Highfield Nursery School
Highfield Nursery School is a local authority nursery school in Ipswich for pupils aged 2 to 5. It has 102 pupils on roll.
| Type | Other schools / Local authority nursery school |
| Age Range | 2-5 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Chesterfield Drive Ipswich IP1 6DW |
| Reference Number | 124525 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 102 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 61.76%
Girls: 38.24% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 5.9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 12.7% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 70.6% |
| White, Other | 8.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 4.9% |
| White & Asian | 3.9% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 2.9% |
| White & Black (African) | 2% |
| Indian | 1% |
| African | 1% |
| Caribbean | 1% |
| Pakistani | 1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | This school has not had an inspection yet. |
| Date | Report |
|---|
In 2025–26 Highfield Nursery School had 20.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for nursery schools was 24.9). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 13.4%).
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 | 6.6 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.6 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 13.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 38.1% | 33.3% | 0.0% | 21.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 19.2% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 60.0% | – | 60.0% | 28.6% | 20.0% | 66.7% | 40.0% | 40.0% | 20.0% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 8.6 | – | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
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, 9.8% of pupils at Highfield Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 16.7%) and 0.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 2.4%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 5 | 0 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 2 | 0 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 2 | 0 |
| Hearing impairment | 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 nursery schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2025–26 Highfield Nursery School received £21,567 and spent £20,408 for each of its 60 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £353,000 (£5,925 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £199,000 | £187,000 | £231,000 | £233,000 | £227,000 | £195,000 | £284,000 | £353,000 |
| per pupil | £2,163 | £2,654 | £3,823 | £4,797 | £3,845 | £3,455 | £4,847 | £5,925 |
| In-year balance | £171,000 | -£12,000 | £44,000 | £1,000 | -£6,000 | -£32,000 | £88,000 | £69,000 |
| per pupil | £1,858 | -£170 | £731 | £28 | -£98 | -£560 | £1,511 | £1,159 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
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|
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| Name | Distance |
|
Westbourne Academy
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Redstone Hall School
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Learning Support, Southern Area Education Office
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Woodbridge Road Academy
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|
Suffolk New College
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Stone Lodge Academy
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Chantry Academy
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St Joseph's College
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The Bridge School
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2.91 miles |
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St Alban's Catholic High School
Digby Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 3NJ |
2.99 miles |
|
Copleston High School
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|
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All schools in Ipswich · Suffolk local authority: places and applications
How many pupils does Highfield Nursery School have?
Highfield Nursery School has 102 pupils on roll.
What age range does Highfield Nursery School cover?
Highfield Nursery School for pupils aged 2 to 5.
Where is Highfield Nursery School?
Highfield Nursery School is at Chesterfield Drive, Ipswich, IP1 6DW.