Northfields Infants and Nursery School Review 2026: Forest School, strong early reading, and a clear improvement journey

Northfields is an infant and nursery school, so parents should not expect Key Stage 2 SATs outcomes to be the headline measure in the same way they would for an 11-plus primary. What matters more here is how securely children learn to read, how well language develops in Nursery and Reception, and whether Key Stage 1 teaching builds knowledge in a coherent sequence.

Reading is the clear anchor. The reading curriculum has improved, pupils enjoy books, and those who fall behind receive targeted support to catch up. That is the kind of practical, high-impact work that makes a difference in an infant school, because early reading competence tends to unlock confidence across the curriculum.

The development area is consistency across subjects in Key Stage 1. Some subjects are structured well, but others are still developing; the school’s checking of how well pupils learn the planned curriculum is not yet consistent enough, and misconceptions are not always addressed quickly. For parents, the implication is fairly direct. If your child thrives when expectations are explicit and feedback is immediate, you will want to ask leaders how they are tightening day-to-day teaching routines, particularly around writing and how pupils record their learning.

A final point on context. The Published Admission Number for Reception is 30, and the school has recently managed change in intake levels, including a formal reduction from 60 to 30 from September 2025. That matters because staffing and curriculum development can look different when cohort size changes, even when a school’s ambitions remain the same.

Teaching is strongest where curriculum sequencing is most deliberate and staff confidence is highest. In well-structured subjects, staff explain tasks clearly, adapt activities, and pupils complete learning with confidence. That suggests the school is capable of consistent delivery when subject leadership and routines are in place.

Early years is a particular strength. The curriculum is described as well structured across all areas of learning, with a sharp focus on communication and language to prepare children for Key Stage 1. The practical benefit of that emphasis is obvious in infant settings, stronger language supports phonics, writing, and social confidence.

Beyond classroom lessons, the school uses distinctive in-house structures. One example is “Democratic Time”, described as a regular opportunity for Key Stage 1 pupils to choose and commit to an activity over a fixed period with mixed groups. This kind of planned choice is more than a nice extra. The evidence-based implication is that children learn follow-through, social mixing beyond their class, and practical independence, all of which can make transitions into Year 3 smoother.

Where the school still has work to do is the consistency of expectations in some Key Stage 1 subjects and the use of formative assessment to catch misconceptions early. A useful admissions-visit question is how teachers check understanding day-to-day, and what “high expectations” looks like in books and pupil outcomes, particularly for writing.

Because Northfields ends at age 7, the key transition is from Year 2 into Key Stage 2. The school points to strong links with The Grange Academy as a common onward route. For many families, that continuity will be part of the appeal: an infant environment with a defined next step, rather than a single larger primary experience throughout.

For parents, it is still worth clarifying the practicalities. Infant-to-junior transfer rules vary locally, and families should check Hertfordshire’s coordinated admissions guidance for Year 3 entry and any linked-school arrangements that apply. If your child is likely to need additional support at transition, ask how Year 2 staff liaise with the receiving school and what information is shared.

Competition for places exists, even with smaller cohorts. In the most recent admissions data, there were 66 applications for 30 Reception offers, indicating an oversubscribed picture overall. (This is a proprietary FindMySchool ranking and demand results based on official data.)

For Reception entry, admissions are coordinated by Hertfordshire County Council rather than handled solely by the school, and the school’s Published Admission Number is 30. The local authority’s school directory also sets out how places were allocated under the priority rules in recent years, which can help families understand how sibling priority and distance criteria play out in practice.

Nursery admissions are a separate pathway. The school publishes a clear set of Nursery admissions dates for the 2026 intake cycle: applications open in December 2025, the application deadline is 2 March 2026, offers follow in the week commencing 16 March 2026, and the acceptance deadline is 20 April 2026. For Reception, the school lists a typical timeline: admissions open in November 2025, applications close in January 2026, and offers are made in April 2026.

