Ashley Infant School

There is a clear thread running through Ashley Infant School, childhood is treated as a serious, important stage rather than simply a run up to juniors. The school’s values framework, CHARM, shows up in day to day routines, behaviour expectations, and how pupils talk about feelings and friendships.

Leadership stability is a notable feature. Mrs Sarah Dibben has been headteacher since 2012, giving the school a long runway to refine systems, invest in staff expertise, and build consistent expectations.

The latest Ofsted inspection (18 to 19 March 2025, published 07 May 2025) confirmed the school has maintained the standards identified at the previous inspection, and the school remains Good.

A defining feature is how deliberately the school works on the social side of learning, particularly for pupils aged 4 to 7. CHARM is set up as a practical set of behaviours and attitudes, Confidence, Happiness, Achievement, Respect, and Motivation, with learning “heroes” used to make the language memorable for young children.

That matters because infant schools live or die by routines. When pupils are still learning how to listen, share, wait, and ask for help, a values system only works if it is used consistently by adults and understood by children. External review evidence supports this picture, with behaviour described as impressive, pupils described as kind and respectful, and classrooms described as purposeful.

Inclusion is not an add on. The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities, and this expertise is used to help staff across the wider school identify and meet needs earlier. For parents, the implication is practical, this is a setting where mixed needs are expected and planned for, rather than accommodated reluctantly.

There is also a strong sense of local context in how learning is framed. The inspection report describes the local area being used to bring topics to life, including visits linked to the New Forest and the coast. Even if a family is not focused on trips, this approach tends to make vocabulary and background knowledge stick better for young pupils.

For an infant school, headline published outcomes are less prominent than for a junior or full primary, because the main national comparison points (such as Key Stage 2 tests) sit after Year 6. What matters most at this stage is whether pupils build strong foundations in early reading, writing, language, and number, and whether pupils with additional needs are supported to make meaningful progress from their starting points.

The evidence base here is strongest in early reading. The school states it follows Ruth Miskin’s Read Write Inc phonics programme, and the latest inspection describes phonics teaching as skilful and precise, with careful grouping and additional support where needed. The implication for parents is straightforward, a consistent phonics approach, well delivered, usually reduces the risk of children falling behind in the first two years of school.

There is also a clear push on spoken language, particularly relevant where pupils speak English as an additional language. The inspection describes an explicit focus on speaking and listening to support language development and understanding. In practice, that tends to show up as more structured talk in lessons, tighter vocabulary teaching, and more deliberate modelling by staff.

The main improvement point flagged by the 2025 inspection is not about ambition, it is about checking what pupils remember and can do in the wider curriculum. In short, the curriculum is ambitious, but assessment in foundation subjects still needs to ensure pupils retain intended learning and develop subject specific skills. For parents, this is worth weighing if you want a very “knowledge secured” approach across every subject, not only English and mathematics.

The school’s approach reads as carefully structured rather than improvisational. In early years and Key Stage 1, that typically means tight routines, clear explanations, plenty of repetition, and strong adult modelling.

In reading, the combination of a phonics programme (Read Write Inc) plus dedicated time for children to read and be read to is a sensible foundation. The inspection describes a daily experience of books, staff book recommendations around school, and a noticeable buzz around choosing books in library sessions. The implication is that reading is treated as both a taught skill and a habit, which matters for children who do not automatically pick up books at home.

For writing, the inspection notes a methodical approach to building writing skills, alongside work to ensure pupils can recall and apply key mathematical knowledge. For families, this suggests that the school is not leaving outcomes to chance, it is building competence through repeated practice and clear sequencing.

In SEND, the school’s own SEN information highlights collaboration with University of Southampton linked to inclusive practice work. That does not automatically tell you what day to day support looks like for an individual child, but it does indicate the school is outward facing and engaged with evidence informed inclusion.

Most pupils move on at the end of Year 2, which makes transition unusually important here. The natural next step for many local families is Ashley Junior School, which explicitly states that most of its Year 3 intake comes from Ashley Infant School and that the two schools work closely during Year 2 to support a smooth transition.

For parents, the practical implication is that you should evaluate this school not only as a standalone infant experience, but as the first phase of a pathway. Questions to ask yourself include: do you expect your child to transfer to the linked junior setting; do you want continuity of friendship group; and how important is it that curriculum approaches align between infant and junior stages.

