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.
Cumberland Infant School serves pupils aged 4 to 7 in Southsea, with a roll close to its listed capacity of 180. The age range matters: as an infant school, it is about early foundations rather than later key stage outcomes, with many families thinking ahead to the Year 3 transfer once children finish Year 2.
The school is led by Mrs Rebecca Herbert, who is also the Designated Safeguarding Lead. The latest published inspection outcome is Good, with Good judgements across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.
Demand is a headline here. For the main entry point, 194 applications were recorded for 60 places, described as oversubscribed. That equates to 3.23 applications per offer in the same cycle, so families should plan on competition even before they get to finer details of criteria.
A clear feature of the school’s public-facing information is its emphasis on younger children building confidence through structured routines, explicit values, and activities that develop physical skills early. The most recent inspection documentation describes an early years offer that includes a newly developed physical development area, framed as part of a wider drive for children to learn, play, and build core movement skills. That is a useful marker for parents who prioritise gross motor development alongside phonics and early number.
Leadership visibility looks like a deliberate part of the culture. There is a named set of assemblies associated with Mrs Herbert, covering themes such as imagination, collaboration, perseverance, independence, and thinking. For many children in Reception and Key Stage 1, that repeated language can be a practical anchor, because it gives staff and pupils a shared way to talk about effort, kindness, and behaviour without relying on abstract rules.
A school this size can feel personal, but it can also feel full, particularly at the start and end of the day when infant schools are at their busiest. The published capacity and pupil number suggest it is operating close to planned size, which typically means less slack in admissions and day-to-day logistics.
Cumberland also includes Little Cumberland Pre-School, accepting children from age 2 and offering a menu of session patterns, including morning, afternoon, and full-day options that start as early as 8.00am and finish as late as 4.00pm (depending on the session chosen). The pre-school description highlights a mezzanine area within the room and shared access to outdoor spaces that include a trim trail, playground, field, quiet area, and garden.
Two points matter for families. First, it positions early years as active and movement-rich, which aligns with the school’s broader emphasis on physical development. Second, it suggests continuity of environment for children who begin in the pre-school and move into Reception, even though parents should treat progression as cultural continuity rather than a guaranteed admissions route.
For an infant school, the best way to judge academic strength is often through curriculum quality, early reading, and the consistency of teaching and routines, rather than headline exam tables. This is because statutory Key Stage 2 outcomes are generated in junior or primary schools that take pupils through to Year 6, not in a standalone infant setting.
The available official headline is inspection-based: the school’s most recent graded inspection outcome is Good (inspection date 6 December 2022). For parents, that typically translates into a broadly reliable experience: a curriculum that is working, generally calm behaviour expectations, and leadership that is meeting required standards across the school.
A practical point for families comparing local options is that the judgement includes early years provision as Good. In an infant school, that matters because Reception often sets the tone for everything that follows, including phonics habits, listening, handwriting, and classroom independence.
The school presents itself as strongly project-led in the way it frames curriculum engagement, with examples of history topics used to help children build knowledge through memorable contexts. Year 1 work references learning about the Great Fire of London, while Year 2 uses Titanic as a historical focus. For younger pupils, the implication is straightforward: topic-driven learning can make vocabulary, reading, and speaking activities feel more coherent, because multiple subjects connect to the same shared context.
Wraparound learning time also matters in an infant setting. The school’s breakfast and after-school provision explicitly describes STEM activities in a dedicated space called the Stem Hub, using practical resources such as Lego, games, and puzzles. That approach can be a quiet strength for working families: it provides a consistent environment before and after the formal school day, while still keeping activities structured and purposeful.
Finally, staffing information indicates defined leadership roles for early years and PE, English, music, and wider inclusion. For parents, this is not about titles for their own sake; it is about whether subject responsibility is clear enough that quality stays consistent even when teachers are early in their careers.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
Because the school ends at Year 2, families should consider the Year 3 transfer early. In Portsmouth, Year 3 transfer and starting school applications follow local authority coordinated timelines, with published dates for the 2026 cycle.
In the 2026 admissions schedule, the application process for starting school opens on Monday 3 November 2025 and closes on Thursday 15 January 2026; National Offer Day is Thursday 16 April 2026. The same closing date and offer day are shown for transfer to junior for 2026. For families, the implication is that you do not want to treat Year 3 transfer as an afterthought in the spring of Year 2. The deadlines are fixed and the allocation process is formal.
Where children move on depends on admissions criteria, local availability, and parental preference rather than an internal pipeline. Families should use official local authority tools to understand designated catchment arrangements and the criteria applied to junior and primary schools in the area.
This is a state school with no tuition fees. The admission process for the main entry point is coordinated through Portsmouth City Council. The published timeline for September 2026 entry shows applications closing on Thursday 15 January 2026, with offers released on Thursday 16 April 2026.
Demand indicators suggest competition is real. In the most recent recorded cycle there were 194 applications for 60 offers, with the school described as oversubscribed. Parents should translate that into planning behaviour: list realistic alternatives on the application, understand the criteria, and do not assume that living “fairly close” will be enough in a popular part of the city.
For community infant schools in Portsmouth, the 2026/27 admissions policy sets out a priority order used when a school is oversubscribed. It starts with looked after and previously looked after children; it also includes a criterion for significant medical, physical, psychological, or social need supported by professional evidence. Catchment area is also referenced as part of the priority structure, with further ordering for children outside catchment that includes siblings (including linked junior school considerations) and service premium eligibility.
