Swing Gate Infant School and Nursery Review 2026: Experiential learning, Forest School, and strong early reading

As an infant school, the headline national performance tables most parents recognise (end of Key Stage 2) do not apply in the same way here, and no comparable published primary ranking data is provided for this school.

The most useful indicator, therefore, is the way the school describes its curriculum intent and the externally-verified detail on early reading and subject sequencing. Reading is treated as a priority, with phonics training and a strong match between decodable books and pupils’ current phonics knowledge. That tends to produce two things parents notice quickly, children who can decode confidently, and children who actually want to bring books home.

Beyond reading, curriculum planning is positioned as knowledge-led and sequenced, with leaders mapping what children learn from year to year so teaching can build steadily. Where this is done well, pupils gain confidence because lessons connect rather than feeling like isolated topics.

The school’s own language is consistent across curriculum pages. It invests “time, money and energy” into experiential learning, and explicitly links that to confidence, character, and teacher enthusiasm. For parents, the practical implication is that learning is likely to feel active and story-driven, with frequent concrete experiences that teachers can reference back to in later lessons.

Early reading is taught with deliberate structure. Children begin learning to read from Reception, phonics is given focused attention, and pupils who fall behind are identified quickly and supported to catch up.

Teaching is also described as responsive in-the-moment. Frequent checks for understanding, followed by targeted questioning (including in mathematics), signal a classroom style where misconceptions are picked up before they harden into “I can’t do maths” stories.

The natural next step is the partner junior school, The Thomas Coram Church of England School, described as a close working relationship and positioned as a straightforward continuation route for many families. The school notes it is about a 15 minute walk away, which is helpful for day-to-day logistics if you have siblings split across sites.

For families who do not choose the partner route, Year 3 transfer is still part of the local coordinated system, so the key is understanding junior-school admissions early rather than treating Year 2 as “too soon” to think about it.

Reception entry is coordinated by Hertfordshire County Council, and the school publishes a clear summary of the priority rules used when applications exceed the Published Admission Number. Siblings (including the linked junior school) sit within those priorities, followed by rules about nearest-school considerations and then distance.

Demand indicators show the school is oversubscribed, with 92 applications for 40 offers in the most recent recorded intake cycle, 2.3 applications per place applications per place, and all first preferences offered being fully taken up. Competition for places is the limiting factor, not the educational offer.

For September 2026 Reception entry, the school lists the Hertfordshire online application system opening on 03 November 2025, with the application deadline on 15 January 2026. Offers follow on 16 April 2026, with an acceptance deadline of 23 April 2026.

Nursery admissions are handled separately from statutory school admissions. The school states its Nursery 2026 to 2027 online portal opens on 23 February 2026 at 09:00, and it publishes a set of open-morning dates across January to March. Nursery demand can move quickly, so it is worth checking availability early if a place is important to your childcare plan.

Parents comparing catchments should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check practical distance scenarios, then keep an eye on the local authority’s allocation information for how places were offered in recent years.

Wellbeing support is unusually explicit for an infant setting. The school states all staff are mental-health trained to Level 1, with named mental health leads, and it teaches emotional literacy through a structured PSHE programme (Jigsaw) across Nursery to Year 2.

There is also evidence of targeted support rather than one-size-fits-all assemblies. The wellbeing page describes ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) as an intervention for pupils needing additional help with social and emotional skills, and it references regulation language (Zones) that many children can understand and use at home as well as in school.

SEND support is described in the inspection evidence as well-integrated, with teaching adapted so pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as peers where possible, and additional help provided when needs are greater.

Clubs are clearly listed, and crucially, they are specific rather than generic. Current published examples include Karate, Frogs Kitchen, Multi Sport, Yoga, Choir (Year 2), and Guitar Lessons (Year 2). For a child who is still only six or seven, these clubs are not about CV-building, they are about trying something new in a familiar place, then building confidence by returning weekly.

Outdoor learning is a second pillar rather than an occasional treat. Forest School is structured for every class, with two sessions per term and supervised activities that can include tool use as appropriate. In practice, this tends to suit pupils who learn best through movement and practical exploration, and it often helps children who find classroom sitting difficult at age four or five.

A third pillar is pupil leadership in miniature. The School and Eco Council’s democratic election process is a simple but powerful model, children nominate, explain their reasons, classmates vote, and representatives feed back termly. This builds early habits of responsibility without pushing children into “mini secondary school” expectations.

The main school day runs from 08:30 to 15:05, with doors closing at 08:35, and the published weekly opening time totals 32.5 hours. Nursery morning session times are listed as 08:30 to 11:30.

Wraparound care is a genuine strength for working families. Breakfast club runs 07:30 to 08:30; after-school provision is published as running into early evening, with pages referencing availability up to 18:00. One published cost point is £7 per hour for breakfast and after-school club, and an after-school session is also listed as £17 per session including a light tea.

For transport planning, Berkhamsted railway station is the town’s rail hub, and families typically combine walk, scooter, and short car journeys for drop-off depending on where they live.

• Oversubscription pressure. Demand indicators show more applications than offers, so proximity and priority rules matter. Families who are counting on a place should plan a realistic alternative in parallel.

• Attendance and punctuality focus. External evidence highlights that a small group of pupils were still absent too often or regularly late, with leaders expected to continue improving this. If your childcare setup is fragile, prioritise wraparound early so mornings do not become a daily stress test.

• Wraparound is not all school-run. Breakfast club and after-school care are described as delivered through specific providers and named provisions. That can work well, but it is worth checking the exact pick-up times and booking expectations for your child’s year group each term.

• Year 3 planning arrives quickly. Because the school ends at Year 2, the junior-school decision is not far away. The partner junior route is clear, but families wanting a different junior option should pay attention early to coordinated admissions and any supplementary forms.

This is a well-organised infant school that puts early reading, outdoor learning, and pupil wellbeing in the foreground, with wraparound arrangements that can make daily life workable for busy families. It suits children who enjoy active, hands-on learning, and parents who want clear routines, strong phonics, and practical childcare options. The challenge lies in admission rather than what follows.

Parents shortlisting should use FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature to manage alternatives and track key dates for both Reception and Nursery.