Altmore Infant School

Altmore Infant School is a large, community infant school in East Ham, serving children from age 2 to 7, with nursery provision and on-site wraparound childcare. The most recent full inspection (June 2023) describes pupils as happy and safe, with exemplary behaviour and a strong personal development offer. The overall judgement is Good, with Outstanding grades for Behaviour and Attitudes and for Personal Development.

Leadership is structured across a federation with a nearby junior partner, with Sarah Rowlands as executive headteacher and Carolyn Marles as head of school for Altmore.

Demand for places is not trivial. The latest published admissions demand data shows 221 applications for 116 offers for the main entry route, which signals competition even before you factor in siblings, looked-after children, and other priority groups.

The clearest picture from official evidence is a school with high expectations that young pupils rise to. Pupils are described as enjoying school, responding enthusiastically to staff expectations, and taking school values seriously. Leaders place weight on attendance and have systems to follow up absence, which tends to matter in a community setting where routines can be disrupted by housing moves, illness, and wider family pressures.

Behaviour is a defining strength. The latest inspection grades behaviour and attitudes as Outstanding, and the narrative points to calm routines and consistently exemplary conduct across the school day. Bullying is described as rare, with incidents dealt with effectively, and pupils trust adults if they need help. For families of younger children, that blend of structure and reassurance is often the difference between a smooth start to school and a daily struggle.

There is also a notable personal development strand for an infant school. Pupils learn about inclusivity and difference, take on responsibilities such as being school council members and playground ambassadors, and broaden their understanding through visitors and visits. That matters because early primary is when many children first practise public speaking, turn-taking, and leadership in low-stakes settings, long before formal exams enter the frame.

Altmore is an infant school, so the usual Year 6 measures that parents often expect to see, such as key stage 2 combined results, do not apply to this age range. What you can rely on instead is the strength of the curriculum narrative and the quality of early reading, both highlighted clearly in the latest inspection evidence.

Reading is treated as a priority, with daily phonics taught consistently and books closely matched to the sounds pupils know. The implication for parents is practical: children who grasp decoding early tend to access the wider curriculum with more confidence, because vocabulary, instructions, and independent tasks all become less intimidating.

Mathematics is also described in concrete curriculum terms, including regular recap built into lesson design. That kind of planned retrieval is particularly effective for infant-aged pupils, who benefit from repetition that feels purposeful rather than like drill.

Altmore’s current Ofsted headline is Good (June 2023), with key judgements of Good for Quality of Education, Good for Leadership and Management, and Good for Early Years Provision. Behaviour and attitudes and personal development are both Outstanding.

The curriculum is described as ambitious, broad and well organised, with subject knowledge and vocabulary mapped carefully in most areas. Leaders are portrayed as having strong subject understanding, supported by assessment approaches that check what pupils know and remember. For parents, this often shows up as clearer sequencing across year groups and fewer gaps when a child moves from nursery to Reception, then into Year 1 and Year 2.

Early reading is a major operational strength. Staff expertise in delivering the phonics programme is identified as a driver of consistent daily sessions, and the report notes that pupils keep up with the programme rather than falling behind and needing later catch-up. That matters because phonics intervention can become emotionally loaded for some children if it is framed as being “behind”. Here, the evidence suggests a stronger whole-cohort approach.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is woven into this picture. The inspection report describes adaptations that enable pupils with SEND to access the curriculum and to develop socially as well as academically. For families navigating early identification, speech and language concerns, or emerging learning needs, that kind of responsive approach is a key indicator to probe during open events and conversations with staff.

One clear area for improvement is curriculum coherence in a small number of subjects. The latest inspection notes that in a few areas, sequencing is not consistently strong, which can limit how well pupils retain essential knowledge over time. For parents, the useful question is not whether the curriculum is “good”, it is how leaders are tightening those weaker areas so learning builds reliably from year to year.

