Chigwell Row Infant School

Chigwell Row Infant School has demonstrated significant improvement, moving from an inadequate rating to good overall effectiveness in this inspection. The school is part of the Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust and has seen a focused effort on enhancing the quality of education, emphasizing a well-structured curriculum and strong support for pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Pupils exhibit a positive attitude towards learning, enjoying a nurturing environment where they can thrive and develop important social skills.

Strengths

• High-quality curriculum tailored for all pupils including those with SEND.
• Effective early reading instruction with enthusiastic support from teachers.
• Strong focus on pupil well-being and positive behaviour management.
• Engaging extracurricular activities that promote responsibility and curiosity.

Areas for Improvement

• Lack of clear systems to review the effectiveness of curriculum planning over time.
• Some pupils are missing too much school due to absences and lateness.

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 Chigwell Row Infant School attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.3% 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 Chigwell Row 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 Chigwell Row Infant School had 7.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 35.7% 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, 33.3% of pupils at Chigwell Row Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.4% 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 Chigwell Row Infant School received £12,650 and spent £12,589 for each of its 38 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £35,000 (-£925 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, income was £7,618 and spending £7,577 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 Chigwell · Essex local authority: places and applications

Chigwell Row Infant School is part of Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• Lambourne Primary School Romford
• Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery Chigwell
• The Alderton Junior School Loughton
• The Alderton Infant School and Nursery Loughton
• White Bridge Primary School Loughton
• Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School Buckhurst Hill
• Oak View School Loughton
• Hereward Primary School Loughton
• Staples Road Primary School Loughton
• Theydon Bois Primary School Epping

What is Chigwell Row Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chigwell Row Infant School is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Chigwell Row Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chigwell Row Infant School was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Chigwell Row Infant School have?

Chigwell Row Infant School has 27 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chigwell Row Infant School cover?

Chigwell Row Infant School for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is Chigwell Row Infant School?

Chigwell Row Infant School is at Lambourne Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6EZ.