Fairfield Infant and Nursery School Review 2026: Attachment and relationship aware early years, strong outdoor learning

There is no Key Stage 2 data here because pupils move on after Year 2, and the usual headline primary measures are not a fair way to judge an infant setting. What matters most is whether children leave Year 2 reading with confidence, communicating clearly, and able to learn in groups.

The latest Ofsted inspection (25 and 26 March 2025) graded all areas as Good, including Early Years provision.

Where the inspection becomes especially useful for parents is in its specificity about early reading. Leaders introduced a new phonics scheme after weaker phonics screening outcomes; staff training has been part of that change, and pupils who fall behind are identified and supported to catch up. The next step is consistency, since the inspection notes that, at times, new sounds are not modelled accurately, which can limit progress for some pupils.

Because the school is actively reviewing its wider curriculum, parents should also expect some subjects to feel stronger and more coherent than others at any given time. The inspection recognises that some subjects have been reviewed effectively, with explicit key knowledge and good pupil recall, while a few foundation subjects still carry too much content and need clearer sequencing so that pupils remember core learning over time.

If you are comparing local infant settings, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and Comparison Tool can help you line up each school’s published context and inspection outcomes without relying on informal word of mouth.

Early years teaching starts with talk. In Nursery, the school follows the Early Years Foundation Stage and uses Development Matters as guidance, with the seven areas of learning clearly laid out for families. In practice, the March 2025 inspection describes staff modelling full sentences and encouraging children to speak in complete thoughts, which then carries through into Key Stage 1 via repeated use of key vocabulary in explanations.

Reading is treated as a priority from the beginning of Reception. The inspection notes that children start learning to read as soon as they enter Reception, and that pupils are given repeated practice on newly learned sounds. The strong implication for parents is that the school is building fluency through routine, rather than assuming it will happen incidentally through exposure. The remaining improvement work is also clear, since the modelling of sounds needs to be accurate every time, across all adults delivering phonics.

Across the broader curriculum, the most convincing moments are where key knowledge is made explicit and pupils are then able to articulate learning and apply it. That is a good description of infant effective practice: small steps, clear language, and plenty of structured revisiting. Where assessment is consistent, teachers can identify precise gaps and address them quickly. The inspection notes that this works well in some subjects but is not yet uniform across all subjects, which is likely to be a focus for leaders as curriculum review continues.

The school also signals, through its organisation and spaces, that learning is not only desk based. Practical experiences are described as an intentional part of the offer, contributing to an animated feel and good engagement. For families with children who learn best through doing, touching, building, and moving, that alignment between intent and environment is worth noting.

As an infant school, the next step is a move to junior provision for Year 3. In Derbyshire, that transition is part of the wider primary admissions and place planning picture, and families often begin thinking about it well before Year 2 ends, particularly if siblings are in different phases across local schools.

What this setting can do, at its best, is to make that eventual move easier by ensuring pupils leave Year 2 as confident readers, with steady routines, and with a clear sense of how to learn alongside others. The March 2025 inspection’s emphasis on calm order, effective pastoral support, and well considered support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities suggests that most pupils should be well prepared for the larger scale and broader curriculum of junior school.

If you are building a shortlist, it can help to map likely junior options early and to watch how your child responds to different settings. FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature is useful here, particularly if you are comparing infant plus junior pathways against an all through primary.

Reception entry is coordinated by Derbyshire County Council, rather than handled solely by the school. The school’s published admissions information states an intake of up to 60 Reception children each year, with in year admissions possible where spaces exist.

For the latest recorded cycle there were 45 applications for 29 offers, which is around 1.6 applications per place. The demand level is recorded as oversubscribed, so living nearby and timing your application correctly matters.)

For September 2026 entry, Derbyshire’s coordinated timeline sets out:

• Applications open on 10 November 2025

• Applications close at midnight on 15 January 2026

• Offers are issued on 16 April 2026

Nursery admissions are managed directly through the school office, with funded sessions available for eligible 2, 3 and 4 year olds, and families encouraged to discuss preferred session patterns when registering.

