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Crest Infant School

Primary Ages 4-7 121 pupils Rochester
Ofsted: Good
All schools in Rochester

Crest Infant School is a community school in Rochester for pupils aged 4 to 7. It has 121 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Crest Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025. Attendance is a concern: pupils missed 9.1% of sessions in 2024/25 (the national figure for primary schools is 5.2%), and 29% of pupils were persistently absent. It has more teachers for its size than most primary schools: 14.6 pupils for each teacher in 2025/26, against 20.7 nationally.

Ofsted inspection: June 2025.

Type Primary / Community school
Age Range 4-7
Religion Does not apply
Address Fleet Road
Rochester
Kent
ME1 2QA
Reference Number 118330

General Makeup

Number of pupils 121
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 56.2%
Girls: 43.8%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 44.6%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 22.3%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 24.5
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 24.5

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 18 17 35
2 27 22 49

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 70.2%
African 6.6%
White, Other 4.1%
White & Black (African) 2.5%
Mixed, Other 2.5%
White & Black (Caribbean) 1.7%
Caribbean 1.7%
Indian 0.8%
Asian, Other 0.8%

Crest Infant School maintains effective standards from its previous inspection, providing a joyful and nurturing environment for pupils. Staff build strong relationships with students and their families, ensuring that every child's needs are understood. The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and offers them inclusive support. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, promoting both academic and personal development, though improvement is needed in the foundation subjects' teaching quality to maximize pupils' potential.

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
Last Report Date 07 May 2025
Date Report
07 May 2025 School inspection
11 Feb 2020 School inspection
21 Jun 2016 Full inspection:
04 Jun 2014 Full inspection:
08 Dec 2010 Full inspection:
17 Oct 2007 Full inspection:
09 Dec 2002 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Positive, welcoming environment fostering pupil happiness.
  • High expectations for all pupils, particularly those with SEND.
  • Effective development of early reading and phonics skills.
  • Strong focus on personal, social, and emotional development.
  • Rich opportunities for extracurricular activities.
  • Well-supported governance and staff well-being initiatives.

Areas for Improvement

  • Some staff lack secure subject knowledge in foundation subjects.

Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 40 6
Third Preference 16 2
From another Local Authority 0 0

Previous years

Sample

Unlock

Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 Crest Infant School had 137 pupils for 270 places. 133 places (49.3%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Rochester Primary” planning area

Medway counted 259 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 241 in 2029–30, down 7%.

201020112012201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 270270270270270270270270270270270270270270270
Pupils 186221242257261270267263238205172163153164137
Unfilled 31.1%18.1%10.4%4.8%3.3%0.0%1.1%2.6%11.9%24.1%36.3%39.6%43.3%39.3%49.3%

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 Crest Infant School attended 90.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 28.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.8%3.3%3.5%3.7%3.2%3.6%2.4%6.2%5.7%5.9%7.7%
Unauthorised absence 1.7%0.7%0.8%1.1%1.1%1.1%0.6%1.4%1.9%2.1%1.3%
Severely absent pupils 1.6%0.0%0.5%0.5%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.8%0.9%1.6%6.6%

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 Crest Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.00.00.00.01.76.50.30.00.00.00.01.01.60.00.00.0
Permanent exclusions 0000000000000000

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 Crest Infant School had 14.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 13.314.214.710.811.211.511.010.711.28.68.48.89.311.18.77.8
Teachers who left state teaching 9.4%18.2%18.5%19.4%3.4%5.9%9.3%5.6%3.7%0.0%21.3%4.2%6.5%0.0%15.6%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 46.2%31.3%50.0%52.6%57.9%72.2%57.1%31.6%52.9%–80.0%76.9%54.5%81.8%80.0%–
Sick days per teacher 5.71.02.93.34.314.34.31.33.8–10.16.57.82.84.4–

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, 23.1% of pupils at Crest Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Speech, language and communication needs 17 2
Social, emotional and mental health 7 2
Moderate learning difficulty 2 0
Autistic spectrum disorder 0 1
Other difficulty or disability 1 0
Physical disability 0 1
Severe learning difficulty 0 1
Specific learning difficulty 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 Crest Infant School received £11,361 and spent £10,554 for each of its 121 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £188,000 (£1,553 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

