All Saints CofE Aided Infant School Review 2026: Small Church of England infant school with strong demand in Tilford

As an infant school (Reception to Year 2), there are no Key Stage 2 outcomes to use as the main academic yardstick, and for this school does not include comparable primary performance metrics. The more meaningful signals here are the school’s inspection outcomes and the specific published early reading indicators.

Phonics is the most concrete published measure. The school reports that 93% of pupils met the phonics screening standard in 2023, and 100% did so in 2024, alongside a claim that this places the school in the top 3% of primary schools. Parents should treat the 100% figure as the key headline and, if benchmarking matters, ask how the comparison statement was calculated and which cohort definition was used.

Ofsted’s latest judgement remains Good (inspection date 21 September 2021, report published 15 November 2021), with Good grades across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

The curriculum is presented as broad and structured for an infant phase, with subject pages spanning English, mathematics, science, humanities, and Religious Education, plus a clear emphasis on communication and literacy as foundational skills.

Religious Education is described in inclusive terms, rooted in Christian morals and principles while also introducing pupils to a range of world faiths. For families, the implication is that the faith character is tangible but not narrowly framed as a single-faith silo, which often matters in mixed-belief households.

A distinctive element is Forest School. The school positions this as learning through largely unstructured, hands-on experiences, guided by a Forest School leader, with supervised risk-taking and an emphasis on collaboration and initiative. For younger pupils, that can be a strong fit where confidence-building, language development, and self-regulation are priorities.

As an infant school, the key transition is into junior provision at age 7. The school states it is a named feeder school for both Waverley Abbey C of E Junior School and South Farnham Junior School, which is useful for families thinking about the next step early.

Families should still check current junior admissions arrangements and how feeder priority operates in practice, since feeder status can vary in weight depending on the junior school’s published oversubscription criteria.

Reception entry is coordinated through Surrey County Council. For September 2026 entry, the school states that applications for children born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 can be made from 30 October 2025 to 15 January 2026, with outcomes communicated on 16 April (the standard primary offer day timing).

The school also notes that, for admission under specific criteria (listed as criteria 5 or 6 in the school’s admissions arrangements), families should complete a Supplementary Information Form and submit it with the local authority application or return it to the school at the time of application.

Provided, Reception demand is high: 113 applications for 29 offers, with “Oversubscribed” status and a 3.9 applications-per-place ratio. The practical implication is that families should treat admissions as competitive, plan visits early, and make sure supplementary paperwork is complete if applying under faith-related or other defined criteria.

Parents can use the FindMySchool Map Search to sanity-check travel practicality and day-to-day logistics when comparing nearby infant options, especially when wraparound care and club timings matter.

Safeguarding practice is described as structured, with senior figures and governors undertaking safer recruitment training, and clear expectations around checks for staff, governors, and volunteers.

For younger pupils, operational clarity matters as much as policy. The school publishes precise site access routines and start-of-day procedures, including gate opening and registration timings, which tends to reduce anxiety for children and make handover consistent for parents.

The extracurricular offer is unusually specific for an infant setting, with named clubs and clear scheduling. Examples include Cookie Club (cooking), Artventurers (art), Boogie Pumps (dance), and Friday Football, plus optional music tuition such as piano lessons delivered through Surrey Arts. The implication is that enrichment is available but, in many cases, delivered by external providers and structured as paid add-ons.

Forest School is the other major “beyond the classroom” pillar, and it is positioned as more than a novelty. By encouraging initiative and supervised risk-taking, it can support resilience and collaboration in a way that complements the school’s Perseverance value in a practical, age-appropriate format.

The school day starts at 8:40am, with gates opening at 8:30am, and ends at 3:10pm. The school also publishes gate access windows for morning and afternoon movement around the site.

Wraparound care is in place via an Ofsted-registered provider (Hen House). Breakfast club runs 7:40am to 8:40am, with after-school sessions available up to 6:00pm, which is valuable for working families in and around Tilford and Farnham.

• High competition for places. With 3.9 applications per place the limiting factor for many families is admission rather than day-to-day experience once enrolled.

• Infant-only span. The school finishes at Year 2, so families should plan for the junior transition from the outset, including how feeder links align with your preferred junior destination.

• Extras are meaningful, and often paid. Clubs and some enrichment are run by external agencies with published charges, so families should budget for optional activities if they want to use them regularly.

• Faith character is real. The Church of England identity is not minimal; it shapes values language and school narrative, which will suit some families strongly and feel less aligned for others.

A small, oversubscribed village infant school with a clearly articulated Church of England character and a practical, well-signposted approach to daily routines. The combination of Good Ofsted grades, published phonics outcomes, Forest School, and unusually detailed wraparound and club structures gives it a coherent offer for early primary years. Best suited to families who want a values-led Reception to Year 2 education in a compact setting, and who are prepared to plan carefully around competitive admissions and the Year 2 to junior transition.