School profile

Acorn Infant Academy

Primary · Academy converter · Witham, CM8 1NA

Good

Map showing Acorn Infant Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

Acorn Infant Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 17 Dec 2024

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages3 to 7
Pupils196
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Cheryl Noble
TrustBRIDGE ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityEssex
Opened01 Jul 2019
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 147255.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils196
Girls96
Boys100
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.23.5%
First language not English4.6%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.270
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.180
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.33.3%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.53
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.7
Average class size20.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
81.6%
Other White
5.6%
Other mixed
3.1%
African
2.6%
White and Black Caribbean
1.5%
Other Black
1.5%
White and Asian
1%
Indian
1%
White and Black African
0.5%
Other Asian
0.5%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.7.9
Teachers (FTE)12
Teaching assistants (FTE)12.28
Support staff (FTE)17.52
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2512.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2512.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.68
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.99
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.41
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.41
Applications from another local authority (Reception)1

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Overall absence6.6%, worse than England, worse than Essex5.3%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.22.6%, worse than England, worse than Essex13.3%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.9%, worse than England, worse than Essex1.2%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate8%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0.9%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Acorn Infant Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.0 miPrimaryWitham Oaks AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miSecondaryLift MaltingsAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
0.8 miPrimaryTemplars AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.0 miSecondaryLift New RickstonesAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.1 miPrimaryElm Hall Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryHowbridge Infant SchoolFoundation school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryHoly Family Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryHowbridge Church of England Junior SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.2 miPrimaryChipping Hill Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Acorn Infant Academy

What is Acorn Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?

Acorn Infant Academy is rated Good, last inspected on 17 Dec 2024. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How hard is it to get into Acorn Infant Academy?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Acorn Infant Academy made 68 offers from 99 applications (1.5 per offer), and 41 of 41 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Acorn Infant Academy?

Acorn Infant Academy has 196 pupils aged 3 to 7.

What is the capacity of Acorn Infant Academy?

Acorn Infant Academy had 270 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Acorn Infant Academy?

At Acorn Infant Academy, the average class had 20.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Acorn Infant Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Acorn Infant Academy missed 6.6% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 22.6% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.