Prettygate Infant School, Colchester
Prettygate Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 7 in Colchester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. It was 98% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- 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
Prettygate Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Prettygate Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 49 families put Prettygate Infant School as their first choice and 150 named it as one of their preferences, for 55 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 Prettygate Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Prettygate Infant School are Prettygate Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 89% reading, 89% maths); Gosbecks Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 60% maths); King's Ford Infant School and Nursery (0.6 miles, Good); and Kings Ford Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 55% reading, 41% maths).
Prettygate Junior SchoolGosbecks Primary SchoolKing's Ford Infant School and NurseryKings Ford Academy
Who goes there
14% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 11% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 32 pupils (18.6%) received SEN support and 1 (0.6%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Colchester City Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is All Saints Avenue (adjacent), 220 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Prettygate Infant School issued 2 suspensions, 1.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Prettygate Infant School are Philip Morant School and College (0.3 miles), Paxman Academy (0.4 miles), Colchester County High School for Girls (0.6 miles) and St Benedict's Catholic College (0.6 miles).
Philip Morant School and CollegePaxman AcademyColchester County High School for GirlsSt Benedict's Catholic College
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); 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
14.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Prettygate Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Prettygate Infant School.
- H16 - Philip Morant470m away · Not yet graded
- CMXSC @ Gosbecks Primary School720m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Education Activities - Kings Ford Infants School880m away · Not yet graded
- School's Out Activities at Colchester County High School950m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Prettygate Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Prettygate Infant 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
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
2 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 Prettygate Infant School
Will you get a place at Prettygate Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Prettygate Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Prettygate Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Prettygate Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Prettygate Infant School 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
98%
Near capacity
177 pupils
180 places
3 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(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
32
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
19.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
172
Total Pupils
82
Boys
90
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
15.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,454
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,366
Per pupil
£1048k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
12.1%
Persistent absence
124
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 Prettygate Infant School
What is Prettygate Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Prettygate Infant School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2022.
What is the catchment area for Prettygate Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Prettygate Infant 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 Prettygate Infant School?
Prettygate Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Prettygate Infant School?
Classes at Prettygate Infant School average 29.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Prettygate Infant School?
Prettygate Infant School has around 172 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Prettygate Infant School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Prettygate Infant School in 2024/25. 12.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Prettygate Infant School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Prettygate 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 Prettygate Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 4 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Prettygate Infant School: H16 - Philip Morant (470m away, registered, not yet graded), CMXSC @ Gosbecks Primary School (720m away, registered, not yet graded) and Premier Education Activities - Kings Ford Infants School (880m 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 Prettygate Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Prettygate Infant School?
Prettygate Infant School is at Plume Avenue, Colchester, Essex, CO3 4PH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)