Fawbert and Barnard Infants' School Review 2026: Outstanding early years, ambitious teaching, strong community links

This school’s age range is Nursery to Year 2, so parents should not expect the same public examination and performance data that appears for junior or primary schools with Year 6 outcomes. In practice, the most useful external benchmark is inspection evidence about curriculum quality, reading, behaviour, inclusion, and early years practice.

The latest Ofsted inspection (12 and 13 March 2024) rated the school Outstanding overall, with Outstanding judgements for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

Capacity and cohort context can also be helpful when judging scale. Official sources list a school capacity of 180 and a roll of just over 210 pupils, indicating a setting that is large enough for multiple classes and friendship groups, but still firmly within an infant school scale where staff can know families well.

For families comparing local options, the key question is less about test scores and more about whether the school reliably builds the foundations that matter by age seven: early reading, number fluency, vocabulary, classroom habits, and confidence in learning. The inspection evidence points strongly in that direction, particularly around reading priority, staff training, and a well sequenced curriculum.

The curriculum is described in official evidence as highly ambitious and regularly reviewed, with precise expectations for what pupils learn in each subject and year group. The important implication for parents is consistency: when teachers share the same “what comes next” map, children are less likely to experience gaps or repeated content, and more likely to build knowledge in small steps that stick.

Early reading is a clear strength. Daily story sessions, strong text choices, and well delivered phonics teaching are singled out in the inspection narrative. Extra phonics support is provided quickly where needed, which is one of the most practical indicators of a school that understands early literacy as a gateway rather than a bolt-on.

Language and vocabulary are treated as part of learning across subjects, not just within English. That shows up in how pupils are taught to use subject-specific words, including in religious education where vocabulary is introduced early and revisited. For a child, that means being able to explain ideas clearly rather than relying on vague “I don’t know” responses; for parents, it often means clearer homework conversations and more confident speaking.

Inclusion is another major pillar. The school’s published information and inspection evidence describe a setting where pupils with special educational needs and disabilities learn the same ambitious curriculum, with adaptations, adult support when necessary, and specialist input when appropriate. An in-house speech therapist and a counsellor are referenced in the inspection report, a level of embedded expertise that is not universal in infant schools.

Because this is an infant school, the key transition is at the end of Year 2. The clearest local pathway is to Reedings Junior School, built in the 1960s when the original site became too small for older pupils. The school states that most pupils still move on to Reedings and that links are maintained to support a smooth transition.

What this tends to mean in practice is that parents can think about education in two linked stages: infant foundations here, then junior consolidation elsewhere. For families who prioritise continuity of friendships and familiar routines, it is worth asking about joint events, staff liaison, and how information about learning needs is handed over. The existence of a long-standing relationship with the local junior school is a good starting point.

Nursery adds another transition point in the earlier years. The school’s nursery admissions information indicates structured intakes and clear age eligibility, which helps families plan childcare and early years education without guesswork.

Reception entry is coordinated through the local authority route rather than informal sign-up. The school’s admissions page states that applications for Reception places for September 2026 entry opened on 1 November 2025 and closed on 15 January 2026. Those dates are now in the past, but they are still useful because this window is typically the same each year for coordinated primary admissions. If you are planning for a later year group, treat early November to mid-January as the likely pattern, then confirm the precise dates for your cohort on the local authority portal.

Demand is strong. For the most recent cycle reflected there were 152 applications for 58 offers, with the intake described as oversubscribed. The application-to-offer ratio suggests that families should approach this as a competitive preference, rather than a fallback. A practical step is to shortlist realistically: use the FindMySchool Map Search to understand your likely position relative to other applicants, then use the Local Hub comparison tool to review nearby infant and primary alternatives.

Nursery admissions operate differently from Reception. The nursery admissions documentation sets out eligibility by date of birth and refers to additional intakes when places remain available, including January and April intakes in some years. The important point for parents is that nursery attendance does not remove the need to apply for Reception through the standard route. If this matters to you, clarify the progression pathway early.

Open events are partly digital here. The school hosts a 360 virtual tour and a video tour, which is useful for families trying to understand layout and routines without relying solely on a brief visit. Where in-person sessions are offered, the pattern described in published material suggests autumn term, often November, as a common time for prospective Reception families.

