Woodcroft Nursery School, Chelmsford
Woodcroft Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Chelmsford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Woodcroft Nursery School in detail
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 12.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%), Mixed (9%) and Asian (7%).
In 2026, 11 pupils (11.5%) received SEN support and 4 (4.2%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chelmsford Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dorset Close (opposite), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Woodcroft Nursery School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 158 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from April 2013, 13 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 Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby nursery school
Keep up with Woodcroft Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Woodcroft Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Woodcroft 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
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
8 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
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Chelmsford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chelmsford
Across Essex council
Places available
17,590
Applications
16,568
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
15.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
96
Total Pupils
56
Boys
40
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
24.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,586
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Woodcroft Nursery School
What is Woodcroft Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Woodcroft Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Woodcroft Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Woodcroft Nursery School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Woodcroft Nursery School?
Woodcroft Nursery School has around 96 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Woodcroft Nursery School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Woodcroft Nursery School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Woodcroft Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 8 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 Woodcroft Nursery School?
Woodcroft Nursery School is at Dorset Avenue, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9UB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)