North Farnborough Infant School Review 2026: A calm, structured start to primary life

The curriculum narrative is built around the school’s CARE principles: Curiosity, Achievement, Resilience, and Excitement. In practice, that translates into lessons framed by “curiosity questions”, sequenced knowledge across subjects, and a deliberate effort to make learning feel connected and meaningful for young children.

Reading is treated as a priority. Phonics teaching is described as largely effective, with books matched to the sounds pupils have learned and quick identification of children who need extra support. The practical implication for parents is that children who wobble early on are more likely to be spotted quickly, rather than quietly falling behind.

Mathematics comes through as a relative strength, supported by clear explanations and teachers using prior knowledge to build new learning. For Reception children, the early years environment is described as well resourced for number recognition and ordering, which is often a key marker of readiness for the Year 1 curriculum.

As an infant school, the main transition is into Year 3 at junior school. Hampshire County Council lists linked junior schools as South Farnborough Junior School and St Peter’s Church of England Aided Junior School, and attendance at a linked school can support priority admission.

For families planning ahead, it is sensible to treat Year 2 as both a consolidation year and a bridge. The combination of reading confidence, steady handwriting, and number fluency tends to matter most when children step up into a larger junior setting.

Reception entry is coordinated by Hampshire County Council. For September 2026 starters, applications open on 1 November 2025 and close on 15 January 2026, with offers issued on 16 April 2026.

The published admission number for Reception (Year R) for 2026 to 2027 is 60. When oversubscribed, priority starts with children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, then looked after and previously looked after children, then exceptional medical or social need, then children of staff in defined circumstances. After that, catchment and sibling criteria come into play, including siblings at linked junior schools.

Distance can be a deciding factor when criteria are oversubscribed, so families who are counting on proximity should use the FindMySchool Map Search to measure accurately, then sanity-check that against the school’s current oversubscription rules before making housing decisions.

The school also runs parent tours and early “stay and play” style sessions for pre-school children. Where dates shown online are in the past, treat them as a pattern guide, these sessions typically appear in October and November, and the school website is the best place to confirm the current schedule.

Feeling safe is a baseline here, not an aspiration. Pupils are described as understanding bullying and trusting staff to act if something goes wrong, and this is reinforced by clear routines and consistent adult presence at key points in the day.

Ofsted confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff trained and vigilant and referrals made appropriately where needed.

Support for pupils who find emotions harder to manage is referenced directly, and SEND identification is described as purposeful, with staff adapting resources and drawing on external agencies when appropriate. That combination usually suits children who need a little extra scaffolding without feeling singled out.

Clubs are structured to fit infant timetables and attention spans, with a mix of sport, creative, and language options. Current examples include Perfecto Spanish Lunchtime Club, Hotsteppers Dance Club, 360 Sports Education Football Club, The Performers Place Theatre School, Bible Art and Craft Club, and a multi-skills club.

Wider enrichment is grounded in local experiences rather than headline trips. Examples referenced in the inspection include visits linked to habitats in community gardens and a local fire service visit for Reception children, which is the kind of practical context that helps young pupils connect vocabulary to real life.

The “Conker Club” thread runs through the culture too. It shows up both as an after-school care route and as something children look forward to, which suggests it is more than pure childcare and functions as a social extension of the school day.

The school day is tightly defined: classrooms open at 08:45, registration runs 08:56 to 09:00, and the day ends at 15:15. Gates close at 08:55.

Travel and parking require planning. The school explicitly asks parents not to use the staff car park for drop-off, and it notes that the car park is for staff and visitors only, so walking or parking further away is often the smoother option.

Wraparound care exists, but details vary by element. Breakfast Club runs from 07:45 to 08:30 and is priced at £5.00 per school day. After-school Conker Club offers care until 18:00 each school day.

• Competition for Reception places. With just over two applications per place in the latest admissions figures, families should plan early and keep realistic alternatives in view.

• Early reading consistency. Phonics is described as largely effective, but improving consistency in delivery is an identified priority; if reading is a particular concern for your child, ask specifically how phonics support works in practice.

• Parking constraints. The school asks parents not to use the staff and visitor car park, so drop-off can feel stressful if you rely on driving.

• Wraparound is split across different offers. Breakfast provision is school-run; after-school care is delivered via Conker Club, which can be helpful for working families but is worth understanding early (availability, booking approach, expectations).

This is a well-organised infant school with clear routines, an inclusive ethos, and a curriculum story that prioritises early reading and confident foundations in number. It suits families who value predictable structure, a calm approach to behaviour, and a steady bridge into junior school. Securing admission is the main constraint, so planning matters as much as preference.