In infant settings, pastoral care is often expressed through routines, emotional language, and early independence rather than formal structures. Here, the consistency of expectations is a core mechanism: children are taught what safe and respectful behaviour looks like at the start of activities, and adults hold that line with clarity.

Support for wellbeing is also reinforced by the presence of specialist input referenced in formal documentation, including counselling support. For parents, this is less about crisis intervention and more about having trained adults who can help children regulate emotions, build confidence, and develop the small social skills that make Reception and Year 1 feel manageable.

Safeguarding is treated as a baseline expectation in any school review, and this is particularly important in early years, where handover routines and site security shape daily life. Safeguarding arrangements are reported as effective in the 2024 inspection.

The extracurricular offer is unusually specific for an infant school, and it covers both enrichment and practical childcare support.

A strong example is the Coding Robotics club. At this age, the value is not in producing mini programmers, it is in developing early problem-solving habits, sequencing, and the confidence to try again after an error. That mindset maps neatly onto early mathematics and early writing, where perseverance matters as much as raw ability.

Creative opportunities are also well defined. The Secret Art Club lists a range of media including painting, printing, pottery, collage and drawing, which gives pupils structured ways to develop fine motor control and visual expression. The implication for learning is direct: pencil grip, scissor skills, spatial awareness, and the confidence to present work all improve when art is treated as more than a rainy-day filler.

Music is given an identity of its own through choir, described as free and open to Year 2 pupils, and run weekly before school. In infant settings, choir is more than performance. It supports listening, turn-taking, memory, and shared attention, all of which make classroom learning smoother.

There is also a wellbeing strand that feels grounded in the realities of busy lunch times. Happy Hearts Club is framed as a quiet lunchtime space with yoga and mindful activities. For children who find the playground intense, this kind of provision can be the difference between an overstimulating day and a manageable one.

Outdoor learning appears as a deliberate pillar rather than an occasional treat. Forest School Club is described as introducing Year 2 pupils to bushcraft skills, shelter building, safe fire building, tool use, and outdoor cooking. That translates into practical confidence and a calmer relationship with risk, both valuable at age six and seven.

Finally, there are clubs that link directly to curriculum consolidation, such as Timetables Rock Stars, and those that develop curiosity through hands-on experimentation, such as Super Scientist. The important point for parents is choice: pupils can find something that fits their temperament, whether that is energetic, creative, reflective, or structured practice.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

Parents should still budget for the usual extras: uniform, trips, and optional activities. Some clubs are shown with a charge on the clubs page, while others are free, and nursery fee details should be checked on the school’s own pages rather than assumed.

The school day structure is published clearly. For Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, morning runs 8.45am to 12.00 midday and afternoons run 1.00pm to 3.15pm, with gates opening at 8.25am and classroom welcome from 8.35am. Nursery sessions are listed separately, with morning and afternoon options, and attendance described as 15 or up to 30 hours per week for eligible children.

Wraparound care is available on site via an independent provider, which matters for working families. The school notes that before and after school care is run and managed by a registered provider rather than the school itself, so parents should treat arrangements, availability and booking as a separate process.

In travel terms, this is a town-centre infant school; the practical question is usually walkability at drop-off and pick-up, and whether wraparound reduces pressure on the 3.15pm finish. Families weighing options should sanity-check journey time for the full week, not just a one-off tour.

• Competition for Reception places. Recent demand data shows significantly more applications than offers, and the school is oversubscribed. Families should shortlist with a plan B and keep an eye on local authority timelines.

• Infant-only structure. The school finishes at Year 2, so families will need to plan for Year 3 transfer. The established relationship with Reedings Junior School helps, but it is still a change of site, staff and routines at age seven.

• Wraparound is not run by the school. On-site before and after school care is delivered by a registered external provider. That can work well, but it means booking, policies and availability sit outside the school office.

• Limited public “results” data by design. With an age range of 3 to 7, you are choosing based on curriculum quality, reading foundations, behaviour culture, and early years practice rather than Year 6 outcomes. Inspection evidence becomes more central to decision-making than performance tables.

A high-performing infant school that combines ambitious teaching with the kind of calm routines that make early years and Key Stage 1 work. The school’s values are clear, behaviour expectations are consistent, and reading is treated as a priority from the start. Best suited to families who want a structured, aspirational early education and are prepared to engage early with admissions in an oversubscribed setting.