The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
There is a reassuring clarity to this infant school’s offer, strong routines, a big focus on language, and a play-based start that is taken seriously as education rather than childcare. The most recent inspection outcome matters here because it puts structure around what parents often struggle to assess in early years settings. The overall judgement is Good, with Early Years provision judged Outstanding, and safeguarding confirmed as effective.
Location is a draw for local families in Bushey, with Hertfordshire admissions rules applied when demand exceeds places. In the latest admissions cycle captured in the available demand data, 111 applications competed for 45 offers, which equates to 2.47 applications per place. That tells you two things, first, interest is high; second, you want to approach admissions with calendar discipline, not hope.
The school is for children aged 3 to 7, with nursery provision feeding into Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. It is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Expect the usual costs for uniform, trips, and optional wraparound care.
The school’s public messaging leans into warmth and welcome, but the more useful signal is how that warmth is operationalised. The inspection report describes pupils as proud to attend, with staff creating a consistent daily welcome and prioritising wellbeing. It also emphasises respect and kindness as taught expectations, not vague aspirations, with clear routines, golden rules for conduct, and reflection spaces in classrooms to help pupils reset when behaviour slips.
That combination, high expectation plus practical scaffolding, is often what separates a calm infant setting from one that feels busy and reactive. For children who arrive in Nursery or Reception still learning how to manage big emotions, the availability of safe spaces and trusted adults, alongside a structured day, can reduce the “holding it together” effort that some young children expend in school.
The site itself contributes to the school’s identity. The history section is unusually specific: the roots trace back to Bushey National Schools founded in 1827; the main building dates from 1885; a 1908 fire led to rebuilding and extension in 1909; a hall was added in 1939; and a later block from the 1970s houses Reception classrooms, dining, offices and the nursery unit. The grounds are described as four acres, with adventure play areas, a field, a wildlife area and a pond area.
For parents, that mix of older and newer spaces usually translates into a school that feels established, with outdoor capacity that can be used for learning rather than only breaktime.
Leadership is stable and clearly named. The headteacher is Ms Melissa Adams, and the most recent inspection notes she took up post in September 2014.
The senior team is presented transparently on the staff page, including named safeguarding roles, which is a helpful marker of organisational maturity in a small school.
For an infant school, the most meaningful “results” are less about headline external exam measures and more about whether children leave Year 2 as confident readers and communicators, with secure foundations in number and a positive relationship with learning.
The most recent graded inspection provides the clearest evidence. It judged overall effectiveness as Good and Early Years provision as Outstanding, with all other key areas also judged Good.
This is a strong profile for a school whose core job is early literacy, early numeracy, and social development.
You will not find FindMySchool rankings for this school in the available results extract, and there are no published Key Stage 2 metrics here because pupils are younger than that assessment point. In practical terms, that means families should weigh the quality of early reading, language development, and transition support as the main performance indicators, using inspection evidence and the school’s curriculum approach as the best proxies.
If you are comparing local schools, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages can still help you build a shortlist by looking at nearby primaries and their later Key Stage 2 outcomes, but for an infant school like this one, the question is more specific: does the early years approach fit your child’s temperament and needs?
The inspection report describes a carefully designed curriculum, with ambitious vocabulary threaded through subjects from early years to Year 2. Teachers are said to explain new concepts clearly, building knowledge in a planned sequence.
That matters because “topic work” in infants can sometimes become decorative. Here, the intent is that topics act as a vehicle for language, concepts, and retention.
The curriculum page gives more of the school’s own framework. Communication is positioned as foundational, with “skilled communicators” placed at the centre of curriculum drivers. The school also sets out four curriculum drivers framed as learner dispositions and habits, including healthy learners and curious learners, alongside a stated use of Zones of Regulation strategies and classroom mindfulness areas.
For a young child, this can be the difference between being told to calm down and being taught how to recognise, name, and manage feelings in a structured way.
Early reading is a clear flagship. The inspection report states that reading is prioritised, with Nursery children experiencing phonics through toys to help them learn letter sounds, and Reception pupils gaining a strong grasp of reading through a consistently delivered phonics programme. It also references “secret readers”, community members who read to some pupils.
Example, early phonics experiences begin before Reception; evidence, a structured phonics approach and adult expertise are explicitly described; implication, children who need extra help can be identified earlier and supported before gaps widen.
There are also areas to keep in view. The inspection notes that in a couple of subjects, curriculum implementation is not as strong as leaders intend, so learning is less consistent in those areas.
For parents, this is best interpreted as a “watch and ask” prompt rather than a red flag: during visits, ask which subjects are being strengthened, how subject leadership works in a small school, and how teachers are supported to align practice.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
Because this is an infant school, transition out at the end of Year 2 is a major part of the offer, even if it can feel far away when your child is three.
The school’s linked junior school is Ashfield Junior School, and the transition plan is set out with unusual specificity. The two headteachers meet regularly, pupils visit in spring and summer terms, and a buddy system is used so children build familiarity with staff and pupils before September.
That kind of structured progression can be especially helpful for children who find change difficult.
A key practical point is also made clearly: families must still apply through Hertfordshire County Council for a junior school place, whether that is the linked junior school or another option.
So, even if most children move on together, it is not an automatic transfer in the way some all-through schools operate.
This is a Hertfordshire coordinated admissions school for Reception entry, with published dates for the 2026 start.
For Reception (September 2026 entry), the school states:
Applications open 3 November 2025
Applications close 15 January 2026
Offers made 16 April 2026
Oversubscription is real in the demand data: 111 applications for 45 offers, with 2.47 applications per place, and the status marked as oversubscribed. Those numbers are enough to justify treating this as a competitive local option rather than a “likely” place.
