The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
This is the kind of infant school families talk about early, because the intake is competitive and the years are short. Stillness Infant School serves Nursery to Year 2 on a shared site with Stillness Junior School in Forest Hill, with 270 pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, plus nursery places.
Demand is clear in the local data. For the main Reception intake route, 264 applications competed for 82 offers, which is 3.22 applications per place.
The school’s most recent inspection outcome is Good (July 2022), with Personal development judged Outstanding.
Stillness presents itself as a high-expectations infant school that is also deliberately community-facing. The website leans into warmth and ambition rather than glossy branding, and there is a consistent message about helping children enjoy learning while building strong routines early.
Leadership is stable. Mrs Annie Grimes is named as Head Teacher on official records and the school’s own governance and staff pages. On the governing body page, she states she has been headteacher for nine years, and describes a focus on getting children “off to a flying start”, which fits an infant school that wants to build habits quickly, without rushing childhood.
The physical set-up matters here because it shapes daily logistics. Stillness is largely housed in one ground-floor building, with a separate small building used for meetings, breakfast club, parent workshops, and after-school activities. That separation often helps an infant school keep the core learning spaces calmer, while still running wraparound and parent-facing activity without squeezing corridors and classrooms.
As an infant school (Nursery to Year 2), Stillness does not publish the same end-of-primary Key Stage 2 results that parents see for Year 6 schools. The best “results” lens is whether early reading, language, number, and learning behaviours are secured by the end of Year 2, and whether children are well prepared for Year 3 at junior school.
The latest Ofsted report rated the school Good overall (13 July 2022), and it judged Personal development as Outstanding. This combination often indicates a school that is building both core learning and the wider habits, independence, and confidence that matter in early years.
Where the website gives the most concrete “performance” signal is in reading. The school frames reading and phonics as central, and it states an ambition for children to leave as competent, enthusiastic readers who can discuss books and recommend them to peers. For parents, that is useful because it describes the intended end-point, not just the programme used.
Stillness describes its curriculum as ambitious and inclusive, and it explicitly references adapting learning so children with special educational needs and disabilities can build knowledge and independence. That matters in an infant school because early gaps can widen quickly if teaching is not carefully structured.
Subject pages give a bit more texture than generic statements. Science, for example, is supported through vocabulary development and access to themed reading materials, including a School Science Library. That is a practical approach for this age because the barrier is often language as much as concept. Similarly, design and technology is presented as problem-solving within meaningful contexts, which is an age-appropriate way to introduce making and evaluation without it becoming “craft time”.
Reception’s continuous access to indoor and outdoor provision is stated on the school day page, which aligns with the early years emphasis on play-based, language-rich learning.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Good
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
For most families, the key transition is from Year 2 to Year 3. Stillness shares a site with Stillness Junior School, which is an obvious local pathway, but transfer is not automatic and it is managed through the local authority admissions process.
Lewisham’s published guidance for September 2026 confirms that applications for a Year 3 place (junior transfer) must be made by 15 January 2026. Practically, that means families should treat the junior transfer as a second admissions cycle, with its own deadlines, rather than assuming continuity.
Stillness is a Lewisham community school and Reception entry is coordinated by the local authority, not the school. The borough’s 2026 intake dates are clear:
Applications open: Monday 1 September 2025
Closing date: Thursday 15 January 2026 (11.59pm)
National Offer Day: 16 April 2026
Deadline to accept an offer: Thursday 30 April 2026
The school’s own admissions pages underline a crucial point for families already in early years: attendance at Stillness Nursery does not guarantee a Reception place.
Demand is not theoretical. For the primary entry route provided, 264 applications resulted in 82 offers (3.22 applications per place), and the school is listed as oversubscribed.
Nursery is handled differently. Stillness publishes its own nursery application process, including an explicit deadline of Friday 6 February 2026. For nursery fees, the school’s published information should be treated as the source of truth, and families should check the nursery pages for current details and any funding entitlements.
The local authority guidance encourages families to visit schools and contact schools directly to arrange visits. Stillness also maintains tours information within its “Key Info” area. If dates shown are for a past term, the safest assumption is that tours repeat in broadly the same months each year, with current booking details on the school’s own pages.
