Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School
Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School is a community school in Braintree for pupils aged 3 to 7. It has 269 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.
Ofsted inspection: July 2022.
| Type | Primary / Community school |
| Age Range | 3-7 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Marlborough Road Great Bradfords Estate Braintree Essex CM7 9LW |
| Reference Number | 114989 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 269 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 50.19%
Girls: 49.81% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 19.2% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 19.3% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 25.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 26.4 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | 32 | 74 |
| 2 | 39 | 42 | 81 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 69.5% |
| African | 8.9% |
| White, Other | 8.2% |
| Mixed, Other | 4.1% |
| Asian, Other | 2.6% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.9% |
| Unclassified | 1.9% |
| Chinese | 0.4% |
| White & Asian | 0.4% |
| Indian | 0.4% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.4% |
Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School continues to be recognized as a good establishment, demonstrating a commitment to fostering a supportive learning environment where pupils thrive. The school offers a rich curriculum that engages students and strengthens their academic foundation, particularly in reading and mathematics. The pupils showcase confidence and curiosity in their learning, benefiting from well-planned lessons that enhance their knowledge across a variety of subjects. Additionally, parents express high levels of satisfaction regarding the school's caring community and the progress their children make.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 18 May 2022 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 18 May 2022 | School inspection |
| 13 Dec 2016 | Short inspection |
| 29 Sep 2011 | Full inspection: |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Interim assessment |
| 06 Mar 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 21 Jan 2002 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils develop confidence and curiosity in their learning.
- The curriculum enables pupils to build on prior knowledge effectively.
- Pupils enjoy positive relationships and demonstrate kindness and respect.
- Phonics and early reading are taught well, with effective practices in place.
- Pupils with SEND make good progress and are well-supported.
- Governors are actively involved and provide valuable support to leaders.
- The school promotes pupils' understanding of equality, diversity, and wider social issues.
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent planning in foundation subjects compared to reading and mathematics.
- Teachers need more training to address misconceptions in foundation subjects.
Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 27 | 2 |
| Third Preference | 27 | 1 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School had 246 pupils for 270 places. 24 places (8.9%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Braintree Primary E: Southwest (Braintree)” planning area
Essex counted 654 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 685 in 2029–30, up 5%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 265 | 265 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 |
| Pupils | 265 | 267 | 264 | 268 | 272 | 264 | 268 | 257 | 254 | 251 | 253 | 238 | 258 | 251 | 246 |
| Unfilled | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.2% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 2.2% | 0.7% | 4.8% | 5.9% | 7.0% | 6.3% | 11.9% | 4.4% | 7.0% | 8.9% |
Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.
In 2024–25 pupils at Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 2.8% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 2.4% | 5.6% | 5.0% | 4.5% | 4.1% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.5% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 2.0% | 1.5% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 1.7% | 0.5% | 0.0% |
Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.
In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.
In 2025–26 Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 18.3 | 12.9 | 14.2 | 10.9 | 10.6 | 10.4 | 10.8 | 12.1 | 11.2 | 12.4 | 19.5 | 22.1 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 8.9 | 9.3 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 8.1% | 16.7% | 4.4% | 5.9% | 0.0% | 9.9% | 14.6% | 0.0% | 2.9% | 0.0% | 16.1% | 0.0% | 7.1% | 4.4% | 13.6% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 58.8% | 50.0% | 50.0% | 50.0% | 60.0% | 71.4% | 42.9% | 23.1% | 46.7% | – | 14.3% | 64.3% | 53.3% | 12.5% | 20.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 4.9 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 13.0 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 5.3 | – | 2.0 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | – |
Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.
In 2025–26, 11.9% of pupils at Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 8 | 8 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 12 | 1 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 4 | 0 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 3 | 0 |
| Hearing impairment | 2 | 0 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 2 | 0 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 1 | 0 |
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2025–26 Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School received £7,073 and spent £7,291 for each of its 257 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £231,000 (£898 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £245,000 | £291,000 | £308,000 | £299,000 | £227,000 | £245,000 | £287,000 | £231,000 |
| per pupil | £803 | £960 | £1,143 | £1,111 | £813 | £818 | £1,044 | £898 |
| In-year balance | £129,000 | £46,000 | £17,000 | -£9,000 | -£72,000 | £17,000 | £43,000 | -£56,000 |
| per pupil | £423 | £151 | £64 | -£33 | -£258 | £58 | £155 | -£219 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
| Name | Distance |
|
Great Bradfords Junior School
Marlborough Road, Braintree, Essex, CM7 9LW |
0 miles |
|
Lyons Hall School
Deerleap Way, Braintree, Essex, CM7 9FH |
0.57 miles |
|
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree
Gilchrist Way, Gilchrist Way, Braintree, Essex, CM7 2SY |
0.82 miles |
|
John Bunyan Primary School and Nursery
Lancaster Way, John Bunyanprimary, Braintree, Essex, CM7 5UL |
0.92 miles |
|
Beckers Green Primary School
Beckers Green Road, Braintree, Essex, CM7 3PR |
0.98 miles |
|
St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Maple Avenue, Braintree, Essex, CM7 2NS |
1.3 miles |
|
Bocking Primary School
Church Street, Bocking, Braintree, Essex, CM7 5LA |
1.35 miles |
|
John Ray Junior School
Notley Road, Braintree, Essex, CM7 1HL |
1.4 miles |
|
John Ray Infant School
Notley Road, Braintree, Essex, CM7 1HL |
1.4 miles |
|
Stisted Church of England Primary Academy
The Street, Stisted, Braintree, Essex, CM77 8AN |
2.1 miles |
|
Notley Green Primary School
Blickling Road, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex, CM77 7ZJ |
2.11 miles |
|
Cressing Primary School
Braintree Road, Tye Green, Cressing, Braintree, Essex, CM77 8JE |
2.24 miles |
|
White Court School
Ennerdale Avenue, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex, CM77 7UE |
2.44 miles |
|
Rayne Primary and Nursery School
Capel Road, Rayne, Braintree, CM77 6BZ |
2.66 miles |
|
White Notley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Vicarage Avenue, White Notley, Witham, Essex, CM8 1RZ |
3.74 miles |
|
St Margaret's Preparatory School
Gosfield Hall Park, Halstead, CO9 1SE |
3.77 miles |
|
Shalford Primary School
Church End, Shalford, Braintree, Essex, CM7 5EZ |
3.79 miles |
|
Gosfield Community Primary School
The Street, Gosfield, Gosfield Community Primary School, Halstead, Essex, CO9 1ST |
3.81 miles |
|
Silver End Academy
School Road, Silver End, Witham, Essex, CM8 3RZ |
3.87 miles |
|
Great Leighs Primary School
Aragon Road, Great Leighs, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 1RP |
4.71 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Alec Hunter Academy
Stubbs Lane, Braintree, Essex, CM7 3NR |
0.98 miles |
|
Tabor Academy
Panfield Lane, Braintree, Essex, CM7 5XP |
1.13 miles |
|
The Edith Borthwick School
Enterprise Drive, Braintree, Essex, CM7 2YN |
1.18 miles |
|
Notley High School and Sixth Form
Notley Road, Braintree, Essex, CM7 1WY |
1.51 miles |
|
Gosfield School
|
4.42 miles |
All schools in Braintree · Essex local authority: places and applications
What is Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.
When was Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?
Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in July 2022.
How many pupils does Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School have?
Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School has 269 pupils on roll.
What age range does Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School cover?
Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.
Where is Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School?
Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School is at Marlborough Road, Great Bradfords Estate, Braintree, Essex, CM7 9LW.