Because infant admissions can be especially sensitive to distance and sibling priority, parents should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check their exact distance to the school gates and to keep an eye on how local demand shifts year to year.

Pastoral support is described in the March 2025 inspection as effective, with leaders focused on identifying and removing barriers to learning. Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is also described as well considered, with adaptations such as sensory breaks used to keep learning on track.

The availability of break out spaces such as the Zen Den and The Alcove, as set out in the prospectus, suggests that regulation is built into the environment rather than treated as a last resort. For some children, especially those still adjusting to group routines, that can be the difference between coping and thriving across a full day.

Safeguarding arrangements are described as effective in the most recent inspection. The school’s published information also sets out a safeguarding team approach and annual staff training, which matters in an infant setting where communication needs vary widely and early help often depends on adults noticing small changes quickly.

Outdoor learning is not an occasional treat here, it is a weekly entitlement. Each class has at least one outdoor learning session per week, using The Spinney as the designated outdoor learning area. Activities range from digging, climbing and imaginative play through to Forest School style approaches such as using simple tools, identifying flora and fauna, and occasionally using a fire to prepare food and drink.

This matters because it links to learning behaviours rather than just recreation. Problem solving, collaboration, decision making about risk, and resilience are explicitly named aims. For pupils who are active learners, this can support attention and language development, since purposeful movement and shared tasks often produce more talk and more authentic vocabulary than table work alone.

Clubs are age appropriate and intentionally simple. The school currently lists three after school clubs: Multi Sports (Tuesday), Football (Wednesday), and Dance (Thursday). For many infant pupils, that is a sensible balance, enough breadth for children to try structured activities without creating an exhausting weekly timetable.

The inspection also points to a culture of responsibility through small leadership roles such as playground leader and VIP leader, which is a good fit for this age group. These roles let pupils practise turn taking, kindness, and confidence in a concrete way, with adults close by to coach and model.

The prospectus sets the main school day as doors open at 8:40am, registration closes at 9:00am, and home time is 3:10pm. Nursery sessions are listed as 8:45am to 11:45am and 12:15pm to 3:15pm. The school also describes offering toast at the start of the day as a free breakfast option for pupils.

Wraparound provision has expanded. From January 2026, the school runs its own Breakfast Club from 8:00am, and After School Club until either 4:30pm or 5:30pm for Reception to Year 2. Prices are published as £4 for Breakfast Club, £6 to 4:30pm, and £10 to 5:30pm.

Uniform expectations are also practical for active pupils. The school promotes an active uniform approach, including joggers or leggings and trainers, so that sport and outdoor activity can happen throughout the week without needing separate kit changes.

For travel, most families will be thinking for local drop off patterns rather than commuter routes. The school sits in the Fairfield area of Buxton, so checking walk time, parking constraints near the gate, and winter weather practicality is part of the real decision.

• Early reading consistency. The phonics scheme has been strengthened, but the most recent inspection notes that sounds are not always modelled accurately. For children who need very consistent phonics delivery to gain confidence, ask how staff training and quality checks are now handled.

• Curriculum coherence varies by subject. Some subjects have clear sequencing and pupils remember core learning well; a few foundation subjects still cover too much and need tighter planning so learning sticks. If your child loves a particular area, ask how it is structured across Reception to Year 2.

• Competition for Reception places. The school is recorded as oversubscribed, with more applications than offers in the latest available entry route data. Families should apply on time and keep backup options.

• Wraparound has clear rules and charges. The in school clubs bring convenience, but there are published fees and a late collection fine, so families should be confident the timings fit their working day.

This is a focused infant and nursery setting that prioritises relationships, calm routines, and practical learning, with outdoor education baked into weekly life through The Spinney. The March 2025 inspection judgements, alongside the school’s own published detail on early years curriculum and wraparound care, point to a well organised environment where most pupils settle quickly and learn steadily.

Best suited to families who want a structured start to school life, strong pastoral habits, and regular outdoor learning, and who are prepared for competitive Reception entry in an oversubscribed local context.