The oversubscription rules are also helpfully spelled out on the Reception admissions page, including priority for looked-after children, medical or social needs where evidenced, siblings (including the linked junior school relationship), then nearest school and distance criteria within Hertfordshire’s determined arrangements.
If you are applying from outside the immediate area, it is sensible to read the local authority definitions of “nearest school” and how distance is calculated, since small differences can decide outcomes in infant admissions.
Nursery admissions are handled differently, with direct application to the school in a defined window:
Applications open 3 November 2025
Applications close 15 January 2026
Offer date beginning of March 2026
Accept by end of March 2026
The nursery page also describes school tours, including two visits on Wednesday 07 January 2026 at 9.00am and 2.00pm, with booking required.
If you are aiming for nursery as a stepping stone into Reception, treat nursery entry as its own competitive process, and remember that nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place unless the local authority and school explicitly state that it does, which is not claimed here.
Families who like to quantify their chances should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check practical proximity and local alternatives, but for this school, the more decisive variable is usually demand relative to places, so being organised early is as important as being local.
Applications
111
Total received
Places Offered
45
Subscription Rate
2.5x
Apps per place
The most useful pastoral details are the ones that connect policy to day-to-day practice. The inspection report describes wellbeing as prioritised, with pupils feeling safe and happy, and it points to routines that help children manage behaviour with increasing independence. It also references safe spaces, trusted adults, breakout opportunities and a sensory room used to help pupils feel ready to learn.
For pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, the picture is broadly positive. The report states that pupils with SEND learn the same broad curriculum as their peers, supported through staff strategies and training, with systems in early years to identify needs. It also includes a clear improvement point: for a small number of pupils with SEND, adaptations and targets are not always precise enough, limiting participation.
That is a useful conversation starter. Parents of children with additional needs should ask what “precision” looks like in practice, how targets are written, and how the school reviews whether adaptations are working.
On safeguarding, one sentence is enough, because the message is clear. The inspection confirms safeguarding arrangements are effective.
In an infant setting, extracurricular life is often less about a long list of clubs and more about structured enrichment that young children can access without exhaustion.
Two examples stand out because they are specific. First, the “secret readers” initiative described in the inspection report, where community members read to some pupils, supports vocabulary and reading enjoyment by normalising books as social, not only instructional.
Second, the curriculum page describes weekly mini explorer sessions in a woodland area, complemented by outdoor learning and daily activity habits, alongside play rangers who develop play skills through taught games.
Example, outdoor learning is built into the routine; evidence, named weekly sessions and defined staff roles; implication, children get repeated practice in cooperation, risk assessment, and physical confidence, not only occasional “forest days”.
Wraparound care also functions as enrichment. The after school club page lists activities including arts and crafts, organised sports such as basketball, tennis and football, outdoor play and gardening, and a Friday movie night.
This matters because, for many working families, after school care is the largest chunk of “extra time” their child spends in school, so the activity mix affects wellbeing as much as convenience.
If you want more detail on specialist external clubs referenced on the after school club page, ask how children transition between external providers and the club, and how staff coordinate handovers.
The school day timings are published clearly:
Doors open 8.45am for a soft start
Morning session begins 8.55am
School day ends 3.15pm
For wraparound care, breakfast club is published as opening from 7.30am in term time.
After school club offers sessions running 3.15pm to 6.00pm, including a full session priced at £16.50, and shorter options priced at £7.50 and £9.00.
Competition for places. The available demand data shows 111 applications for 45 offers, with the school marked oversubscribed. If you are treating this as your “safe” option, it is worth reassessing your wider shortlist.
Not all subjects are equally consistent yet. The inspection notes that in a couple of subjects, curriculum implementation is not as strong as leaders intend, which can lead to uneven learning across subjects. Ask which subjects are being strengthened and what support teachers receive.
SEND adaptations need to be precise for a small number of pupils. The inspection highlights that some pupils with SEND do not always receive sufficiently matched adaptations because supporting targets are not always precise. Families should explore how targets are set, reviewed, and adjusted.
Year 2 to Year 3 progression is planned, but not automatic. Most children move on to the linked junior school, with a structured buddy and visit programme, but families still need to apply for a junior school place through the local authority.
A well-established infant school with a clear early years identity, strong reading emphasis, and routines that help young children feel safe and ready to learn. The Good overall judgement plus Outstanding Early Years offers a balanced message: the core is working strongly, and leaders have a small number of curriculum and inclusion refinements to complete.
Best suited to families who want a structured, language-rich start to schooling, value outdoor learning as part of weekly routine, and can manage the realities of oversubscribed admissions. The main challenge is securing a place, so treat the published dates and the wider shortlist as seriously as you treat the school itself.
The most recent graded inspection judged the school Good overall, with Early Years provision judged Outstanding and safeguarding confirmed as effective. The report describes a carefully designed curriculum, strong routines, and reading as a clear priority, with extra support helping pupils catch up quickly when needed.
Reception applications for September 2026 entry follow Hertfordshire’s coordinated process. The school publishes an applications open date of 3 November 2025, a closing date of 15 January 2026, and offers made on 16 April 2026.
Nursery applications are made directly to the school, with the published application window running from 3 November 2025 to 15 January 2026. Offers are expected at the beginning of March 2026, with places to be accepted by the end of March 2026. For nursery fee details, use the school’s official information rather than relying on third-party summaries.
Yes. Breakfast club is published as opening from 7.30am in term time. After school club runs up to 6.00pm, with different session lengths available.
Most pupils move on to the linked junior school, with visits, buddying, and staff coordination designed to make the transition smooth. Families still need to apply for a junior school place through Hertfordshire admissions, even if aiming for the linked route.
Get in touch with the school directly
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Information on this page is compiled, analysed, and processed from publicly available sources including the Department for Education (DfE), Ofsted, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and official school websites.
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