100%
1st preference success rate
76 of 76 first-choice applicants received an offer
Places
82
Offers
82
Applications
264
Personal development being judged Outstanding in the most recent inspection is a meaningful headline for an infant school, where confidence, routines, and social development are tightly linked to learning. The website also references charitable activity and community contribution across the year, including support for local and national causes, which tends to be a sign of a school that builds values into everyday life rather than treating them as occasional theme days.
Safeguarding leadership is clearly assigned within the senior team on the staff page, where safeguarding is listed alongside leadership roles.
Stillness provides more specificity than many infant schools about the kinds of structured activity children experience outside lessons.
A strong example is the eco-focused work described on the school’s curriculum pages, where an after-school Science Club for Years 1 and 2 covers topics such as climate change, energy, seasonal change, habitats and planting. For a child who is naturally curious, this kind of club can be a bridge between classroom science vocabulary and real-world observation.
Lunch and play are also treated as part of the broader offer, not just “supervision”. The school describes a rota of activities including a football area led by a coach, plus equipment and quieter indoor options such as Drawing Club and reading. That matters in infant years because playtimes are often where children practise turn-taking, resilience, and friendships.
For wraparound and clubs, the school also references breakfast club and after-school provision through its key information pages and its site layout, including the separate building used for breakfast club and after-school activities. Availability and providers can change over time, so parents should verify the current programme and booking arrangements directly via the school’s published information.
The core school day is published:
Nursery: 8.55am to 12.00pm or 8.55am to 3.25pm
Rest of school: 8.55am to 3.25pm
Reception pupils have continuous access to indoor and outdoor provision, and Years 1 and 2 have a defined morning break plus additional guided exercise such as the Daily Mile for classes without afternoon PE.
Wraparound care exists in the form of breakfast and after-school provision. If you need exact timings, costs, or eligibility by year group, rely on the school’s current wraparound pages because arrangements can change year to year.
Oversubscription is the practical barrier. The local application data shows 264 applications for 82 offers, so listing realistic alternatives on your application matters.
Nursery does not secure Reception. Even if your child is happy and settled in nursery, Reception places are allocated through Lewisham’s coordinated process.
Junior transfer is a second admissions deadline. If you want a Year 3 place at Stillness Junior School, you still need to apply, and the September 2026 deadline is 15 January 2026.
Limited published “scorecard” data. As an infant school, the usual end-of-primary comparisons do not apply, so school visits and a close read of the inspection report carry extra weight.
Stillness Infant School suits families who want an organised, values-led start to schooling, with clear routines, a strong reading focus, and thoughtful enrichment that still feels age-appropriate. It is particularly well suited to local families who can engage early with Lewisham’s admissions timeline and who value a school that takes personal development seriously alongside learning. The challenge lies in admission rather than what follows, because demand is materially higher than the number of places.
The most recent inspection outcome (July 2022) judged the school Good overall, with Personal development graded Outstanding. That combination generally reflects a school that balances learning with strong routines, behaviour expectations, and broader development.
Reception places are allocated through Lewisham’s coordinated admissions process. For September 2026 entry, applications open on 1 September 2025 and close on 15 January 2026, with offers released on 16 April 2026.
No. The school’s admissions information is explicit that nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place, because Reception is coordinated by the local authority.
The published school day runs 8.55am to 3.25pm for Reception to Year 2. Nursery offers either a morning session (8.55am to 12.00pm) or a full-day option (8.55am to 3.25pm).
Families should plan for a separate junior transfer application. Lewisham’s guidance for September 2026 states that Year 3 applications must be submitted by 15 January 2026.
Get in touch with the school directly
Disclaimer
Information on this page is compiled, analysed, and processed from publicly available sources including the Department for Education (DfE), Ofsted, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and official school websites.
Our rankings, metrics, and assessments are derived from this data using our own methodologies and represent our independent analysis rather than official standings.
While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee that all information is current, complete, or error-free. Data may change without notice, and schools and/or local authorities should be contacted directly to verify any details before making decisions.
FindMySchool does not endorse any particular school, and rankings reflect specific metrics rather than overall quality.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on information provided. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us.