Crofton Hammond Infant School Review 2026, a small infant school with strong early years practice

The curriculum is presented as hands-on and practical, aiming to develop independence, resilience, and confidence through real activities, building, investigating, and problem-solving. In infant terms, the implication is that learning is likely to be anchored in concrete experiences before pupils are asked to record heavily in books. That suits many children at this age, particularly those still developing fine motor control and attention.

The website structure gives a useful clue about priorities. English is broken down into reading, phonics, writing, and handwriting, with named approaches such as Kinetic Handwriting. For parents, this often translates into more consistent letter formation teaching and clearer progression from mark-making to sentence writing.

There is also explicit curriculum space for personal development and wellbeing, with pages devoted to emotions and mental health, a safeguarding curriculum (Hammond Heart), and Philosophy for Children. That mix suggests the school is trying to teach language for feelings and thinking, not just content knowledge. The practical benefit is that pupils can become more confident explaining worries, disagreements, or friendship issues, which can reduce low-level behaviour incidents in infant settings.

At the end of Year 2, pupils move on to junior provision for Years 3 to 6. In this area, that commonly means a transfer within the Crofton cluster, particularly the junior school on the shared site. The Hampshire admissions timeline treats infant to junior transfer as a formal process with the same key dates as Reception entry for the September 2026 round.

Looking further ahead, many children from Stubbington and Hill Head progress to local secondary provision in Fareham or nearby Gosport and Lee-on-the-Solent. The right question at infant stage is not which secondary is “best”, but whether the junior transition is calm and well planned, because that is the immediate step that shapes confidence and friendships at age seven.

Reception entry is coordinated by Hampshire County Council. For September 2026 entry, the published county dates are: applications open 1 November 2025, the deadline is 15 January 2026, and national offer day is 16 April 2026. The school repeats the same dates on its own admissions page, which is helpful for parents who want one source of truth.

Demand data indicates this is an oversubscribed school, with 98 applications for 45 offers in the most recent admissions snapshot provided. That is 2.18 applications per place. In practice, it means families should treat distance and criteria carefully and use all available preferences when applying.

For visiting before you apply, the school advertises open days and tours, including an Open Evening for September 2026 applicants on Thursday 23 October (5.30pm to 7pm), plus daytime visits and Stay and Play sessions.

If you are trying to sense-check viability, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check your home-to-school distance precisely, then review the local authority’s published admissions criteria for community infant schools to understand how ties are broken.

Safeguarding leadership is clearly signposted, with named designated safeguarding leads on the school website, which is a good marker of clarity for parents. Pastoral support also includes an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA), referenced directly in the service families programme as the person running weekly Musketeers meetings.

For families new to the area, the combination of structured service-family support, a named family liaison role, and visible safeguarding leadership tends to make communication easier. It gives parents clearer routes for raising concerns early, which matters at infant age when changes in behaviour can show up quickly at home.

In an infant school, enrichment works best when it is tightly linked to confidence and communication rather than sheer quantity. The outdoor strand is the most distinctive example here, with Reception pupils accessing Forest School sessions weekly and a dedicated area used for learner-led exploration. The implication is that children who learn best through movement and practical play get a legitimate space to succeed, not just those who sit still and write neatly.

The calendar also shows a steady rhythm of community and enrichment events, including World Book Day, trips, and sports fixtures such as a Year 2 hockey tournament. For many pupils, these punctuate the year and create shared reference points, which is particularly helpful for children who find transitions and change difficult.

Service-family events function as an extracurricular layer too, with regular coffee mornings, family parties, and a weekly club. For pupils living with deployment cycles, that predictable social structure can support friendships and reduce anxiety.

The school’s Attendance Policy states the school day begins at 8.50am, with classroom doors closing at 9.00am. Wraparound care is provided on site through The Woodlands, breakfast club runs 7.30am to 8.40am and after school club runs 3.20pm to 6.00pm (fees apply).

For term structure, the school directs families to the Hampshire term and holiday pattern and also publishes its inset days for 2025 to 2026.

The setting is in Stubbington, with road access that works well for walking and short drop-offs from surrounding residential streets. Parents who drive will want to check peak-time congestion and parking expectations during a tour, as infant drop-off patterns vary significantly by local road layout.

• Competition for places. Demand is higher than supply, with 98 applications for 45 offers in the latest snapshot. Families should plan on using all preferences and understanding the oversubscription criteria.

• Infant to junior transfer still matters. Moving on after Year 2 is normal here. Parents should read the junior transfer timetable early, as it follows the same main-round admissions dates for September 2026.

• Wraparound costs add up. The Woodlands provision is a strength, but regular use at £6.50 (breakfast) and £13.00 (after school) per session can become a meaningful annual cost for some households.

• Strong service-family identity. The Musketeers programme is a clear plus for military families, but it also means a higher proportion of pupils may experience moves and deployment-related change. Some children find that easy, others need time to settle.

This is a small infant school with a clear identity, strong early years practice, and leadership judged Outstanding at the most recent inspection. Daily life seems built around routines, early reading foundations, and practical experiences such as Forest School, with additional depth in wellbeing and service-family support.

Best suited to families who want a focused Reception to Year 2 education with reliable wraparound care and a school culture that takes pastoral support seriously. The limiting factor is usually admission, so families should treat the local authority process and timelines as the critical path.