Pewley Down Infant School, Guildford
Pewley Down Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Guildford. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. It was 99% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Surrey (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Pewley Down Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Pewley Down Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 55 families put Pewley Down Infant School as their first choice and 176 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Pewley Down Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Pewley Down Infant School are Holy Trinity, Guildford, CofE Aided Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 85% reading, 88% maths); Sandfield Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 87% maths); St Nicolas' Church of England Infant School (0.6 miles); and St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 92% reading, 84% maths).
Holy Trinity, Guildford, CofE Aided Junior SchoolSandfield Primary SchoolSt Nicolas' Church of England Infant SchoolSt Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
10% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (7.8%) received SEN support and 5 (2.8%) 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 London Road (Guildford) Rail Station, about 680 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Semaphore Road (opposite), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Pewley Down Infant School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 422 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Surrey (76), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Pewley Down Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Pewley Down Infant School are Guildford County School (0.9 miles); St Peter's Catholic School (1.5 miles); George Abbot School (1.6 miles); and Christ's College, Guildford (1.6 miles).
Guildford County SchoolSt Peter's Catholic SchoolGeorge Abbot SchoolChrist's College, Guildford
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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
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?
Pupils describe their time here as 'joyful' and talk about how kind and helpful their classmates are. This positivity comes from pupils' commitment to the school's values, which are at the heart of the school's work. Staff are exceptionally ambitious for what pupils should learn and achieve. The school is meticulous about removing any barriers to pupils' progress. As a result, pupils' standards of attainment are very high.
Throughout the school year, pupils take part in a bespoke programme of activities and experiences. These 'Fluffy Fridays' provide pupils with enjoyable sporting and creative challenges. This helps them learn to cooperate and build their self-esteem. The school makes sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access and benefit fully from this provision.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Pupils learn to read with confidence and accuracy. A significant proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language. In order to address the challenges this poses, leaders have tailored their approach to teaching reading. As well as giving pupils a firm grasp of phonics, the school makes it a priority to strengthen pupils' vocabulary and comprehension. Targeted support for weaker readers is highly effective in helping them to catch up. This helps pupils become fluent and enthusiastic readers, as can be seen in the above-average proportion of pupils who met the expected standards in reading in 2023.
The curriculum in early years is highly aspirational. It supports children to develop skills such as being 'dynamic designers' and 'proud performers'. In class, they then work to design and build their own musical instruments. Staff make the most of every opportunity to help children use their imagination. They ask questions to deepen children's understanding and encourage them to write about their ideas. As a result, children make a very strong start to their formal education.
From Ofsted's July 2024 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 Outstanding at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
10.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
30.0
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Pewley Down Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Pewley Down Infant School.
- Camp Beaumont - Rgs Guildford430m away · Not yet graded
- Planet Soccer Wrap Around740m away · Not yet graded
- Activate Camps@Guildford High School800m away · Not yet graded
- P2P Coaching900m away · Not yet graded
- S4K Home Club - RGS Prep School900m away · Not yet graded
- Camp Beaumont - RGS Guildford Prep900m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Pewley Down Infant School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Surrey's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Pewley Down Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pewley Down Infant School is in Surrey; for families living there:
- Surrey's school travel policy: Travel Assistance Policy for under 16s
- How to apply: Apply online for under 16 travel help
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 25
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 7 serious and 17 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Surrey is 13 (the median across 521 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 Pewley Down Infant School
Will you get a place at Pewley Down Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Pewley Down Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Pewley Down Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Pewley Down Infant School.
- Surrey publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Pewley Down Infant School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Pewley Down Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Surrey 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
99%
Near capacity
179 pupils
180 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Guildford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Guildford
Across Surrey council
Places available
13,004
Applications
11,426
Got 1st preference
89.8%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All primary applications across Surrey council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
10.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
180
Total Pupils
79
Boys
101
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
18.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,149
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,323
Per pupil
£1065k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
8.1%
Persistent absence
123
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
Questions parents ask about Pewley Down Infant School
What is Pewley Down Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Pewley Down Infant School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024.
What is the catchment area for Pewley Down Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Pewley Down Infant School is oversubscribed, Surrey allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Pewley Down Infant School?
Pewley Down Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Pewley Down Infant School?
Classes at Pewley Down Infant School average 30 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Pewley Down Infant School?
Pewley Down Infant School has around 180 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Pewley Down Infant School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Pewley Down Infant School in 2024/25. 8.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pewley Down Infant School?
Apply through Surrey's coordinated admissions process, naming Pewley Down 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.
Does Pewley Down Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 6 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Pewley Down Infant School: Camp Beaumont - Rgs Guildford (430m away, registered, not yet graded), Planet Soccer Wrap Around (740m away, registered, not yet graded) and Activate Camps@Guildford High School (800m away, 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 Pewley Down Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 7 serious and 17 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Surrey is 13 (the median across 521 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Pewley Down Infant School?
Pewley Down Infant School is at Semaphore Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3PT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)