King's Ford Infant School and Nursery
Gloucester Avenue, Shrub End, Colchester, CO2 9AZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
King's Ford Infant School and Nursery is a primary school in Colchester for ages 2 to 7. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 1 October 2024, report published 10 November 2024
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 1 October 2024
Children are happy to attend school. They enjoy playing with their friends at playtimes. They trust adults to keep them safe and to listen to any worries that they may have. Pupils build strong relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils' behaviour is positive throughout the school. They play well together, making sure that everyone is included. Pupils are cheerful, sensible and demonstrate good manners. Children in the early years learn to try hard and take great pleasure in working together. The school sets high expectations for pupils' achievement, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils respond positively to their work and most achieve well in a range of subjects. Pupils are well prepared for their next stages of learning. Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities and experiences that enrich the curriculum. These include donating food at Harvest Festival for the local food bank and raising funds for charities. Pupils also benefit from educational trips and visits, including to local historical sites, the zoo and a local farm. These experiences contribute strongly to their broader development.
What the school should improve
- In some subjects, the exact knowledge that the school would like pupils to learn lacks clarity and teachers do not plan activities that build on what pupils need to learn. As a result, gaps in pupils' learning are not addressed as quickly as they could be and pupils do not build their foundational knowledge as successfully as they should. The school should ensure that it provides teachers with greater clarity on the exact knowledge that pupils should learn, enabling pupils to learn more and remember more.
Pupil numbers and mix
154 pupils on roll, with places for 150
Schools near King's Ford Infant School and Nursery
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Ford Academy | 0.1 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | 29% met the expected standard |
| Montgomery Primary School, Colchester | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 67% met the expected standard |
| St Michael's Primary School and Nursery, Colchester | 0.5 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good to outstanding | 56% met the expected standard |
| Gosbecks Primary School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 53% met the expected standard |
| Prettygate Junior School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 77% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Community school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 2 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Miss Melanie Atwell
- Phone
- 01206574524
- Address
- Gloucester Avenue, Shrub End, Colchester, CO2 9AZ
- Local authority
- Essex
- URN
- 114717
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.