Croftlands Infant School Review 2026, Early years to Year 2 with strong routines and outdoor learning

Traditional school performance conversations often start with Key Stage 2 results, but this is an infant school, so pupils leave at the end of Year 2 rather than staying through Year 6. In practice, parents should judge academic strength through the quality of early reading, language development, and the clarity of the curriculum sequence, alongside how well the school identifies and supports additional needs.

Early reading is positioned as a whole-school priority. The inspection report highlights that staff are trained to deliver the early reading programme effectively, and that children in Reception and Key Stage 1 develop secure phonics knowledge, with early language also emphasised for two-year-olds.

From the school’s own curriculum pages, phonics teaching is built around a systematic synthetic phonics programme called Floppy’s Phonics, with fully decodable reading books and take-home resources that match the sounds pupils are learning. For families, the implication is straightforward, home reading can be easier to support when the book precisely matches classroom phonics, because children are practising decoding rather than guessing.

In mathematics, the school describes a practical, mastery-informed approach, with planned progression supported by White Rose Maths resources, and an emphasis on fluency, reasoning, and problem solving even at this young age. The benefit here is that pupils who are confident with number and pattern in Year 2 usually transition to junior school ready for the increased pace and the growing expectation of independent recording.

Parents comparing local options can also use FindMySchool’s local hub and comparison tools to keep notes on key differentiators that matter at infant level, for example wraparound hours, early reading approach, and continuity into junior school.

Teaching quality at this stage is about the architecture of the week. What gets repeated, what gets revisited, and how adults check what children have understood before moving on. The latest inspection evidence suggests the curriculum has been improved since the previous inspection, with key knowledge clearly sequenced in most areas, but also notes that in a small number of subjects the important knowledge and assessment checks were not as clearly defined as in the strongest subjects.

That kind of “strong overall, tighten a few areas” profile is common in schools that invest heavily in reading and maths, then progressively sharpen foundation subject progression and assessment as staff confidence grows. For parents, it is worth asking how subjects like geography, history, and the creative curriculum are organised across Reception to Year 2, and how the school checks retention in age-appropriate ways, often through talk, retrieval practice, and practical tasks rather than formal tests.

The school’s reading approach is described with multiple layers, phonics as the core decoding engine, carefully matched books for practice, and daily story time to build comprehension, vocabulary, and enjoyment. That balance matters, because infant pupils can decode accurately yet still struggle to talk about what a story means; schools that take story language seriously tend to support broader literacy.

As an infant school, transition is a major part of the offer. The school describes a structured relationship with the neighbouring junior school, including a transition plan organised after Easter, shared assemblies, and reciprocal performances across the year. This has a practical advantage, pupils can become familiar with staff and routines before the move, which often reduces anxiety for children who find change difficult.

For families, the key question is usually not “Where do pupils go next?” but “How smooth is the move, and how much of Year 2 is designed with that in mind?” The described approach suggests a deliberate handover rather than a last-minute summer term scramble.

Reception entry for this school runs through the coordinated admissions process of Westmorland and Furness, rather than a direct application to the school. The published coordinated admissions scheme for September 2026 sets the closing date for Reception applications as 15 January 2026, with offers issued on 16 April 2026 (or the next working day).

Demand is a real feature here. The admissions data for the main intake route shows 49 applications for 28 offers, which equates to a subscription ratio of 1.75 applications per place offered. This indicates competition for places, even before you factor in families who apply as a second or third preference.

Nursery admissions are handled differently. The school states that Nursery application forms for a September 2026 start are available from January 2026, and it also notes waiting lists for its younger age rooms (the 2 to 3 provision and the under 2s). The practical implication is that families who want an early years place, particularly in the youngest rooms, should plan ahead and treat availability as variable across the year.

If you are using distance as part of your shortlisting logic, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check practical travel time and realistic daily routine, even when official distance cut-offs are not published as a single headline number.

Pastoral care at infant level is mostly about predictability, relationships, and early identification. The inspection evidence points to children trusting staff for reassurance, and to a calm, friendly culture in which pupils learn respectful behaviour from the early years.

Support for additional needs is described as systematic, with effective processes to identify needs and adaptations to help pupils with special educational needs and disabilities access the curriculum. The school’s SEND information also frames inclusion as a core commitment, and identifies a named SENCo role on the site.

Ofsted also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective, while identifying areas where staff training coverage and safer recruitment checks needed tighter oversight. For parents, the sensible response is not alarm, but curiosity, ask what has changed since the inspection, how training is tracked, and how recruitment checks are quality-assured.

Extracurricular at infant level works best when it is simple, consistent, and genuinely accessible to young children. The published club list for 2024 to 2025 includes a multi-sports club for Year 1, Lego Club for Year 1, choir for Year 2, and a film club for Reception. These are age-appropriate choices, movement-based activity, structured creative play, and a low-pressure performance option through singing.

Outdoor enrichment is also a distinctive thread. The Forest School programme described by the school emphasises practical woodland tasks and imaginative play, which can suit children who learn best through making and doing.

Wider experiences matter too, even in the youngest years. The latest inspection evidence references educational visits and activities such as a castle visit, canoeing on a lake, and singing in a music festival, alongside charity and community activities like donating food to a local foodbank. The implication for families is a curriculum that reaches beyond the classroom without turning the calendar into a constant parade of costly trips.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual costs associated with school life, such as uniform, trips, and optional clubs.

The published day structure indicates breakfast club from 7.45am to 9.00am, Reception to Year 2 core hours from 8.50am to 3.20pm, and an after-school club running Monday to Thursday from 3.00pm to 5.00pm. The youngest childcare rooms operate longer days and are described as open all year round, except Christmas and bank holidays.

For transport and routine planning, the school sits within the Croftlands neighbourhood, and it is closely linked with the neighbouring junior school for later transition.

• Competition for places. Recent admissions data shows more applications than offers, so families should treat Reception entry as competitive and keep a realistic backup plan.

• Wraparound structure. After-school care is shown as running Monday to Thursday rather than every weekday, which can matter for parents who need consistent Friday coverage.

• Safeguarding process improvement. The latest inspection confirmed effective safeguarding, but also identified areas where training coverage and safer recruitment checks needed more rigorous tracking. Ask what has changed since then, and what governance checks are in place.

• Planning for early years places. Nursery forms for September 2026 are stated as available from January 2026, and the school notes waiting lists for some younger age rooms. Families seeking places for under 3s should plan early.

A calm, routine-led infant and nursery setting with a clearly stated early reading focus, regular outdoor learning through Forest School, and a practical transition link into junior education. It suits families who value a structured start to schooling, want childcare continuity from early years through to Year 2, and are prepared to engage early with admissions for the youngest age groups. The main challenge is managing competition for Reception places and aligning wraparound care with your working week.