St Giles’ CofE (Aided) Infant School Review 2026, Ashtead starter school with strong personal development

Because St Giles’ is an infant school, there are no Key Stage 2 outcomes to report here, and it does not have GCSE or A level cohorts. The most meaningful “results” for this phase are the foundations of reading and language, early mathematics, and the attitudes to learning that pupils carry into junior school.

The latest inspection evidence points to an ambitious curriculum that is organised clearly and taught with strong subject knowledge. Phonics in early years is described as high quality, with the environment structured to support sounds and words, and weaker readers receiving frequent, targeted support to help them catch up.

Two improvement themes are also worth noting because they directly affect learning time. First, in some subjects, misconceptions are not always identified quickly enough, which can allow gaps to develop. Second, persistent absence is highlighted as an ongoing issue for some pupils, limiting their opportunity to learn as well as they could.

For parents, the implication is straightforward. If your child thrives on predictable routines and explicit teaching, the evidence suggests they will find a structured start here. If attendance has been a challenge for your family in the past, it is worth asking how the school supports improvement and how communication works when absence starts to become regular.

Curriculum design is described as ambitious, with knowledge sequenced sensibly so pupils build learning over time rather than meeting disconnected topics. Teachers are described as using strong subject knowledge to break content down clearly, which is exactly what you want in an infant setting where small misunderstandings can quickly become sticky.

Reading is positioned as a priority from the start. The description of targeted support for weaker readers is especially important; in practice, that often means short, frequent catch up sessions and careful matching of books to phonics stage. The key point is not the format, but the consistency, and the inspection evidence indicates this is regular and purposeful.

There is also a deliberate personal development thread in the curriculum experience. Pupils encounter ethical and moral issues through reflection time and values themed assemblies, and pupil voice is channelled through councils, including faith, school and eco councils. That is unusually concrete for an infant age range and helps explain the personal development judgement.

The main transition point for families is moving on from infant education into junior provision. In Surrey, primary admissions are coordinated through the local authority for the Reception intake, and later transfers can involve a separate application route depending on local school organisation.

What matters for parents is practical planning: shortlist your preferred junior or primary pathway early, understand whether you are likely to need a Year 3 application later, and keep an eye on published admissions arrangements for your area. If you are using FindMySchool to shortlist, the Saved Schools feature is a useful way to keep potential next step options organised alongside your current infant choice.

St Giles’ is oversubscribed based on the admissions data, with 76 applications for 21 offers and a subscription ratio of 3.62 applications per place. That signals meaningful competition for entry, even before you consider the normal dynamics of church school preferences and local movement patterns.

For the 2026 intake, Surrey’s coordinated primary admissions deadline for on time applications is 15 January 2026, with applications opening from 3 November 2025. Offers are issued on 16 April 2026. Surrey also publishes a late application route, including the ability to apply online until 18 August 2026, which is relevant for families moving into the area after the main deadline.

As a voluntary aided Church of England school, it is sensible to expect that the school’s own admissions policy and any supplementary faith evidence can be relevant for some categories of application. The safest approach is to read the determined admissions policy and any supplementary information form published by the school, then align that with Surrey’s coordinated deadlines.

If distance becomes a deciding factor for your shortlist, use the FindMySchool Map Search to check your exact home to school distance and to sense check whether your plan depends on a very narrow margin.

Personal development is the strongest single headline in the current inspection profile, judged Outstanding. The detail behind that includes broadening pupils’ perspectives through books and music from different cultures, structured reflection time, and explicit teaching around relationships and healthy lifestyles at an age appropriate level.

Safeguarding is described as effective, with a culture of vigilance, good record keeping, and staff alert to signs of harm. In practical terms, this supports a calm start to schooling for younger pupils and can be reassuring for families who prioritise strong communication around wellbeing.

Attendance is the main pastoral watch out raised. Leaders are described as quick to identify issues, but the impact of work to reduce absence is mixed, with persistent absence still too high for some pupils. Parents who want a very consistent routine should ask how absence is monitored and how early support is offered.

This is where the school’s infant scale can be a strength. Younger pupils often benefit most from a small set of high impact experiences rather than a long list of clubs.

The inspection evidence gives several specific examples of enrichment: arts festivals, music workshops, and Reading Week, which are all concrete programmes rather than generic labels. The presence of faith, school and eco councils also matters as a form of structured pupil leadership; for infant pupils, that is often about learning to articulate choices, listen, and take turns, which feeds directly into classroom culture.

Volunteers are also described as contributing to pupils’ experiences, including supporting trips. That can be a meaningful indicator of parent community engagement, although the scale and frequency will vary year to year.

St Giles’ is located in Ashtead (Surrey), with a small school capacity listed as 90 places. As an infant school, daily logistics matter: walking routes, drop off pressure points, and how well the school day fits with working hours.

• Competition for places. Recent admissions data indicates 76 applications for 21 offers, which suggests entry is the main constraint, not the education that follows.

• Attendance focus. Persistent absence is highlighted as an area needing improvement, which is worth discussing if your child benefits from tight routine and consistent presence.

• Voluntary aided admissions detail. As a Church of England voluntary aided school, admissions arrangements can involve school specific criteria beyond the standard distance only model, so reading the determined policy is important.

St Giles’ CofE (Aided) Infant School looks like a focused, values led start to primary education, with a particularly strong personal development profile and clear evidence of structured curriculum thinking in early reading. The main hurdle is securing a place. It suits families who want an infant setting with a Church of England character, clear routines, and enrichment that is planned rather than occasional, and who are prepared to engage closely with the admissions process and timelines.