20192020202120222023202420252026
Revenue reserve £90,000-£87,000-£14,000£12,000£33,000-£6,000£90,000£188,000
per pupil £372-£437-£74£68£189-£34£659£1,553
In-year balance £16,000-£177,000£73,000£27,000£21,000-£39,000£171,000£98,000
per pupil £68-£886£374£147£118-£232£1,250£807

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
Delce Academy
The Tideway, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2NJ
0.07 miles
Balfour Infant School
Pattens Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2QT
0.32 miles
Balfour Junior School
Balfour Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6QX
0.41 miles
St Peter's Infant School
Holcombe Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2HU
0.41 miles
St William of Perth Roman Catholic Primary School
Canon Close, Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3EN
0.41 miles
Warren Wood Primary School
Arethusa Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2UR
0.5 miles
St John's Church of England Infant School
4 New Street, 4 New Street, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6RH
0.77 miles
New Horizons Children's Academy
Park Crescent, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6NR
0.77 miles
St Michael Catholic Primary and Nursery School
Hills Terrace, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6PX
0.81 miles
St Margaret's at Troy Town CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School
King Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1YF
0.91 miles
Phoenix Primary School
Glencoe Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5QD
0.96 miles
St Andrew's School (Rochester)
24 - 26 Watts Avenue, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1SA
0.97 miles
Greenvale Primary School
Symons Avenue, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5UP
1 miles
The Pilgrim School (A Church of England Primary With Nursery)
Warwick Crescent, Borstal, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3LF
1.12 miles
New Road Primary School
Bryant Street, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5QN
1.18 miles
Wayfield Primary School
Wayfield Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0HH
1.22 miles
All Saints Church of England Primary School
Magpie Hall Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5JY
1.27 miles
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School
Gas House Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1US
1.42 miles
Horsted Infant School
Barberry Avenue, Chatham, Kent, ME5 9TF
1.45 miles
Horsted Junior School
Barberry Avenue, Chatham, Kent, ME5 9TF
1.48 miles
Name Distance
The Rochester Grammar School
Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3BY
0.25 miles
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School
Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3EL
0.34 miles
The Thomas Aveling School
Arethusa Road, Arethusa Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2UW
0.5 miles
Holcombe Grammar School
Holcombe, Maidstone Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6JB
0.64 miles
Blue Skies School
126 Maidstone Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6DQ
0.66 miles
St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School
City Way, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2FA
0.66 miles
Fort Pitt Grammar School
Fort Pitt Hill, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6TJ
0.73 miles
Medway Secure Training Centre
Sir Evelyn Road, Rochester, ME1 3YB
0.79 miles
Oasis Restore
1 Kennington Road, London, SE1 7QP
0.79 miles
Ripplevale School Rochester
9-13 New Road, Rochester, Kent, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1BG
0.87 miles
Rochester Independent College
254 St Margaret's Banks, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1HY
0.91 miles
The Victory Academy
Magpie Hall Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5JB
1.12 miles
King's School, Rochester
Satis House, Rochester, ME1 1TE
1.26 miles
Bradfields Academy
Churchill Avenue, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0LB
1.54 miles
INSPIRE Free Special School
Churchill Avenue, Silverbank, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0LB
1.54 miles
Walderslade School
Bradfields Avenue, Walderslade, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0LE
1.57 miles
Hospital and Medical Tuition Service
The School Room, Dolphin Ward, Gillingham, ME7 5NY
1.62 miles
Brompton Academy
Marlborough Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5HT
1.64 miles
Greenacre School
157 Walderslade Road, Walderslade, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0LP
1.65 miles
Chatham Grammar
Rainham Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 7EH
1.81 miles

All schools in Rochester · Medway local authority: places and applications

What is Crest Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Crest Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Crest Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Crest Infant School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Crest Infant School have?

Crest Infant School has 121 pupils on roll.

What age range does Crest Infant School cover?

Crest Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Crest Infant School?

Crest Infant School is at Fleet Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2QA.

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