Chigwell Row Infant School Review 2026: Small, village-scale infant school with forest-linked learning

As an infant school (ages 5 to 7), the headline exam and ranking data parents may expect from junior or primary schools is often limited or not directly comparable across England. no Key Stage 2 performance measures are available, which is typical for an infant-only setting.

What can be assessed with confidence is the school’s current quality judgement and the direction of travel. The latest graded inspection (7 and 8 November 2023) rated the school Good across all key areas, following a previous Inadequate judgement.

Early reading is treated as a priority rather than a bolt-on. The most recent inspection describes phonics as well established, with adults trained to teach it consistently and pupils matched to books that fit their developing decoding skills. Targeted interventions are used for the small number who need extra help, with the intent of building fluency and confidence together, not one without the other.

Beyond reading, the curriculum intent presented by the school focuses on helping children become caring, respectful, and successful learners, which suits an infant context where self-regulation and language development underpin almost everything else.

SEND support is also positioned as inclusive rather than separate. The inspection describes pupils with SEND receiving the right help in and out of class, with teaching adapted so pupils can learn alongside peers as far as possible.

The main transition point is into junior provision after Year 2. In Essex, this usually means applying for a Year 3 place in the normal admissions round, with the same national closing date and offer day used for Reception applications.

Because feeder patterns vary locally, families should treat Year 2 as the moment to get organised, understand the junior options available, and check whether a partner or co-located junior school exists for their address, rather than assuming progression is automatic.

Admissions sit within the Essex coordinated process, even though the school also notes that it welcomes applications from neighbouring local authorities and that families should apply via their home authority if they live outside Essex.

For September 2026 Reception entry, Essex set the on-time application deadline at 15 January 2026, and offers are issued on 16 April 2026. Late applications are processed after on-time ones, which reduces the likelihood of securing a preferred school.

Oversubscription criteria matter more than marketing at a small school. The school sets out a standard sequence starting with looked-after children, then siblings, then priority area related criteria, with distance used as the tie-break when needed.

For families shortlisting, FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful here because small changes in address can matter when distance becomes the deciding factor, even when the school’s overall numbers are small.

Behaviour is described as calm and well routinised, with pupils moving around school sensibly and lessons typically proceeding smoothly because expectations are consistent from the early years upward.

The inspection also flags attendance and punctuality as an area to keep strengthening for a small minority of pupils, so parents who are comparing schools may want to ask what practical steps are taken when patterns of lateness emerge.

Safeguarding is reported as effective, which is a baseline requirement but still an important reassurance given the school’s earlier period of turbulence.

The “small but mighty” pitch only works if the week has texture beyond core lessons, and here it does. Milkshake Mondays and Forest Fridays are not generic enrichment, they are named routines that children recognise, which helps younger pupils build confidence and a sense of belonging.

Pupil responsibility is also introduced early, in age-appropriate forms. The inspection describes pupils acting as librarians and playtime buddies, plus a school council that introduces democratic processes and supports events like a charity coffee morning.

Wraparound care is available but deliberately limited, which will suit some working patterns better than others. Breakfast club runs 8:00am to 8:30am Monday to Friday, and after-school club currently runs Tuesday to Thursday until 5:00pm, capped at 8 pupils per session.

The school day is clearly structured: gates open 8:30am, registration at 8:45am, and the school day ends at 3:15pm.

For visits ahead of Reception entry, the school invites families to book a personal tour rather than relying on fixed open day dates, so parents should plan on arranging an individual slot, particularly in the autumn term.

Transport-wise, this is a village-context school where many families will be driving or walking locally. The practical question to ask is parking and drop-off flow, because small sites can feel tight at peak times even when pupil numbers are low.

• Wraparound care capacity. After-school club is limited to 8 pupils per session and does not run every weekday. Families with full-week childcare needs should sanity-check availability early.

• Recent improvement journey. The school’s current Good judgement follows a previous Inadequate rating, with rapid change through 2022 and 2023. Parents may want to ask what has been embedded and how consistency is maintained.

• Attendance expectations. The inspection notes that a small group of pupils still miss too much school time or arrive late, so strong home routines matter.

• Infant-to-junior transfer. Infant schools create a second admissions moment at Year 3, which means planning ahead rather than assuming a seamless path to age 11.

Chigwell Row Infant School suits families who want a genuinely small-scale start to education, with strong emphasis on early reading, clear routines, and a distinctive nature-linked weekly rhythm through Forest Fridays.

It is best suited to parents who value close staff knowledge of each child and who can work with the school’s limited wraparound capacity. The main question for most families is practical fit: childcare patterns now, and planning for the Year 3 transfer later.