Stonehouse Park Infant School Review 2026, A small infant school with nursery continuity and practical wraparound

Because this is an infant school (up to age 7), it is not judged by Key Stage 2 outcomes, which are published at the end of Year 6 in junior or primary schools. Instead, the most useful “results” lens is the quality of the curriculum and early reading foundations.

Early reading looks like a clear priority. The inspection describes a high-quality phonics programme that is taught well, with additional help put in place promptly for pupils who fall behind. That matters at this age, because confident early decoding is the hinge that later comprehension and writing sit on.

Curriculum documentation published by the federation also points to a knowledge-rich approach in the infant years. For example, essential knowledge materials reference topics and historical examples that are used to build vocabulary and background knowledge, rather than keeping learning purely “theme-based” without substance.

If you are comparing local schools, a practical approach is to use FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages to view nearby primary outcomes side-by-side, then treat this infant school as the early-stage foundation that feeds into the junior phase.

Teaching at infant level is about routines, language, and well-sequenced steps. The clearest indicator here is the way leaders have set out what pupils should learn, including key knowledge, skills, and vocabulary, then built curriculum sequences that support memory over time. The inspection commentary suggests that work in mathematics is structured, with pupils developing fluency, reasoning and problem-solving, and teachers checking understanding through questioning.

The strongest schools at this age also avoid treating foundation subjects as filler. Here, the curriculum story is mixed in a realistic way. Leaders are described as having improved curriculum ambition, but in some foundation subjects the revised curriculum was still early in implementation at the time of inspection, and assessment systems were still being developed. The practical implication is that you should expect strong early reading and mathematics routines, alongside continuing development in how consistently some wider subjects are mapped and assessed.

Special educational needs and disabilities support appears to be built into classroom planning. Leaders are described as identifying needs promptly, then working with staff to adapt teaching and provide pastoral support, so pupils with additional needs access the curriculum successfully.

As an infant school, the most important “destination” is what happens at age 7. The companion junior route is Park Junior School, which sits within the same federation. The junior school’s admissions information is presented as part of the same Elm Road federation context, and the school day timings are published together, which signals an intentional transition pathway rather than a loose local association.

For families, the key implication is continuity. Children can move into the junior phase without the disruption of switching to an entirely different culture, policies, or routines. That said, parents should still check junior-school admissions criteria and timelines early, particularly if you are outside the immediate local area.

This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Admission for Reception is coordinated by Gloucestershire County Council, and the timetable for the September 2026 intake is clearly published.

For the 2026 intake, the application window opened on 03 November 2025 and closed at midnight on 15 January 2026, with allocation day on 16 April 2026, and a 23 April 2026 deadline to accept the offered place or request waiting list consideration.

Demand indicators show that the school is not a “walk-in” option. In the published local authority booklet, the school’s Published Admission Number is 60, and it recorded 38 total preferences for September 2025, with 22 first preferences. for this review also records 38 applications and 25 offers, describing the school as oversubscribed, which is consistent with a small infant school where year-group sizes are capped by space and infant class size rules.

Oversubscription rules for community and voluntary controlled primaries in Gloucestershire place looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then siblings, then distance measured as a straight line using the local authority system. For infant schools, a sibling connection can also be recognised via the companion junior school, which is important for families planning across the 4 to 11 pathway.

For families assessing chances, the most pragmatic step is to use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your home-to-school distance precisely, and to compare it to recent allocation patterns. Even when a school feels “local”, small differences in distance can matter when demand is tight.

In-year applications (moving mid-year) are also referenced by the federation, with families directed to the local authority process.

Young children spend a large proportion of their day learning to be in school. That means wellbeing is not a bolt-on, it is the operational core. Here, pastoral systems appear to combine structured behaviour expectations with practical support for children who struggle to regulate emotions, including adult support and the use of Indie the dog as a calming strategy.

Attendance is the main stated concern. The inspection notes that while many pupils attend well and on time, several pupils were regularly absent, and leaders were expected to keep working with families so children do not miss learning and routine. The implication for parents is simple: this school’s offer is built around steady participation, so frequent absence is likely to set children back, not only academically but also socially.

Ofsted also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

At infant age, extracurricular life is less about elite pathways and more about exposure, confidence, and forming positive habits. The school’s wraparound provision plays a role here, since breakfast club and after-school care provide extra time for social play and structured activities before and after lessons. The federation states that breakfast club is available from 7:30am, and that an after-school club on the infant site runs until 5:45pm.

For organised clubs, published sport premium reporting gives specific examples of after-school activity types offered to younger children, including a games club, a PE club, and a gardening club. These are the sort of clubs that work well at Key Stage 1 because they prioritise movement, coordination, and curiosity, rather than expecting long attention spans after a full school day.

Experiences also matter. The inspection narrative includes examples such as local walks, woodland activities, and a visit linked to meeting Paddington Bear at a railway station, as well as responsibility-focused activities like litter picking and charity fundraising. The underlying implication is that the school uses local context to make learning concrete, which tends to land well for younger pupils who learn through doing.

School hours are clearly published. The infant school day runs from 8:55am to 3:15pm, with gates opening at 8:45am.

Wraparound is a strength on paper because it is specific and structured. Breakfast club starts at 7:30am, and the federation notes a free breakfast club pilot element for infant pupils within that provision. After-school club provision on the infant site runs until 5:45pm.

For nursery families, the federation states that nursery children do not need uniform and should wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing and practical footwear they can manage independently.

On transport, Stonehouse has rail connectivity via Stonehouse railway station. The National Rail station page lists facilities such as station parking and indicates the station’s role as a local transport hub, which can be helpful for families commuting into the area.

• It is genuinely oversubscribed. Published preference data shows 38 preferences for a Published Admission Number of 60 in the local authority booklet, and the results also records an oversubscribed status. This is not a setting where late planning is a low-risk strategy.

• Attendance is a stated improvement focus. The June 2023 inspection highlights regular absence for some pupils. For a school built around routine, repeated absence can make settling harder as well as slowing academic progress.

• Curriculum consistency in some foundation subjects was still bedding in. Leaders had improved ambition, but the revised curriculum and assessment systems were not equally embedded across all subjects at the inspection point. Families who place particular weight on breadth may want to ask how this has developed since 2023.

This is a small, community-focused infant school that appears to take early reading, routines, and pastoral steadiness seriously. It suits families who want a clear early-years-to-infants pathway, practical wraparound, and a structured approach to helping young children learn school expectations. The main constraint is admission rather than the day-to-day experience, so families should plan early and follow the local authority timetable closely.