Ranvilles Infant School Review 2026: Tree Values, project-led learning, and unusually strong family support

Because this is an infant school, parents should not expect the same national end-of-key-stage data that you might see for a junior or primary school. The more meaningful question becomes: are the fundamentals of early learning strong, and is progress tracked carefully from the start?

External evidence points to a strong early learning picture, especially in early reading. Phonics is described as a priority from the moment children start, with staff trained to teach it consistently, and books carefully matched to pupils so practice aligns with taught sounds. The implication for families is straightforward: if your child is at the stage where confidence in decoding is the key unlock for everything else, the school’s emphasis on systematic early reading is likely to suit.

The inspection narrative also paints a picture of high engagement and purposeful learning. Younger pupils are described as enthusiastic, secure, and used to meeting high expectations, with calm behaviour supporting learning time across the day. That is not a “results” metric in the league-table sense, but for ages 4 to 7 it is one of the most predictive indicators of good academic habits later on.

If you are comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can still be useful, but the most relevant comparisons for this setting tend to be about curriculum approach, pastoral systems, and how well the school supports transition into junior education.

Teaching here is best understood as a project-led model supported by explicit knowledge-building. The inspection describes an innovative and inclusive curriculum, designed with precise knowledge, skills and vocabulary mapped across subjects, and supported by “retrieval” activities to check what pupils remember and can apply. The practical implication is that pupils are not just doing themed activities; they are repeatedly revisiting knowledge and using it in different contexts, which is how understanding sticks at this age.

A distinct feature is the school’s Independent Project Learning (IPL). IPL is positioned as an essential element of the curriculum, giving pupils structured opportunities to consolidate, extend, and apply what they have learned through mini-projects and self-evaluation. In Year 1 and Year 2 it progresses from verbal planning and review, to recorded planning and longer tasks, with a clear emphasis on independence and resilience. For a parent, the “so what” is that learning is designed to move beyond teacher-led inputs; children are taught to plan, make, review, and improve work, which can be powerful preparation for the bigger jump into Key Stage 2 later.

Early Years practice is described with helpful specificity. The Year R information sets out continuous provision with purposeful areas (small world, construction, writing, cutting, role play, water and sand, and outdoor play features like a mud kitchen and climbing frame), plus focused “skills tables” linked to phonics or maths for targeted practice. That blend, child-initiated activity supported by planned enhancements, usually suits children who learn best through doing, talking, and repeating skills in varied play contexts.

The school also uses subject-enrichment moments as a hook for young learners. One example highlighted in the inspection is pupils becoming “scientists” in a dedicated science laboratory, using lab coats and goggles, conducting experiments, and sharing outcomes with families through online videos. For pupils who love practical exploration, that kind of ritualised “now we are scientists” framing can make vocabulary and scientific thinking feel accessible rather than abstract.

The main transition point is into junior education at Year 3, which in Hampshire is treated as an “Infant to Junior Transfer” where families apply through the local authority. Even when an infant and junior school sit on the same site and operate closely, parents should still treat Year 3 as a formal application step, not an automatic progression.

The site relationship is practical as well as pastoral. Wraparound care is designed for children attending both the infant and junior schools, with the setting based in the infant school hall. That creates a continuity of place for families using breakfast or after-school sessions, and can reduce the number of transitions in a child’s week.

For September 2026, Hampshire’s published key dates show the main-round timetable for both Starting School (Year R) and Infant to Junior Transfer (Year 3): applications open 1 November 2025, close 15 January 2026, and on-time offers are issued 16 April 2026.

Admissions are coordinated by Hampshire County Council, not handled as a direct “apply to the school” process. The school’s own admissions page points families straight to the Hampshire admissions route, which is typical for a community infant school.

Demand indicators for the most recent admissions cycle suggest competition for places. There were 100 applications for 58 offers, and the ratio of applications to places is 1.72, meaning there were roughly 1.7 applications per offered place. The proportion of first preferences to first-preference offers is listed as 1.00, which typically indicates that many applicants were naming the school as a genuine first choice rather than a speculative option. (Admissions patterns can shift year to year, so this is best used as a signal of popularity rather than a guarantee of future outcomes.)

For September 2026 entry into Year R, the key dates published by Hampshire are explicit: applications open 1 November 2025, the on-time deadline is 15 January 2026, and offers are released on 16 April 2026.

