Northfield Infant School Review 2026: Warm, structured early years with strong wraparound

So the most meaningful external benchmark becomes inspection, alongside the school’s published curriculum detail. The latest Ofsted inspection (12 and 13 March 2024) states the school continues to be Good. That “continues to be” phrasing matters, because it signals consistency rather than a one-off spike.

Parents comparing local options should treat this as an early-years school that prioritises foundations. The clearest evidence is in how reading is structured (see Teaching & Learning), and in the amount of attention given to routines, behaviour expectations, and emotional readiness to learn.

If you are using FindMySchool to shortlist, this is a good moment to lean on the Local Hub comparison view and the Comparison Tool for nearby infant and primary options, because headline metrics are often incomplete at infant level and context matters.

The school is unusually specific about early reading, which is often the most important driver of later attainment. Early reading is taught using Little Wandle, described as a Department for Education accredited systematic synthetic phonics programme, with daily phonics and frequent reading sessions, at least three per week, using decodable books.

This approach has three useful implications for parents. First, daily phonics creates routine and rapid reinforcement, which tends to suit children who thrive on repetition and clear progression. Second, decodable books aligned to taught sounds help children experience early success, which can be important for confidence at age 5 and 6. Third, the school describes a consistent structure for reading sessions, including decoding, prosody, and comprehension, which suggests that fluency and meaning are taught together rather than treated as separate phases.

The wider curriculum places noticeable weight on readiness to learn. The personal, social, relationship and health education approach is framed around emotional resilience, self regulation, and self esteem, supported by a published behaviour code and a set of learning behaviour characters used throughout the day. For families, the practical question is whether your child benefits from explicit language around behaviour and habits, many do, particularly those who find transitions challenging.

Outdoor learning is another distinctive strand. The school states it uses extensive open grounds to support learning outdoors, with weekly opportunities that include gardening and forest school activities, supported not only by teaching staff but also by wider site staff and a governor. At infant age, this kind of routine outdoor work can be more than fresh air, it can support fine motor skill development, vocabulary growth, and social cooperation in less formal settings.

For an infant school, the “next step” is not secondary, it is the move into junior provision at Year 3. Historically, almost all pupils were reported as transferring to Driffield Junior School at the end of Year 2. Families should still confirm current transition patterns, because local arrangements can evolve over time, but the basic structure of infant to junior progression remains a typical pathway in areas that operate separate schools for 4 to 7 and 7 to 11.

In practical terms, the most important preparation at this stage is not selective testing or formal exams, it is secure reading, confident number sense, and the ability to learn in a larger setting. The school’s emphasis on structured phonics and emotional readiness aligns well with those transition needs.

Admissions for Reception are handled through the local authority rather than directly through the school. The key dates for September 2026 entry published by East Riding of Yorkshire Council state that applications opened 1 September 2025, with the deadline to apply on 15 January 2026, and National Offer Day on 16 April 2026.

The school’s own admissions guidance reinforces the core message: apply on time, and use your home local authority if you live outside East Riding.

Competition is worth taking seriously. Reception entry attracted 75 applications for 44 offers, with the entry route marked as oversubscribed. That equates to around 1.7 applications per place. For families, the implication is straightforward: if you are moving house or considering a late application, you should assume fewer options and plan early.

Pastoral support at infant level is often about consistency, named adults, and predictable routines, rather than formal interventions. The school publishes a safeguarding team structure with the headteacher as Designated Safeguarding Lead and named deputies. For parents, that transparency is important, it tells you who to speak to, and it signals that safeguarding is treated as a whole-school responsibility rather than an abstract policy.

Wellbeing is also built into curriculum choices. The school describes its PSRHE approach as woven through the day, supported by the Jigsaw PSHE programme and explicit work on relationships and health education themes. In practice, that tends to show up as vocabulary children can use to describe feelings, expectations about respectful behaviour, and routines that make classrooms feel orderly.

Extracurricular life in an infant school should feel optional and playful, not like a second timetable. The school lists a wide set of clubs and activities across lunchtimes and after school, including French Knitting Club, iPad Club, Textiles Club, Story Makers Club, Maypole Dancing, Cookery Club, Dance Club, and Create Club.

Two things stand out in that mix. First, there is a clear bias towards hands-on making, textiles, cooking, and crafts, which supports dexterity, patience, and creativity, often particularly motivating for pupils who are not naturally drawn to paper-based tasks. Second, the presence of iPad Club signals that computing is treated as a practical skill, not just a curriculum label, which can help build confidence with devices and online safety expectations, especially when paired with the school’s explicit online safety work.

Outdoor learning adds another dimension. Weekly gardening and forest school activities, supported by a broader adult team, gives pupils a different kind of challenge, following instructions, caring for living things, and building vocabulary through real experiences.

The school day is clearly defined. Reception class doors open at 8.45am with collection at 3.10pm, while Year 1 and Year 2 run 8.45am to 3.15pm, with a published 32.5 hour week.

Wraparound care is a real strength. Breakfast club typically runs 7.45am to 8.45am, and after-school club runs from 3.15pm to 5.30pm, with booking arrangements explained by the school. (The school publishes cost information via flyers; families should check the latest version for current prices.)

For travel, this is a Driffield school serving local families, so walking and short car journeys are common. If you are assessing daily feasibility, focus on drop-off and pick-up windows, because infant timetables can be less flexible for late arrival than later phases.

• Competition for places. With 75 applications for 44 offers in the most recent Reception cycle shown, demand can outstrip supply. Families moving into the area should plan early and submit applications on time.

• Infant phase only. This is education up to age 7, so families need to be comfortable with a planned transition into junior provision at Year 3. Confirm likely junior pathways early, especially if you are new to the local system.

• Structured approach may feel formal for some. Daily phonics and a clearly sequenced reading programme suit many children, but families who prefer a looser, child-led approach should check whether the teaching style matches their expectations.

• Wraparound runs, but places are limited. Breakfast and after-school provision is available and clearly described, but the school notes booking arrangements and limits, so do not assume availability without confirming.

Northfield Infant School is a grounded, well-organised choice for the early years, with clear routines, a strongly structured reading approach, and practical wraparound that supports working families. The latest inspection judgement of Good reinforces that this is a stable, consistent setting.

It suits families who want predictable routines, strong early reading foundations, and a community-minded infant setting. The key challenge is securing a place in a competitive admissions round, and planning ahead for the move on to junior education.