Burlington Infant School Review 2026: A traditional infant school with a structured early reading core

Because this is an infant school (ages 4 to 7), parents should expect a different kind of “results” conversation than they would have at a full primary. There are no Key Stage 2 SATs here, and national accountability measures focus more on curriculum quality, early reading, and how well children are prepared for the next phase.

The most current external benchmark is inspection. The latest Ofsted inspection, dated 22 February 2023, judged the school Good overall, with Good in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

The same report gives a useful sense of what is working well and what still needs tightening. Strengths include motivated pupils, strong staff-pupil relationships, and a reading culture supported by daily story time and practical routines that encourage pupils to engage with books.

The improvement points are also worth taking seriously, because they speak to a challenge common in infant schools. in some wider curriculum subjects, leaders had not identified the essential knowledge they want pupils to remember, and that systems to check what pupils remember across those subjects were not yet fully effective. In plain terms, core phonics and maths can be strong, while foundation subjects need clearer end points and better retrieval routines so learning sticks over time.

If you are comparing local schools, focus less on headline test data and more on whether your child will thrive in this style of early learning, and whether transition into Year 3 is handled smoothly.

Early reading is the spine of the teaching model. The school uses Read Write Inc for phonics, and describes it as a systematic programme taught daily with consistency from pupils’ first weeks in Reception. That approach tends to suit children who benefit from repetition, clear routines, and tightly scaffolded progression from sounds to blending to fluent reading.

The structure of the day reinforces that priority. The published school day timetable sets out a defined early morning window and then places Read Write Inc as a substantial block, followed by numeracy later in the morning. That sequencing is sensible for infants, because many children concentrate best earlier in the day, and literacy and number demand the highest cognitive energy.

Reading culture is supported through small rituals that make books feel part of daily life rather than a special event. The February 2023 inspection report describes reading routines such as a dedicated daily story time, Year 1 pupils voting for the story they want to hear, and home-link activities like “bedtime bear” and “reading bingo”. These are low-cost, high-impact mechanisms that encourage families to read together, and they also build positive associations with books.

Beyond English and maths, curriculum intent is described in broad terms as building knowledge, skills, confidence, and the habit of aiming high, with a consistent refrain for pupils to “always do your best and be your best”. In practice, the key question for parents is whether the wider curriculum is taught with enough clarity and progression. The school’s current stated direction, shaped by the post-2023 improvement focus, suggests leaders are working to make subject sequences more explicit, so pupils carry secure knowledge into Year 3.

The main transition point is into Key Stage 2 at age 7. Burlington Infant School and Burlington Junior School share a long linked history on the same site, and the school’s own history materials describe the relationship between the infant and junior provision going back to the early 1900s, with building changes over time.

For families, the practical implication is that Year 2 is designed as a bridge rather than an endpoint. School materials include transition-oriented resources, such as a “getting ready for Year 3” pack, and newsletters regularly reference joint-site events and local activities that help pupils feel comfortable with the move.

If your child is likely to need extra support with transition, ask what gradual familiarisation looks like. The most reassuring answers usually include: additional visits, shared staff liaison, and a clear handover of pastoral and learning information.

Admissions are coordinated by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, because this is a community school. The school’s admissions information is explicit that the local authority acts as the admissions authority and coordinates applications.

Demand is strong. For the latest published intake data, there were 49 applications for 31 offers, which indicates oversubscription, at roughly 1.58 applications per place. That kind of ratio usually means you should treat the school as competitive, especially for families outside the immediate local area.

For September 2026 Reception entry, the East Riding admissions calendar shows the application portal opens from 1 September 2025, and the closing date is 15 January 2026. If you apply after the deadline, you are typically processed later in the cycle, which can reduce your options across the local area if popular schools are full.

Some parents try to simplify admissions down to one number, such as a distance cut-off. In practice, allocations depend on the full pattern of applicants each year, and the oversubscription criteria applied by the local authority. If you want a realistic view of your chances, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check your precise distance in a straight line against local patterns, and keep a back-up preference that you would genuinely accept.

Safeguarding is treated as a whole-staff responsibility, not an office function. The February 2023 inspection report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, and it describes annual safeguarding training and an expectation that staff remain vigilant to risks, including additional vulnerabilities for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Support for families is also described in practical terms. The same inspection notes leaders signposting families to local services for help linked to cost of living pressures. This is an increasingly relevant part of infant school pastoral work, because financial stress at home can show up quickly in children’s attendance, readiness to learn, and emotional regulation.

On the inclusion side, the school’s SEND policy sets out an expectation of a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils, with defined roles including a named SEN coordinator. For parents, the best next step is to ask how support is delivered day-to-day in classrooms, not just what the policy says. Look for specifics such as targeted language support, structured interventions, and how staff communicate progress in small, meaningful steps.

In infant schools, extracurricular life is most useful when it is tightly aligned with children’s age and attention span. Burlington’s current information points to a blend of creative clubs, active clubs, and simple structured play experiences.

A recent newsletter sets out a weekly after-school club pattern running Monday to Friday after the school day, with named options such as Arts and Crafts Club, Lego and Construction Club, Let’s Get Active, Yoga and Relaxation Club, and Courtyard Club. These are well chosen for the age group, because they develop fine motor skills, collaboration, and early self-management, without relying on long rehearsal time or older-child competitiveness.

Sports provision also includes external partners. The clubs and activities page gives an example of a Year 2 football option run by Bridlington Soccer School. The key implication is variety without overload: young children can try something new, but the commitment level remains manageable for families.

Wraparound care is often the deciding factor for working parents. School materials indicate both a Breakfast Club and a later After School Club option, with structured times around the end of the day. The prospectus describes Breakfast Club starting at 7.45am, run jointly with the junior school, and newsletters describe an After School Club running beyond the clubs window with a drink and snack.

The school day is clearly timetabled. Doors open at 8.50am, registration is at 9.00am, and the day ends at 3.20pm, with after-school clubs listed as running to 4.30pm. For families with tight work schedules, the availability of Breakfast Club and the later after-school option is likely to matter at least as much as curriculum detail.

Travel-wise, this is an Old Town Bridlington setting, and school communications emphasise safety around busy drop-off and pick-up moments, including reminders around scooters and safe movement when the playground is crowded. If you plan to drive, ask what the school’s expectations are around parking and where pupils should enter and leave the site, especially if siblings attend the linked junior school.

• Oversubscription is real. Recent application and offer numbers indicate more families apply than there are places. This is not a school to rely on as your only realistic option if you live further away.

• The wider curriculum is still an improvement priority. The latest inspection highlights the need for clearer essential knowledge and better systems for checking what pupils remember in some foundation subjects. If you care deeply about breadth at age 5 to 7, ask how subject sequencing and retrieval practice now work.

• Routines are a feature, not an accident. Timetables, structured phonics blocks, and clear rules support many pupils, but children who struggle with transitions may need extra settling-in support at the start of Reception.

• Wraparound is available, but confirm the details you need. Breakfast Club and later after-school options are referenced in school materials, but places, booking systems, and day-to-day operations can change over time.

Burlington Infant School suits families who want a traditional, well-structured infant education with early reading treated as a daily non-negotiable, and with pastoral systems that recognise the real-life pressures families can face. The Good inspection outcome in 2023, alongside clear routines for phonics and reading culture, suggests a secure core offer, with current leadership focused on tightening curriculum clarity in the wider subjects.

Who it suits: children who respond well to predictable routines and clear expectations, and families who value a calm start to school life plus practical wraparound options. The main constraint is admission competition, so treat your application as one part of a wider shortlist, and use Saved Schools to keep comparisons organised.