Combs Infant School Review 2026, a small village infant and nursery with an improving quality profile

As an infant school, the public performance picture is different from a junior or primary school. There are no Key Stage 2 outcomes, and small cohort sizes often limit how much can be interpreted from any single year’s figures. What parents can rely on more confidently is the direction of travel described in the most recent inspection evidence, particularly around reading, phonics, language development, and curriculum sequencing.

The April 2025 Ofsted inspection graded all key judgements as Good, including early years provision. The same report confirms that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Those grades sit alongside a very clear narrative about what has improved since 2022: a stronger reading strategy, better early years practice, and more coherent learning sequences where curriculum thinking is at its best.

Reading is positioned as a core driver of achievement, and the detail here matters. Inspection evidence describes buddy reading that includes nursery children, including two-year-olds, and regular adult read-aloud that starts from the moment children join. Phonics begins as soon as children start Reception, with staff trained to teach early reading and to check frequently whether pupils are keeping up, with catch-up support when they are not. That combination of early start, consistent training, and tight assessment is one of the most reliable ways to prevent later reading difficulties.

On the school’s own curriculum information, the phonics approach is built around Read, Write, Inc, with daily sessions that last forty minutes in Year 1 and Year 2, and progression into guided reading and spelling for fluent readers. In practice, that means children who take off quickly are not held back, while those who need more repetition get it in a structured way.

Curriculum development is described as an active process. The 2025 inspection notes that where subjects are most effective, key knowledge is clearly defined and learning sequences are built to support remembering over time, including a routine referred to as stick it and fix it to revisit prior learning. The same report also identifies a limitation: in some subjects there is too much content, which makes teaching less sharply planned and reduces what pupils remember. For parents, the implication is simple, ask which foundation subjects have been streamlined recently, and how leaders check that the important knowledge is the focus rather than a long list of activities.

Early years provision appears to be a strength, with children learning through imaginative play supported by adult questioning and explicit vocabulary building. The school website also sets out how early writing is supported through fine motor activities, including Dough Disco and Swiggle Whilst You Wiggle, which signals a practical understanding of what young children need before handwriting becomes fluent.

Computing is described in unusually concrete terms for this age range. Children in nursery explore cause-and-effect through buttons and remote controls; Reception children use devices such as tablets for purposeful tasks like photographing insects; Key Stage 1 follows a structured scheme aligned to national objectives. Online safety is woven through the year, including a dedicated day in February, with child-friendly resources such as Smartie the Penguin in early years and age-appropriate scenarios in Key Stage 1.

Languages are present too. Spanish is taught using the Kidslingo methodology, which is built around learning through interaction and enjoyment rather than formal written outcomes at this stage. Kidslingo

As an infant school, the main transition point is into Year 3 at a junior or primary school. The school’s published ethos references the importance of making this move as smooth as possible, and maintaining strong links with local schools so that children’s progress can be followed and supported.

For families, the practical step is to look at the local junior and primary options early, not in Year 2. A useful approach is to shortlist likely Year 3 destinations, then ask how transition is handled, for example shared visits, information handover, and any additional support for children who find change difficult.

For Reception entry, admissions are co-ordinated by Derbyshire County Council rather than handled solely by the school. For the 2026 to 2027 academic year, Derbyshire’s published timeline shows applications opening on 10 November 2025 and closing at midnight on 15 January 2026, with offers issued on 16 April 2026. Appeals have a published closing date of 15 May 2026.

Demand data indicates an oversubscribed picture in the latest available snapshot, with 19 applications for 8 offers, 2.38 applications per place applications per place. That sounds dramatic, but with very small cohorts, a handful of families can change the ratio materially from one year to the next. The implication is that families should treat any single-year ratio as a signal of pressure, not a prediction of their own odds.

If your child is eligible for nursery, the school’s own information notes funded places for two and three year olds for September 2026. Nursery places are usually managed directly with the school rather than through the main Reception admissions system, and availability can change quickly in small settings, so it is worth making contact early if nursery is the preferred start point.

If you are comparing local options, FindMySchool’s Map Search can help you check travel time and the practical reality of the run, especially in rural areas where roads and winter conditions can affect routines.

Pastoral practice at infant age is often about routines, relationships, and early language for feelings, rather than formal programmes. Inspection evidence highlights pupils who understand respect and tolerance at an age-appropriate level, and a calm, orderly learning environment with very few incidents of inappropriate behaviour.

The school’s PSHE approach is structured, with weekly teaching from nursery to Year 2 using the Jigsaw programme, with themes that include relationships, health, and managing change. For parents, the main benefit is consistency, children revisit concepts in a spiral, building vocabulary and confidence in talking about emotions and relationships.

One practical point from the 2025 inspection is that behaviour incidents were not consistently recorded when they occurred. That matters because reliable recording supports pattern-spotting and governance oversight. Parents who want reassurance can ask how recording systems have been tightened, and how governors now review behaviour information.

Small schools can be limited by scale, but Combs makes good use of what it has. Forest School is a stated strand of the school’s identity, described as a child-led approach that builds independence and self-esteem through access to the outdoors and practical activities. The 2022 inspection describes Forest School as a highlight of the week for pupils, and also as a context for practical safety teaching such as understanding risks around fire and water.

Clubs are referenced explicitly in inspection evidence, including gardening, crafts, sporting activities, Zumba, and book club. The value of named clubs at infant age is not elite performance, it is confidence. A child who finds the classroom hard can shine in gardening club, while a confident reader might thrive when books become social rather than solitary.

The school also uses community links to give pupils a sense of contribution. The 2025 inspection references pupils creating posters to encourage drivers to slow down through the village. That sort of project is developmentally well judged, it combines safety education, communication, and local citizenship in a way young children can understand.

Trips and visitors also show up in inspection evidence, including a visit to the pantomime, which is often a first shared cultural experience for many children.

Combs Infant School offers on-site wraparound care called Sunbeams and Little Stars, open from 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday. The 2025 inspection confirms there is a before and after school club managed by the school.

Lunch arrangements are described on the staff information pages as being provided by the kitchen at Chapel Primary School. Infant pupils at state schools are eligible for universal infant free school meals in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2, which can reduce costs for families.

• Very small cohorts. With 16 pupils on roll and a capacity of 38 at the time of the latest inspection, peer groups can be small. This suits some children brilliantly, particularly those who like predictable relationships; others may prefer a larger cohort for friendship breadth.

• Curriculum refinement is ongoing. External evidence points to strong practice where key knowledge is clearly defined, but also notes that in some subjects the curriculum remains too broad, affecting what pupils remember. Ask which subjects have been prioritised for tightening this year.

• Governance still developing. The 2025 inspection describes significant improvement in governance since the previous inspection, but not yet consistently effective oversight across all areas. Parents who value strong challenge to leaders should ask how governors now monitor standards and policies.

• Admissions can be pressured. The latest available admissions snapshot shows more than two applications per place for Reception offers. In a small setting, this can change year to year, but it signals that families should not leave applications late.

Combs Infant School offers the kind of tight-knit early education that is difficult to replicate in larger settings, with strengths in early reading, language development, and purposeful outdoor learning. The improvement arc since the 2022 inspection is reflected in the 2025 profile, and the on-site wraparound option is a practical advantage for many families. Best suited to families who want a small village infant and nursery where children are known well, and where early years and phonics are treated as serious foundations rather than box-ticking.