Pastoral work is unusually well-specified for an infant setting, and it operates at multiple levels rather than as a single “one-off” intervention.

First, there is a clear emotional literacy strand. The school uses Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs), and it has a designated quiet space, Rainbow Island, described as a special place where children receive ELSA support with planned resources used in sessions. For pupils who are anxious, navigating friendship fallouts, or struggling with change at home, the existence of a named system and a defined space often makes support more predictable, which matters with younger children.

Second, family support is integrated. The school offers confidential family support sessions, including signposting to external services where appropriate, and it frames this work as partnership with parents. Topics listed include sleep, routines, mental health and wellbeing, bereavement, and helping children academically at home. That breadth is important: infant-age challenges often show up as behaviour or attendance issues, but the root cause can be sleep, separation, or family stress. A system that is willing to talk about those factors openly tends to help families earlier, before problems escalate.

Third, the armed forces context is not treated as a niche add-on. The school has a dedicated Forces Families section, and it links parents to resources for deployment and separation via the Little Troopers support materials. For service families, the implication is reassurance that staff expect deployments and plan for them rather than reacting after difficulties appear.

To keep explicit inspection attribution to a minimum, it is still worth noting one high-stakes point: inspectors confirmed that bullying concerns are addressed seriously and that pupils say they have no worries about bullying.

At infant age, extracurricular life works best when it is playful, inclusive, and tied to developmental needs rather than competitive outcomes. That is the tone here.

Clubs are varied and concrete. Mindfulness Club is described as teaching strategies to improve wellbeing through activities such as yoga, mindfulness colouring, and guided meditation. That is unusually age-appropriate when done well, because it gives children a language for noticing feelings and calming themselves, which supports learning readiness as much as it supports wellbeing.

Creative provision is also specific. Disney Drawing Club uses step-by-step guides so children can produce a finished outcome, which is a simple but effective model for building fine-motor control and perseverance. Performing Arts Club is designed around building confidence through singing, dancing and acting, with performances linked to whole-school events such as Christmas and summer concerts, and it explicitly includes the experience of performing in costume.

The school also uses community-facing and values-led events to give children a broader view of the world. Red, White and Blue Day is an annual event celebrating different public services, with visitors in school and fundraising for armed forces charities, linked to the school’s service-family community.

Finally, the integrated curriculum approach is reinforced through trips and themed experiences. Recent newsletter items show visits such as Portchester Castle, Sea City Museum, and Marwell Zoo, which fit neatly with a project-led approach where real places and objects make vocabulary and knowledge feel tangible.

This is a state infant school with no tuition fees. Universal infant free school meals apply, and Year R information provided to parents confirms that infant-aged pupils are entitled to a free school dinner each day, with packed lunches also possible.

Wraparound care is a clear practical strength. “Barn Owls” runs in the infant school hall, with breakfast club from 7.30am Monday to Friday and after-school provision Monday to Thursday until 5.25pm.

For travel, the school is in the Ranvilles area of Fareham. Many families will find walking and short car journeys most realistic for an infant run; the nearest rail hub for the area is Fareham railway station.

• Competition for places. Demand indicators point to oversubscription, with 100 applications for 58 offers in the most recent cycle covered. If you are relying on a place here, apply on time and make realistic contingency choices alongside it.

• Year 3 is a second application step. As an infant school, the next transition is into junior education at Year 3, which follows Hampshire’s coordinated transfer timetable. Parents should plan ahead for that second admissions process, even when the infant and junior schools are closely linked.

• Project-led learning needs home engagement. The curriculum model includes Independent Project Learning and project celebrations with home learning tasks structured for child, parent, and joint participation. Families with limited time will want to understand what “good enough” looks like and how the school supports busy households.

• Service-family reality. The school is well set up for armed forces families, but the same context means friendship groups may be used to change, with deployments and postings as part of normal life. Some children take that in stride; others benefit from extra settling support early on.

This is a values-driven infant school where the headline strengths are culture, early learning foundations, and structured support for children and families. The routines around TREE values and Tree Club make expectations feel clear and positive, while the project-led curriculum and IPL framework build independence earlier than many schools manage.

Who it suits: families seeking a calm, highly organised start to schooling, especially those who value explicit pastoral structures (ELSA, Rainbow Island, family support sessions) and enjoy a curriculum that invites home participation. The main hurdle is admission competition, so families considering it should use Saved Schools to manage alternatives and keep a clear shortlist while applications are live.