Chatsworth Infant School

Chatsworth Infant School demonstrates strong overall performance, achieving a 'Good' rating in the recent Ofsted inspection. The school fosters a learning environment that students enjoy, emphasizing high expectations and enjoyable experiences that engage pupils both academically and socially. With remarkable resources available, including well-utilized outdoor spaces and a vibrant library, students are encouraged to be curious and explore a variety of subjects enthusiastically. While the school's leadership, behavior and attitudes, and early years provision are rated outstanding, a few areas need addressing. Notably, some students in Years 1 and 2 are assigned reading books with excessive challenging words, inhibiting their fluency and confidence in reading. Additionally, there are times when tasks do not build effectively upon what students have previously learned. These areas will need the school leaders' attention to ensure all students fully benefit from the provided educational opportunities.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy learning and demonstrate high levels of engagement.
• Outstanding behavior and attitudes among students.
• Exceptional support from leaders for subject leaders.
• Strong early years provision enabling children to achieve their best.
• Effective safeguarding measures in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Some reading books for younger pupils do not match their phonics ability.
• Tasks set for pupils sometimes do not build on prior knowledge effectively.

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 Chatsworth Infant School attended 97.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

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

Pupils suspended at least once

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 Chatsworth Infant School had 26.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 61.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

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, 8.6% of pupils at Chatsworth Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

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 2024–25 Chatsworth Infant School received £6,771 and spent £6,680 for each of its 205 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £82,000 (£401 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of The Pioneer Academy, income was £7,355 and spending £7,206 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bexley · Bexley local authority: places and applications

Chatsworth Infant School is part of The Pioneer Academy, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Burnt Oak Junior School Sidcup
• Red Hill Primary School Chislehurst
• Southborough Primary School Bromley
• Belvedere Junior School Belvedere
• Belvedere Infant School Belvedere
• Downe Primary School Orpington
• Stewart Fleming Primary School London
• Halstead Community Primary School Sevenoaks
• Shoreham Village School Sevenoaks
• South Norwood Primary London

What is Chatsworth Infant School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Chatsworth Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chatsworth Infant School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Chatsworth Infant School have?

Chatsworth Infant School has 210 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chatsworth Infant School cover?

Chatsworth Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Chatsworth Infant School?

Chatsworth Infant School is at Burnt Oak Lane, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 9DD.