Because Altmore is an infant school, the key transition is to junior provision at age 7. Altmore is federated with nearby Lathom Junior School, led under the same governance and executive leadership, which can make the infant-to-junior pathway feel more joined-up for families who want continuity.

However, Newham's infant-to-junior move is not automatic. Families should plan ahead for Year 3 entry and treat it as a fresh application process, checking the borough's current published guidance and timelines rather than assuming transfer from the infant school is automatic.

For parents who are still early in the process, the most practical approach is to think in two stages: first, whether the infant experience suits your child now; second, what your preferred junior options are, including travel time, siblings, and the oversubscription rules that apply in your year of transfer.

Admissions for state infant and primary places in Newham are coordinated by the local authority. For Reception entry in September 2027, the published closing date is 15 January 2027, and outcomes are issued on national offer day, 16 April 2027.

Altmore is oversubscribed on the main entry route in the latest available demand data: 221 applications for 116 offers, which equates to about 1.91 applications per offered place. If you are aiming for Reception, it is sensible to treat this as a competitive option and to use all available preferences strategically rather than relying on a single school.

A practical tip: use distance-check tools, including FindMySchool’s Map Search, to understand how your home location compares with local patterns, then cross-check against the borough’s oversubscription criteria for the relevant year.

Pastoral care at infant level is often about routines, relationships and early intervention. The most recent inspection evidence points to strong working relationships between staff and pupils and a calm, orderly culture with clear expectations. For many children, especially those with separation anxiety, new-to-English needs, or sensory sensitivities, predictable routines reduce stress and improve readiness to learn.

Safeguarding is described as effective, with staff training, fast referrals, and close working with external agencies and the on-site children’s centre to support families. The practical implication is that the school is used to coordinating support rather than treating concerns as isolated incidents.

Altmore’s enrichment offer is not framed as “nice extras”, it is presented as a planned part of how pupils broaden knowledge and social confidence. The latest inspection notes a range of clubs, outings and visitors, with author visits and sports clubs singled out as examples that widen interests and help pupils build social skills and understanding of modern Britain.

There is also a meaningful pupil leadership strand for a young age group. Roles such as school council membership and playground ambassadors are highlighted as points of pride for pupils. In practice, that tends to build confidence in speaking up, negotiating, and taking responsibility for others, all useful foundations for junior school where peer dynamics become more complex.

For families weighing wraparound and enrichment, one additional positive is that the school provides before and after-school childcare on site. If your decision depends on exact timings and session structure, these details are best confirmed directly with the school because they are not consistently published in the sources available via official reports.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

Transport is straightforward for many East Ham families. TfL mapping for the immediate area around Altmore Avenue shows East Ham Underground Station nearby (District and Hammersmith and City lines) and local bus links, including routes that stop at or near Altmore Avenue and East Ham Station.

Wraparound childcare is available on site (before and after school), but specific start and finish times for the school day and for childcare sessions are not reliably published in the official sources accessed for this review. Families who need certainty for commuting should ask the school for the current timetable.

• Competition for places. With 221 applications for 116 offers in the latest available demand data, admission can be tight; it is worth planning a realistic set of preferences.

• Curriculum consistency in every subject. The latest inspection identifies that sequencing is weaker in a small number of subjects; ask what has changed since June 2023 and how leaders are checking pupils remember the key knowledge.

• Infant-to-junior transfer is a fresh application. Moving to junior school at age 7 is not automatic; families should diarise the relevant deadlines well in advance.

• Wraparound detail needs checking. On-site childcare exists, but confirm times, costs, and booking arrangements directly if logistics are central to your choice.

Altmore Infant School offers a structured, calm start to primary education, with behaviour and personal development standing out as clear strengths. Teaching is anchored by strong early reading and a well-organised curriculum in most areas, and the wider programme makes room for clubs, visitors and real responsibility even for very young pupils. Best suited to families who want high expectations with strong pastoral reassurance, and who can engage early with Newham’s admissions process. The limiting factor is admission competition rather than what happens once a place is secured.