe and keep healthy. The school provides pupils with many opportunities to share experiences from their different religions. This fosters mutual respect for other's beliefs.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school curriculum outlines crucial knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn and when they will learn it. It emphasises the importance of developing pupils' communication and language in all aspects of learning. This approach supports pupils, including those who are new to English, in developing essential skills from the very start of school.
Subject leaders support teachers to adapt learning, as necessary. They ensure that important vocabulary, skills and knowledge are taught at the right time in each year group. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They revisit pupils' learning to connect ideas across subjects. This helps deepen pupils' understanding. Pupils are given many opportunities to write across curriculum subjects. This helps them to consolidate learning and practise fundamental writing skills. Children in Reception engage with purposeful activities that help develop independence and confidence. This helps prepare them for learning in Year 1.
From Ofsted's July 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 November 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
4.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.8
Avg class size
29.4
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School
Weekly Newsletter 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 10th July 2026
10 Jul 2026
Weekly Newsletter 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Weekly Newsletter 26th June 2026
26 Jun 2026
From Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School.
- Super Star Sport NWL - Parkgate Infant and Nursery School - Wrap AroundAt the school · Not yet graded
- Kumon Garston Study Centre780m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 49
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 11
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 49 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 39 slight.
11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 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 Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School
Will you get a place at Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hertfordshire 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
98%
Near capacity
177 pupils
180 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Watford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Watford
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
14.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
202
Total Pupils
93
Boys
109
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,081
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,710
Per pupil
£1107k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
17.6%
Persistent absence
125
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
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School
What is Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School?
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School?
Classes at Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School average 28.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School?
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School has around 202 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School in 2024/25. 17.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Parkgate Infants' 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.
Does Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Super Star Sport NWL - Parkgate Infant and Nursery School - Wrap Around (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School's term dates?
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 49 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 39 slight. 11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School?
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School is at Northfield Gardens, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 7RL.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)