Toftwood Infant School, Dereham
Toftwood Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Dereham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. It was 83% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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 Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Toftwood Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Toftwood Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 54 families put Toftwood Infant School as their first choice and 91 named it as one of their preferences, for 54 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Toftwood Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Toftwood Infant School are Dereham, Toftwood Community Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 82% reading, 71% maths); Dereham Church of England Junior Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 71% reading, 66% maths); Grove House Infant and Nursery School (0.9 miles, Good); and Dereham Church of England Infant and Nursery Academy (1.2 miles).
Dereham, Toftwood Community Junior SchoolDereham Church of England Junior AcademyGrove House Infant and Nursery SchoolDereham Church of England Infant and Nursery Academy
Who goes there
8.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Toftwood Infant School had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is (Dereham) Mid Norfolk Railway, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Boyd Avenue (adjacent), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 46 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 Norfolk (28), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Toftwood Infant School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Toftwood Infant School are Dereham Neatherd High School (1.3 miles) and Northgate High School (1.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
8.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
23.1
Avg class size
23.1
Infant (KS1)
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Toftwood Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Toftwood Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Toftwood Infant School is in Norfolk; for families living there:
Apply to Norfolk for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 Norfolk is 4 (the median across 462 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 Toftwood Infant School
Will you get a place at Toftwood Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Toftwood Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Toftwood Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Toftwood Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Toftwood Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Norfolk 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
83%
Available places
224 pupils
270 places
46 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dereham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dereham
Across Norfolk council
Places available
9,547
Applications
7,482
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All primary applications across Norfolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
18.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
205
Total Pupils
103
Boys
102
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
13.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,636
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,983
Per pupil
£1257k
Total funding
£33k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
8.2%
Persistent absence
159
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
Toftwood Infant School
Questions parents ask about Toftwood Infant School
What is Toftwood Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Toftwood Infant School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2010 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Toftwood Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Toftwood Infant School is oversubscribed, Norfolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Toftwood Infant School?
Toftwood Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Toftwood Infant School?
Classes at Toftwood Infant School average 23.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Toftwood Infant School?
Toftwood Infant School has around 205 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Toftwood Infant School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Toftwood Infant School in 2024/25. 8.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Toftwood Infant School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Toftwood 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.
How many road collisions happen near Toftwood Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Norfolk is 4 (the median across 462 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Toftwood Infant School?
Toftwood Infant School is at School Lane, Toftwood, Dereham, Norfolk, NR19 1LS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)