Waynflete Infants’ School Review 2026: A reading-first infant school with strong wraparound

Because Waynflete Infants’ School is an infant school (Reception to Year 2), it does not sit Key Stage 2 tests, so the usual Year 6 performance picture that parents see for many primaries is not the right yardstick here.

A more useful lens is early reading. Phonics is taught through a chosen programme, with regular revisit and practice, and Reception information for parents specifies five Read Write Inc sessions per week. The point is practical: for many children, especially those who thrive on routine, a consistent daily phonics diet accelerates blending, decoding, and early fluency, and it also makes home reading far easier to support.

The wider curriculum is where the school’s improvement task is more pronounced. Ofsted’s 2023 report highlights the need for clearer sequencing in parts of the curriculum, so that pupils build knowledge and skills step by step rather than remembering activities without retaining the intended learning. For families, that means it is worth asking how subject plans have been refined since 2023, and how leaders check that these plans are actually being delivered consistently in each class.

Early reading is the headline strength. Children begin learning to read immediately in Reception, staff teach phonics effectively, and home reading books are matched to the letter sounds pupils know. That alignment between school teaching and home practice is a strong predictor of rapid early gains, because children are not being asked to guess at words that are beyond their current decoding knowledge.

Beyond phonics, the school describes high expectations and a curriculum that aims to develop a positive attitude towards learning as the foundation for later schooling. Ofsted’s 2023 findings indicate that the next step is sharper precision in what is taught, when, and how knowledge is revisited, especially in the areas where the school has not previously broken learning into small progressive steps.

SEND support is explicitly noted as thoughtful and individualised in the 2023 inspection report, with staff considering what pupils need to access learning and make progress. For parents of children with additional needs, the practical question to explore is how classroom practice is adapted day to day, and how the school communicates targets and progress in a way that is useful rather than generic.

As an infant school, the key transition is not Year 6 to secondary, it is Year 2 to a junior school. For most families, the planning question is whether children move as a cohort, what transition activities look like, and how continuity is maintained in reading, writing, and maths approaches.

The school’s own open morning information references Brackley Junior School being open for prospective families as well, which signals that the school expects many pupils to continue into the local junior phase. When you are shortlisting, ask how Year 2 staff share attainment and support information, especially for pupils with SEND or speech and language needs, and how reading schemes align at the point of transfer.

Waynflete Infants’ School is a state-funded school with no tuition fees.

Admissions for Reception are made through the local authority, and the school notes the standard primary deadline of 15 January. West Northamptonshire Council’s timeline for September 2026 entry is specific: applications open from 10 September 2025, the on-time closing date is 15 January 2026, and offers are issued on 16 April 2026.

The school’s published admission number for Reception is 60. Demand is real. The most recently published application round shows 71 applications and 50 offers, indicating oversubscription and competition for places.

For families who like to sanity-check assumptions, FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful for understanding how your address sits against likely allocation patterns, particularly in years when applications rise.

At infant stage, pastoral care is mostly about routines, communication, and consistency, rather than big programmes. The school positions itself as inclusive and safety-focused, and day-to-day communications emphasise safeguarding and wellbeing.

Ofsted confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective. The wider pastoral picture from the inspection is that pupils generally feel safe and supported, but that learning can be disrupted where low-level behaviour is not addressed consistently, which is both a behaviour and a classroom climate issue. Parents should ask how behaviour expectations are taught, rehearsed, and reinforced, and how leaders track whether all adults respond in the same way.

For an infant school, enrichment is at its best when it is simple and regular, not sprawling. Waynflete Infants’ School highlights a mix of clubs and activities, and the school clubs page names specific offers rather than generic “lots of clubs”.

Examples include:

• Dodgeball club after school on Mondays (run by an external provider).

• Football club on Tuesdays, run with Brackley Town Football Club.

• Ballet provision via local community use of the school hall.

The implication is practical: these activities can help some children settle socially and build confidence, and they also make wraparound care feel more like a positive extension of the day rather than “just childcare”. If your child is easily overstimulated, it is worth checking how clubs are staffed, how transitions are managed at pick-up time, and whether quieter options are available on some days.

Wraparound care runs from 7.45am to 5.45pm (and to 4.30pm on Fridays), which is a meaningful benefit for working families. The school’s published timings in a parent communication note that doors open at 8.30am, registration closes at 8.45am, and the first teaching session begins at 8.45am.

The school’s published materials are clearer on the start-of-day routine than the end-of-day time in a single definitive place, so families who are coordinating childcare should confirm the current finish time directly when visiting.

• Requires Improvement judgement (September 2023). The school has clear strengths in early reading and caring culture, but curriculum sequencing and consistent management of low-level behaviour were identified as priorities for improvement.

• Competition for places. Demand exceeds supply in the most recently published application round provided, so families should treat admission as uncertain unless they have a strong local priority.

• Infant-only structure. The move at the end of Year 2 is a real transition. Families should check how pupil information transfers and how reading progress is maintained into junior phase.

Waynflete Infants’ School offers a strongly family-practical infant experience, with structured phonics and meaningful wraparound care. The 2023 inspection judgement makes clear that improvement work must focus on curriculum precision and consistent classroom expectations, but the core foundations for young children, especially early reading and a sense of safety, are evident. Best suited to families who value a reading-first approach, need wraparound care, and are willing to engage with a school that is sharpening consistency as part of its improvement journey.