All Saints Church of England Infant Academy Review 2026: A small-school feel on a big shared site in Hessle

This is an infant school, so the usual headline measures that parents look for at age 11 are not the right fit here, and Key Stage 2 data is not applicable.

In this context, what matters most is the quality of the early curriculum, especially early reading, early mathematics, and language. The April to May 2024 inspection evidence focuses on curriculum ambition, sequencing, and subject leadership clarity from Nursery through Year 2, and also confirms that leaders carry out checks to make sure learning builds over time.

If you are comparing local infant schools, the most useful questions are practical and child-focused:

• How strong is early reading and phonics teaching, and how quickly are children supported when they fall behind

• How well routines and behaviour expectations are embedded across Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2

• Whether personal development is explicit and coherent, rather than occasional themed days

The curriculum intent is framed around recognising each child as an individual and helping them develop resilience, perseverance, and wider thinking skills, with first-hand and independent opportunities built in. This is broad language, but the inspection evidence adds specificity, particularly around leaders’ clarity over what pupils should learn in each year group and how learning is sequenced from Nursery to Year 2.

The 2024 inspection also indicates that subject leadership is active, and that staff development is used to keep curriculum quality consistent. In an infant school, consistency is a big deal. It affects how securely pupils acquire phonics knowledge, number facts, handwriting foundations, and the vocabulary and background knowledge that later supports reading comprehension.

SEND support is another key plank. The same inspection evidence describes leaders responding swiftly to a growing number of pupils with SEND, with careful identification of needs and personalised support, alongside active sourcing of additional advice for staff. This is the sort of operational detail that typically matters to families who need clarity on how support is organised, not just what the policy says.

Because the school is an infant academy, the main transition is into junior provision at age 7. The federation model makes this more straightforward than it is in areas where infants and juniors are separate institutions with different leadership and ways of working. The schools are on the same site and share leadership, which can help children feel they are moving “within” a familiar community rather than starting again.

For families, the key practical question is how Year 2 transition is handled in detail:

• Familiarisation sessions with junior staff

• Alignment of curriculum and expectations, especially for reading and writing

• Pastoral handover and SEND transition planning where relevant

Admissions for Reception are coordinated through East Riding of Yorkshire’s local authority process, rather than applying solely through the school. The local authority’s published key dates state that for children starting Reception at an infant school in September 2026, the application deadline is 15 January 2026, with the portal opening from 1 September 2025.

The school’s published admissions information also states an admission limit of 120 pupils into Reception, and confirms applications must be made to the local authority, with the online application window running from October to January each year.

Demand is worth taking seriously. The latest available admissions results for the Reception entry route shows 119 applications for 89 offers, and an oversubscribed position overall. This is not the kind of oversubscription ratio that guarantees disappointment for most families, but it is enough to make careful planning sensible, particularly if you are outside the closest distance bands or you are relying on late moves.

Parents shortlisting should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check realistic travel time and proximity, then sanity-check it against the local authority’s published admissions rules for the relevant year group.

The strongest pastoral indicator in the available evidence is the deliberate work on emotions and relationships. The 2024 inspection evidence describes daily “check-ins” within class teams, giving pupils structured time to share feelings and practise listening and respect. For an infant school, that is more than a nice extra. It can be the difference between a child who is anxious at drop-off and a child who settles quickly and is ready to learn.

Behaviour expectations are described as clear and understood by pupils. In an early years and Key Stage 1 setting, the best behaviour cultures tend to be the ones that are calm, consistent, and rooted in routines, not high-volume sanctions. The inspection evidence is consistent with that picture.

An infant school’s extracurricular offer should be judged differently from a junior or secondary school. Clubs are useful when they reinforce confidence, social skills, and healthy habits, and when they are realistically accessible for working families.

The school’s published PE and sport information indicates a mix of activities such as dance, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, and team games.

More importantly for “what does this look like in practice”, the school’s sport premium spending evidence for recent years includes references to Fit4Fun provision and targeted clubs, including a Dodgeball after-school club.

For families who value sport and active play, the implication is that structured provision exists beyond standard PE lessons, often with external coaching input. For families who are less sport-focused, the key is to check balance: whether clubs are varied across the year, and whether non-sport options are equally visible.

A practical note from the 2024 inspection evidence is that opportunities for wider roles and responsibilities are currently limited, and that the school has been asked to broaden this, including for pupils with SEND. This is not a deal-breaker, but it is relevant if you value pupil voice, small leadership roles, and structured “jobs” for building confidence.

The infant school day is published as starting at 8.55am, with the day ending at 3.30pm.

Breakfast and after-school provision exists on site through external providers, rather than being run directly as a core school service. Details such as exact hours, booking process, and costs can change year to year, so families should treat wraparound as available but confirm the current arrangements directly before relying on it for work patterns.

For travel, the setting in Hessle makes local walking routes and short car journeys common. For families coming from further afield, the most realistic approach is to map door-to-gate travel time at drop-off and pick-up, then stress-test it against your household routine.

• Competition for places. The latest admissions data shows more applications than offers for the Reception entry route, so families should apply on time and plan realistically, especially if moving into the area close to deadline.

• Infant-only age range. Children will move on at age 7. Many families will see the adjacent junior academy as the natural next step, but you should still understand how transition works and what options you want at Year 3.

• Pupil leadership and roles are developing. External evidence highlights that wider roles and responsibilities are currently limited and are an identified area for improvement, particularly for pupils with SEND.

• Wraparound is provider-led. Breakfast and after-school provision exists via external providers. Confirm details early if wraparound is essential for your family routine.

A Good Church of England infant academy where relationships, routines, and early learning are taken seriously, with a clear and practical pathway into junior provision on the same site. It suits families who want a structured, caring early years and Key Stage 1 experience, and who value a coherent transition at age 7. The main challenge is planning admissions carefully in a town where demand can exceed supply.