Colden Common Primary School Review 2026: Strong KS2 outcomes, inclusive culture, and an unusually well-defined pastoral toolkit

A primary that pairs solid academic performance with a clear, practical approach to inclusion. In 2024, 80% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, above the England average of 62%, and 34% reached the higher standard compared with 8% in England. This performance places the school above England average overall, sitting comfortably within the top 25% of primary schools in England (FindMySchool ranking banding based on official data).

Families also get unusually specific visibility into the school’s day-to-day rhythms. Class names by year group are fixed and published, the compulsory day runs 08:45 to 15:15 (32.5 hours weekly), and enrichment is organised with the same clarity, from a daily mile routine through to structured clubs and leadership roles for pupils.

For many parents, the key question is entry. Recent admissions data shows 95 applications for 44 offers for the main Reception intake route, signalling genuine demand. For families shortlisting local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools are useful for viewing performance side by side, then sanity-checking fit through visits and policy detail.

Warmth here is not positioned as a marketing idea, it is described as an everyday norm. The most recent inspection narrative talks about enthusiastic starts to the day, friendly peer interactions, and pupils feeling safe and listened to by adults. Expectations around conduct are explicit, with a strong emphasis on respect and kindness, plus a culture where pupils report bullying is not something they worry about.

A distinctive feature is how the school frames belonging and emotional regulation as teachable, supportable skills. The inclusion team model is visible rather than hidden. Roles are named and the support menu is defined: an Inclusion Lead, a SENCo, an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA), a Therapeutic Active Listening Assistant (TALA), a Forest School Leader, a Family Support Worker, a Lego Therapy Leader, plus a trained dog mentor. For parents of children who can wobble emotionally or socially, that clarity matters because it signals planned capacity rather than ad hoc goodwill.

The school dog mentor, Gus, is not a novelty add-on. The school explains the role in terms of supporting children to feel calmer and more purposeful at the start of the day, and in wellbeing moments more generally. That can particularly suit pupils who benefit from structured co-regulation, including some pupils with additional needs.

A final piece of identity is the language pupils grow up with. The learning values are published as a working set of behaviours, not just posters. Parents can expect these to appear in how classrooms are run and how children are coached through conflict, teamwork and independence.

The headline figure for families is the combined expected standard at the end of Key Stage 2. In 2024, 80% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 62%. The higher standard figure is also striking: 34% reached the higher standard across reading, writing and maths, compared with 8% in England.

Under the hood, the scaled scores are consistently strong. Reading and grammar, punctuation and spelling both sit at 108 on average, with maths at 106. Expected standard subject pass rates are 83% in reading, 80% in maths, and 87% in grammar, punctuation and spelling. These numbers are not “one spike”, they form a coherent picture of secure attainment across the core.

In the FindMySchool primary outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 2,817th in England and 4th in Eastleigh. That level places it above England average, within the top quarter of primary schools nationally.

Parents should read this in two ways. First, pupils tend to leave Year 6 with secure core foundations, which shapes secondary readiness. Second, the higher standard rate suggests there is academic stretch available for children who are ready to move faster, especially in the combined measure.

Curriculum intent is stated clearly: a broad, engaging programme that builds curiosity, resilience and communication, using outdoor learning and technology as routine tools rather than occasional treats. Oracy is explicitly emphasised alongside reading, which typically translates into teachers pushing full-sentence answers, vocabulary development, and structured discussion as children move through Key Stage 2.

Early years is framed as ambitious from the start, with learning environments organised around purposeful play and structured teaching. Published tour materials and the early years prospectus for September 2026 starters highlight defined classroom and outdoor areas that support varied modes of learning, including creative role play, construction, and reading spaces.

Reading sits near the top of priorities. In Reception, phonics is described as being taught precisely, with a strong early push towards fluency. The school also notes investment in book stock to support regular practice and a wider reading diet.

Two important nuances for parents:

• Consistency in phonics delivery across Key Stage 1 matters because it is where automaticity is built. This is an area the school has identified as needing tight alignment through training refresh and quality assurance.

• A second curriculum strand is modern citizenship, equality and respect for difference. The school positions this as something to be woven through subjects and school life, with further depth still being developed.

As a Hampshire primary, the main transition is into Year 7 through the county’s coordinated admissions process. A useful contextual detail is that Hampshire lists a linked secondary school, Kings’ School, and notes that attendance at a linked school may assist with priority admission there. This does not guarantee a place, but it can be relevant for families considering longer-term planning from Reception onwards.

For many families, the practical step is to look at a small set of plausible secondaries, then work backwards: transport, friendship continuity, and the child’s temperament. If you are comparing multiple primary routes with the same likely secondaries, using FindMySchool’s Saved Schools shortlist tools can help keep the detail organised.