The important implication is that admissions is rule-based rather than relationship-based. If a family’s circumstances might fall into a priority category, evidence and paperwork timelines matter as much as the preference itself.
Little Cumberland Pre-School accepts children aged 2 to 4 and describes funded and non-funded places. Families should assume that attending the pre-school supports familiarity and routine, but does not remove the need to follow the coordinated admissions process for Reception, because applications are handled through the local authority timetable and criteria.
Applications
194
Total received
Places Offered
60
Subscription Rate
3.2x
Apps per place
The clearest pastoral signals come from named roles and routines. The headteacher is also the Designated Safeguarding Lead, and there is a named Family Support Worker on the teaching staff list, alongside a SENCO and inclusion lead who is also a deputy safeguarding lead. In a small infant school, that role clarity is often what makes support feel responsive, because parents know who handles safeguarding, who handles SEND coordination, and who can help with family circumstances.
The school’s own public summary of inspection highlights includes pupils feeling safe and learning about keeping safe, including older pupils supporting younger ones with safety messages. For parents of Reception children, that point is practical: safety education is most effective when it is repeated in simple language and reinforced through peer examples.
Pastoral life at this age also includes building a sense of belonging. The presence of school pets, guinea pigs named Cumberland and Sausage, is a small detail that can have a large emotional payoff for some children, particularly those who find separation or transitions difficult. Caring routines also create natural opportunities for staff to teach responsibility in ways that feel concrete rather than moralising.
Extracurricular life is unusually well signposted for an infant setting, with a clear list of clubs and a structured wraparound offer.
After School Football runs on Wednesdays from 3.15pm to 4.15pm and is described as inclusive for girls and boys of all ability levels, focusing on skills such as passing, shooting, and dribbling. It is run by Pompey in the Community.
Choir is led by Miss Fletcher on Wednesday lunchtimes (12.30 to 1pm), starting in November and open to Year 1 and Year 2.
Ukulele Club is run on Tuesday afternoons in small groups of six to eight children.
Art Club takes place every Tuesday after school.
Gardening Club is hosted every Monday by Mrs Reckless.
Running Club is held every Wednesday lunchtime by Mr Cronen, framed as building athletic skills and supporting active play.
The implication for families is that enrichment is not treated as an add-on only for older pupils. Clubs at this age can support social confidence, fine motor skills, listening, and persistence, often in a lower-pressure context than the classroom.
The school describes a Wilding Project intended to increase time outdoors with nature, linked to community fundraising and physical changes on site. It also references a new mural by Billy Colours as part of that work. For parents, the practical value is that it signals investment in the environment children use daily, not only in formal learning resources.
Breakfast and after-school provision is described as operating within the Stem Hub and offering STEM-themed activities such as Lego, games, and puzzles, alongside playground time and indoor play choices such as crafts, role play, and construction resources. Capacity is stated as up to 30 children for breakfast club and up to 45 for after-school club. For working families, that scale matters, because it suggests provision is established rather than ad hoc, while also implying that availability can be tight.
The published school day runs from 8.45am to 3.15pm, with a stated total weekly time of 32 hours and 30 minutes. Wraparound care is available through the school’s breakfast and after-school club; availability can be competitive, so regular users should plan bookings ahead.
For early years, Little Cumberland Pre-School lists a range of session times including morning, afternoon, and full-day options, with lunch time structured around a packed lunch. Nursery and pre-school fee details should be checked directly with the provider, particularly for funded entitlement rules and session combinations.
Competition for Reception places. With 194 applications for 60 offers in the recorded cycle, the school has meaningful demand pressure. Families should plan on realistic alternatives and understand the admissions criteria early.
Year 3 transfer planning is part of the deal. As an infant school, children will need a planned move after Year 2. Portsmouth publishes a separate Year 3 transfer timeline with the same January closing date and April offer day for the 2026 cycle.
Wraparound is a strength, but spaces can be limited. Breakfast and after-school provision is well-defined and activity-based, but the school flags popularity and does not imply guaranteed places.
Beach School is signposted but not yet detailed. The school website currently labels Beach School as coming soon, so parents who prioritise coastal outdoor learning should ask what delivery looks like in practice and when it will run.
Cumberland Infant School is a small, popular infant setting with a clear focus on early years development, structured values-led routines, and a notably detailed menu of clubs and wraparound options for this age range. The latest official judgement supports a picture of consistent provision across teaching, behaviour, leadership, and early years.
It best suits families who want a traditional infant-school foundation with active enrichment, practical wraparound care, and clear routines for younger children, and who are prepared to manage the competition for places and the planned Year 3 transfer that follows.
The latest Ofsted inspection outcome was Good (6 December 2022), with Good judgements across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.
Applications for starting school in September 2026 are coordinated through Portsmouth City Council. The published deadline for on-time applications is Thursday 15 January 2026, and offers are released on Thursday 16 April 2026.
Yes. The recorded admissions demand data shows 194 applications for 60 offers, with the school described as oversubscribed.
Yes. Little Cumberland Pre-School accepts children aged 2 to 4 and lists a range of session patterns across mornings, afternoons, and full days. Funded and non-funded places are described, and families should confirm exact availability and entitlement rules directly.
As an infant school, pupils typically transfer to a junior or primary school for Year 3. Portsmouth publishes a Year 3 transfer process with a January closing date and April offer day for the 2026 cycle, so families should plan for this well before the end of Year 2.
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