Little Marlow CofE School Review 2026: Small Church of England infant school with strong behaviour and outdoor learning

As an infant school, there is no Key Stage 2 results set to compare in the usual way, because pupils leave for junior school before the KS2 tests. The best available evidence of academic effectiveness therefore comes from curriculum quality, reading outcomes through early literacy practice, and the inspection evaluation of teaching and learning.

Reading is positioned as a whole-school priority. The inspection notes a sharp focus on early reading from the beginning of Reception, with staff identifying pupils who struggle and providing additional sessions to help them catch up quickly. The wider reading curriculum is described as building enthusiasm through diverse texts.

Mathematics is described in the school’s own materials as taught through a mastery model, with daily lessons and a focus on practical representation and reasoning talk. The implication is that children who need concrete equipment, visual models, and repeated practice before abstract work should find the approach accessible.

One important nuance from the inspection is that curriculum thinking is strongest where assessment checks understanding carefully, but this is not yet consistent across all foundation subjects. The improvement priority is to develop planning and assessment so knowledge gaps are addressed and pupils remember important ideas over time in every subject.

(Parents comparing several local infant options can use FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and Comparison Tool to keep inspection judgements, age range, and admissions characteristics side by side.)

The curriculum is described as broad and ambitious, building from children’s starting points in Reception and preparing them for Year 1. In core subjects, assessment is used to spot where understanding is not secure and to re-teach key content. Teachers are described as having strong subject knowledge and explaining new ideas clearly with helpful examples.

The school also publishes a clear description of how classes and grouping work when numbers fluctuate. In its prospectus, it explains that Key Stage 1 pupils may be combined for some lessons to gain social and learning benefits, while mathematics, reading and phonics are taught in separate groups. This kind of flexible organisation tends to suit small schools, it can preserve small-group teaching even when cohort sizes vary year to year.

Phonics is specified in more detail than many schools provide publicly. The prospectus states that the school uses Lesley Clarke’s Letters and Sounds programme for early reading and writing, alongside structured daily phonics sessions and graded home-reading books organised into colour bands. The implication is a systematic approach, with routines that are easier for many children to internalise, particularly those who benefit from predictable practice and cumulative knowledge.

Special educational needs and disabilities support is visible in both inspection and school documents. The inspection notes that needs are identified in Individual Educational Plans, and that staff support is effective for pupils with more complex needs, while also highlighting that teaching adaptations are not always precise enough for some pupils to start activities promptly. The school’s published materials describe a nurture room and a menu of short-, medium-, and longer-term support options. Taken together, the picture is a school that invests in support, but also one that has work to do to make classroom-level adaptation consistently sharp.

Most pupils move on at the end of Year 2, so transition to junior school is a major part of the experience. The school sits within a federation with Holy Trinity CE Junior School, and published federation information states that the vast majority of pupils transfer within the federation. The federation describes planned transition opportunities, including visits and additional sessions for Year 2 pupils, designed to help children settle quickly.

Admission priority into Year 3 within the federation is also described in published materials. For families, the practical implication is that choosing this infant school is often also a choice about a likely junior school pathway, and it is sensible to read both schools’ curriculum and pastoral information before committing to the first step.

This is a Buckinghamshire Council coordinated admissions process for Reception. For September 2026 entry, the council states that applications open on 5 November 2025 and close on 15 January 2026. National primary offer day is 16 April 2026, and the council gives an acceptance deadline of 30 April 2026.

The published admission number for Reception in September 2026 is 30. The council’s directory page also states that no supplementary form is required for that intake.

The federation’s admission arrangements set out the oversubscription logic families should understand early. Priority begins with children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, then looked-after and previously looked-after children, then exceptional medical or social need, then catchment and sibling links, followed by specific staff-child provisions, then catchment without sibling links, then out-of-catchment sibling links (including siblings at Holy Trinity), and finally other children. Distance, measured as straight-line distance between home and school, is used to differentiate within criteria where needed.

Demand indicators reinforce that this is not an easy place to secure. The most recent entry-route demand figures provided show 53 applications for 6 offers, which equates to 8.83 applications per offer. Even allowing for year-to-year variation and different allocation contexts, it signals a tight market for places.

Wellbeing support is described in specific, operational terms rather than generalities. The prospectus outlines a well-equipped nurture space and a tiered offer, including small nurture groups, social skills sessions, Emotional Literacy Support (ELSA), key worker check-ins, and enhanced transition support. It also describes longer-term options including 1:1 counselling and specialist groups such as Young Heroes (young carers) and Rainbows (support following bereavement or separation).

The inspection evidence supports a positive baseline culture. Pupils are described as comfortable sharing worries with adults and confident they will be addressed. For pupils with more challenging behaviour needs, the inspection notes highly effective pastoral support helping them manage emotions.

This is also an environment where safeguarding is clearly stated as effective in the most recent inspection.

The “extras” here are often woven into the school day rather than bolted on at the end. Outdoor learning is a defining feature: the school describes regular use of a woodland area, a fire pit, and a full-size tipi with a log burner. The evidence base cited in school materials links outdoor learning to confidence, communication, motivation and wellbeing, and the practical implication is that children get more chances to practise teamwork, risk assessment, and language in real contexts.

Pupil voice and responsibility are also positioned as central. The inspection notes the role of the school council in shaping change, with pupils taking pride in their ideas coming to life, including a project referred to as the Secret Wood. Leadership roles such as play leads and house leaders are presented as normal for pupils, not reserved for the oldest children in a large junior school.

Character education is supported by concrete examples. Pupils explore diversity through assemblies and visiting speakers, learn communication approaches including Makaton as part of inclusivity, and engage with local issues such as river pollution, with an emphasis on how pupils can make a difference. For parents, this reads as a school trying to build confidence and social responsibility early, rather than leaving it to Key Stage 2.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should budget for the normal extras, uniform, trips, and any optional activities.

Wraparound care is a key practical constraint. The school states that it does not currently provide wraparound childcare, although it has investigated reintroducing it, and it references third-party providers that may collect and run until 6pm. The council’s school directory also flags before and after-school provision as not available. If wraparound is essential for your family logistics, check current arrangements carefully before relying on a place here.

• Admission pressure. Recent Reception entry-route figures show 53 applications for 6 offers, indicating intense competition. If you are moving house to target the school, treat admissions criteria and deadlines as decisive, not secondary.

• Wraparound care is not currently provided by the school. The school states it does not currently offer wraparound childcare. Third-party collection options are referenced, but families who need on-site breakfast and after-school care should verify current provision early.

• Curriculum consistency is still a development point. The inspection highlights that assessment and retention practice is not yet as consistent in some foundation subjects as it is in core subjects. For parents of children who love topic work, it is worth asking how the school is strengthening long-term knowledge building across the full curriculum.

• SEND adaptation is variable in places. Support structures are clearly described, but the inspection also notes that teaching is not always adapted precisely enough for some pupils with SEND to begin learning activities promptly. Families may want to discuss how classroom strategies are being tightened alongside pastoral support.

A small, values-led infant school with a settled culture, strong behaviour, and a distinctive outdoor learning offer. The inspection picture is reassuring on wellbeing and safeguarding, and the published curriculum approach is structured in early reading and mathematics. Best suited to families who want a close-knit Church of England context (without requiring faith membership) and who can manage logistics without guaranteed on-site wraparound care. The limiting factor for many will be securing a place.