Entry is coordinated through Hampshire County Council for Reception places. For September 2026 entry, the main round opened on 1 November 2025, with the application deadline on 15 January 2026, and national offer day on 16 April 2026.

The school also published Reception tour dates for the September 2026 intake. Those tours ran across November and early January, which gives parents a reliable clue about the annual pattern even when specific dates move year to year.

Demand is not theoretical. Recent intake-route data shows 95 applications for 44 offers. That does not automatically mean every year is identical, but it does indicate that families should treat choice ranking strategically, use all preferences, and read criteria carefully.

One more practical note: the school explicitly encourages families of children with disabilities to arrange a visit and discussion, which is a sensible step whenever individual access needs may affect day-to-day experience.

Pastoral work here looks intentionally layered. There is universal culture work, such as the learning values and consistent expectations, plus targeted interventions for pupils who need a stronger scaffold.

ELSA support is described as structured, target-based work that helps pupils understand emotions and develop coping strategies, sometimes 1:1 and sometimes in small groups. TALA is framed differently, as a 1:1 listening and play-based space without fixed targets, designed for children experiencing emotional difficulty who may benefit from being heard and supported towards their own resolutions.

Forest School also sits inside the inclusion toolkit rather than being treated only as enrichment. The school describes sessions in a conservation area with risk-assessed activities such as fire lighting, den building, tree climbing, and whittling led by a qualified Forest School leader. For some pupils, that combination of movement, managed risk and practical collaboration is a powerful route into confidence and self-regulation.

Ofsted reported that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with a vigilant culture, frequent training updates, and careful record-keeping that supports timely involvement of external agencies when needed.

Enrichment is unusually concrete on paper. Clubs are not presented as a vague promise, they are published with times, year groups and locations, which helps parents judge feasibility against work schedules and siblings.

A few examples that make this offer distinctive:

• Minetest (Minecraft Clone) and Programming Club point to a practical computing strand that goes beyond basic ICT, and links well with the pupil leadership role of cyber ambassadors referenced in the inspection narrative.

• Archery appears as a defined club option for older year groups, which is uncommon in many primaries and can suit children who enjoy precision, focus and clear routines.

• Choir is scheduled for Key Stage 2, creating a structured musical community, plus there is a musical theatre club listed for Years 3 to 6, which typically supports confidence, memory, and collaborative performance skills.

• Gardening Club is anchored to an allotment and uses the outdoor classroom as a meeting point, aligning with the school’s broader emphasis on outdoor learning.

Beyond clubs, the school day structure includes a published expectation that pupils complete the daily mile each day, and the school references trips, residential opportunities, and pupil leadership roles such as school councillors and house captains.

The compulsory school day runs from 08:45 to 15:15, and the published timetable breaks down slightly differently by phase. The overall weekly compulsory time is 32.5 hours.

Wraparound care is partly visible through the club structure. After-school clubs commonly run straight after 15:15, and the school also lists a Late Club running until 17:00 on multiple weekdays, with published charges on the club schedule. Breakfast provision is not set out clearly in the same published way, so families needing before-school childcare should check directly with the school and local providers for the most up-to-date options.

For transport, this is a village-edge school in Brambridge, so walking and short car journeys are likely the norm for many families. If you are relying on proximity for admissions planning, checking practical travel time at drop-off and pick-up matters as much as distance on a map.

• Reception entry is competitive. Recent data shows 95 applications for 44 offers, so families should treat admissions as a process to manage, not a formality. Use all preferences, and make sure your order reflects genuine priorities.

• Phonics consistency in Key Stage 1 is an improvement area. The school has identified variability in delivery and is addressing staff expertise and training, but parents of children who need very consistent early reading instruction may want to ask directly how this is now quality-assured.

• Citizenship, equality and diversity education is still being deepened. The direction is clear, but the school has stated that depth of respectful understanding about difference is an area to develop further. Families for whom this is a priority should ask what this looks like in lessons and wider school life now.

• Wraparound coverage may not match every work pattern. After-school options are clearly listed, including a late club to 17:00, but before-school childcare is not described with the same clarity on the published pages.

A high-demand Hampshire primary that combines above-average outcomes with unusually explicit day-to-day structure and a well-defined inclusion offer. Academic results suggest pupils leave Year 6 with strong core foundations, while pastoral systems such as ELSA, TALA, Forest School and the dog mentor programme add depth for children who need emotional or regulatory support alongside learning.

Who it suits: families looking for a mainstream primary with strong attainment, clear routines, and a visible wellbeing toolkit, and who are prepared to engage early with admissions because competition for Reception places is real.