If you are shortlisting seriously, it is worth using FindMySchool’s Map Search tool to check your precise distance to the school compared with recent allocation patterns shown by the local authority. Distance-based allocations can move year to year, and it is better to plan using evidence rather than assumptions.

Pastoral work in an infant setting is often about routines, emotional language, and swift response when children struggle. Northfields foregrounds emotional regulation approaches, including Zones of Regulation and restorative conversations, which are designed to build a shared vocabulary for feelings and actions.

Support for pupils with additional needs is visible in both early years and Key Stage 1. The inspection evidence notes effective, targeted support in some areas, including strategies to improve language and communication in Nursery, and bespoke curriculum planning for pupils with more complex needs. The area to watch is adaptability across all subjects, because some pupils with SEND do not consistently receive tasks that allow independent recording, leading to lost learning time while they wait for support.

Second and final explicit inspection attribution used here

The inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

This is where Northfields becomes more distinctive than many infant schools. Outdoor learning is systematic rather than occasional. Forest School runs across Autumn, Spring and Summer, with Reception pupils having weekly sessions and Year 1 and Year 2 taking part on Monday afternoons, and the school publishes small-group ratios for sessions (1:6 in Reception and 1:8 in Key Stage 1). The practical implication is that children get repeated exposure to managed risk, teamwork, language development, and problem-solving in a setting that tends to suit active learners.

Environmental learning appears as a second strand. The school references Gardening Club, and communications describe links to eco-committee work and Eco-Schools activity, including participation in Green Flag recognition. For a child who likes practical responsibility, that kind of role can feel meaningful, especially when it is tied to school-wide routines rather than a one-off project.

Pupil leadership is taken seriously for this age range. The school council and eco-committee are named opportunities, and the wider curriculum includes work on diversity and difference, including learning about figures from the past who broaden pupils’ view of who can succeed in science and mathematics. For parents, the key question is whether these experiences are tokenistic or embedded. Here, they appear as part of the school’s day-to-day culture and curriculum planning.

The school day is structured around clear session times. Nursery is published as 09:00 to 12:00 for a morning session and 12:00 to 15:00 for an afternoon session; the main school day is published as 08:50 to 15:10 for Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.

Wraparound care matters for working families. The school has an on-site breakfast club, and also has information about an after-school club, although the current published note states after-school club is not running until further notice. Parents should check the latest position directly with the school office before relying on after-school provision.

On meals, all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to a free hot school meal each day, and the school publishes a packed lunch approach, including a nut-free policy. For transport, most families are local, and school-run timings and gate routines are typically the limiting factor rather than long commutes, particularly given the younger age range.

• Improvement work in Key Stage 1. Reading is a clear strength, but teaching and checking learning is not yet consistent across all subjects. This can matter most for pupils who need rapid feedback and very clear steps, particularly in writing and recording tasks.

• SEND independence in the classroom. Some pupils with SEND are supported well, but independence can be limited where adaptations do not allow them to record learning without waiting. If your child has additional needs, ask how staff make tasks accessible while still building independence.

• Wraparound practicalities. Breakfast club is in place, but published information indicates after-school club is currently paused. Families who rely on after-school care should verify what is available for the year they need.

• Small intake dynamics. With a Published Admission Number of 30 and recent changes in cohort size, friendship groups and class organisation may feel tighter than in larger infant schools. For some children that is ideal; for others it can feel limiting.

Northfields offers a purposeful infant start, with early reading, communication, and outdoor learning as the strongest pillars. Forest School, pupil responsibility through council and eco work, and a clear values framework make it feel more structured than a purely play-led setting, while still respecting the needs of very young children.

It suits families who want a small, local school with a strong early years base, and who value outdoor learning as part of the core week rather than a rare treat. The main challenge is confidence in the school’s improvement trajectory, particularly around consistent teaching and assessment across Key Stage 1, so visits should focus on classroom routines, writing expectations, and how leaders track learning beyond reading.