If you are considering a move into the area, it is also worth looking ahead to the wider local secondary landscape early, because the junior years often shape children’s confidence in reading and writing, which in turn shapes how easy secondary transition feels later.

Admissions for Reception places follow local authority coordinated arrangements for most families, with processes varying depending on the council area where you live. Families should check the current main-round timetable for the relevant entry year, including the application window, closing date and offer day.

Open events are already signposted for parents of children starting school in September 2026, with a set of dates across September, October, and early November 2025. If you are comparing multiple schools, this is useful, it means you can see how the school communicates, how staff explain early reading and routines, and how the resourced provision fits alongside mainstream classes.

Demand for places is meaningful. In the most recent recorded Reception cycle, there were 73 applications for 42 offers, which is consistent with an oversubscribed picture. A subscription ratio of 1.74 indicates materially more applicants than available places. (FindMySchool admissions results, based on official figures.)

Practical capacity detail matters in infant schools because year groups are small. The school states that, with local authority agreement, Year 1 has an admission limit of 44 and Year 2 a limit of 46. That can influence in year availability, particularly for families relocating.

If you are distance sensitive, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check how your home compares to recent offer patterns. Even without a published distance figure in the current results, small schools can see big swings year to year depending on where applicants live.

Pastoral care is woven into the school’s core language. CHARM is explicitly linked to recognising feelings and learning how to manage them, which is age appropriate, and important for pupils who are still developing self regulation.

Attendance is treated as a priority area, with the inspection describing a determination to tackle unnecessary absence. For families, this usually means early communication and consistent follow up where patterns start to emerge, rather than waiting for absence to become entrenched.

Safeguarding is not an area where parents want ambiguity. The 2025 inspection states safeguarding arrangements are effective.

This school’s enrichment is grounded in space and play as well as clubs. The school describes a wildlife area and pond, a woodland area used for forest school, and a Multi Use Games Area for sport. For pupils aged 4 to 7, those facilities are not cosmetic, they materially widen the range of learning experiences, particularly for children who learn best through movement and outdoor exploration.

After school activities are present but structured differently to a larger junior or primary school. The school lists specific clubs for Year 1 and Year 2 run by external agencies, including Gymnastics (Premier Education) on Mondays, Football (CASA Ltd) on Tuesdays, and Cheerleading (Premier Education) on Wednesdays, with a charge. The implication is that options exist, but families should budget for them and check term by term availability.

For parents who value early confidence in performance and speaking, note that the curriculum emphasis on spoken language is also likely to support assemblies and classroom talk, even if drama is not framed as a standalone programme at this stage.

The school day is clearly set out. Class doors open at 8.40am and close at 8.45am, with the day ending at 3.15pm. Term dates are published as downloadable documents on the school website, which helps families planning childcare and leave.

Wraparound care is referenced on the website via an external booking link for breakfast and after school provision, and there is also a holiday club flyer. Parents should check exact session times and availability directly, as these arrangements can change across the year.

On travel, the school has a dedicated travel to school area and references engagement with Modeshift STARS (an active travel awards scheme). In practical terms, expect encouragement for walking and cycling where feasible, and check on site arrangements for drop off routines during open events.

• Ages 4 to 7 only. Transition at the end of Year 2 is a built in change point, so it is worth planning early for Year 3 and beyond, especially if you are new to the area.

• High inclusion, including a resourced provision. This is a strength for many children, but it also means the school community includes a wide range of needs; parents should ask how support is organised within classes and across the school day.

• Foundation subject assessment is still being strengthened. The curriculum is ambitious, but the inspection identified that checks should better capture subject specific skills and retention in some areas.

• After school clubs may involve additional cost. Several clubs are run by external providers and carry a charge, which can add up over a term.

Ashley Infant School offers a well organised start to education, with strong early reading practice, clear behaviour expectations, and an inclusion led culture supported by a resourced provision. It is best suited to families who want a values driven infant setting, who like the idea of outdoor learning spaces such as woodland and a wildlife area, and who are comfortable with a mixed needs community. Entry remains the limiting factor for some families, given oversubscription, so timing, route, and open event engagement matter.