Heather Ridge Infant School Review 2026: A values-led infant school in Heatherside with strong early reading and an increasingly broad offer

Because this is an infant school, families should not expect the same headline attainment measures that appear at the end of primary school. The more meaningful question here is whether children leave Year 2 as fluent readers with secure early number sense, ready to step into a junior school curriculum without gaps.

Ofsted’s 2023 report supports a positive picture for early reading. Staff are trained to teach letters and sounds effectively, adults regularly listen to children read, and gaps are identified quickly so pupils who are at risk of falling behind catch up fast. This kind of responsive practice is exactly what many parents hope for in Reception and Key Stage 1, where delays can compound if not handled early.

The report also gives a clear improvement priority. In some subjects, including science and geography, the small steps of knowledge pupils need are not always identified precisely enough, and checking of what pupils remember is not consistently sharp. For parents, the implication is practical, the core foundations appear well handled, but curriculum refinement beyond early reading remains a live development area.

Parents comparing local schools can use the FindMySchool local hub and Comparison Tool to view available official data side-by-side, particularly useful when some schools publish more performance information than others.

The school describes a curriculum built around topic-based themes, designed to be relevant and engaging, with deliberate cross-curricular links so pupils can build vocabulary and understanding across subjects rather than learning in isolated compartments. It is a style that often suits infant pupils, where curiosity and language development are still emerging and benefit from repetition across contexts.

Early Years and Key Stage 1 practice places strong emphasis on communication. The Ofsted report describes pupils learning the language they need to talk about what they are studying, and highlights the use of pictograms and signs in Reception to help children communicate and understand routines. That is particularly supportive for pupils who need clearer scaffolding, but it can also benefit the whole class by making routines explicit and reducing low-level anxiety.

The school also uses the THRIVE approach, described as a whole-school framework to support mental health and wellbeing and to target additional help where needed. For parents, that signals a structured, named approach rather than purely ad hoc pastoral responses.

The key transition point is the move from Year 2 into Year 3. Families should plan ahead for this, because infant-to-junior transfer is a separate admissions process, and there is no automatic continuation into a junior school place simply because a child attended an infant school.

A common local pathway is into Ravenscote Junior School. Surrey’s published information for the area shows that Ravenscote Junior School includes an oversubscription criterion prioritising children attending Heather Ridge Infant School (and Prior Heath Infant School), provided they remain at the infant school for the whole of Year 2.

In practice, this means two things for parents. First, it is worth understanding junior school criteria well before Year 2, because timing and eligibility can matter. Second, even where a junior school prioritises linked infant pupils, families still need to apply through the local authority process and should not assume a place is guaranteed.

Admissions are coordinated by Surrey County Council rather than directly by the school, and demand looks healthy. In the latest available Reception entry-route data, 148 applications were recorded for 56 offers, and the school is marked oversubscribed. For families, that translates into meaningful competition for places, so relying on a late application is risky. (The school’s distance data for the last offer is not provided for this year, so families should avoid making assumptions about how far offers typically stretch.)

Surrey’s published timeline for starting school in September 2026 is clear. Applications open on 3 November 2025, the closing date is 15 January 2026, and families can expect to receive outcomes on 16 April 2026.

The school’s own admissions page adds an important, practical detail, parent tours are typically held between September and January, led by the head teacher, and aimed at families with children starting Reception the following September. Treat this as a seasonal pattern rather than a single fixed calendar, and check the school’s current diary for the exact dates each year.

Parents should also use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise home-to-school distance alongside the admissions rules used by the local authority, especially in years where demand spikes.

Pastoral support at infant stage is less about formal systems and more about predictable routines and fast adult intervention when a child is struggling. Evidence points to consistent expectations, supportive relationships, and a clear sense that staff know pupils well and respond quickly when there are concerns.

Safeguarding is a clear strength, with effective arrangements described in the most recent inspection report. That matters not only for safety itself, but also because good safeguarding practice usually correlates with calm routines, clear reporting lines, and staff training that supports day-to-day vigilance.

For children with additional needs, the Ofsted report describes strong progress for pupils with SEND, supported through staff knowledge of individual pupils and appropriate training, with strategies such as visual supports benefiting wider classroom practice too.

For an infant school, extracurricular breadth is often more limited than at junior level, so specificity matters. Here, the club offer is unusually concrete and varied across the week, with named options including Computing Club, Puzzle Club, Gymnastics, Craft and Construction, Drawing Club, Judo, and a music-in-a-band programme (Rock Steady). Several of the school-run clubs are framed as open to all pupils, which matters for inclusion, not just for the confident joiners.

Beyond clubs, the inspection report highlights trips as part of enrichment, and also points to structured pupil responsibility roles that sit alongside the club programme. For parents weighing whether the school feels purely classroom-led, these details indicate a conscious effort to widen experience at a young age, without turning after-school time into a pressured timetable.

Wraparound childcare is provided on site through Caterpillars, with both breakfast and after-school provision located at the school. Families who need care beyond the core day should still confirm session times, availability, and booking arrangements directly, as wraparound capacity can change term to term.

A further development is the nursery offer now open from January 2026. The school describes this as term-time only and currently focused on children eligible for funded early education and childcare, with places for 2, 3, and 4-year-olds. This is a meaningful change for local families who want an earlier start within the same setting, but availability appears constrained.

The school day is clearly set out. Gates open at 8:30, the morning session runs 8:50 to 12:00, and the afternoon session runs 1:05 to 3:00.

Wraparound care is available on site via Caterpillars (breakfast and after-school provision). Transport guidance is not set out as a dedicated plan on the school site, so families should factor in their own travel time and parking expectations, and consider active travel options where practical.

• Competition for places. The school is oversubscribed, with 148 applications recorded for 56 offers in the latest available Reception entry-route data. If this is a priority option, families should meet the published deadlines and keep a realistic backup plan.

• Infant-to-junior transition requires planning. Moving to Year 3 is a separate admissions decision. Ravenscote Junior School’s published criteria prioritise children attending Heather Ridge in Year 2, but families still need to apply through the local authority process and outcomes vary by year.

• Curriculum consistency beyond the core. Early reading is a clear strength, but curriculum precision and checking of what pupils remember is identified as a development area in some subjects. Parents who care deeply about breadth alongside literacy and numeracy should ask how this work is progressing.

• Nursery availability and eligibility. The nursery opened in January 2026 and is described as reliant on funded early education eligibility, with limited spaces. It is promising for continuity, but not a guaranteed route for every family.

Heather Ridge Infant School looks like a well-run, values-led option for families who want a calm start to schooling, with strong early reading practice, clear routines, and a thoughtful approach to pupils’ confidence and responsibility. The 2023 Good judgement provides reassurance across the core areas that matter at infant stage, and the club programme adds breadth that is not always present in smaller infant settings.

Best suited to families in and around Heatherside who want a structured, supportive infant school experience and are prepared to engage early with admissions and the Year 2 to Year 3 transition planning.