Horndean Infant School Review 2026, a popular infant school with strong early years practice

As an infant school finishing at the end of Year 2, there is less emphasis on headline end of Key Stage 2 measures, because pupils move to a separate junior school before that point. What matters more is whether children leave Year 2 ready for Key Stage 2 demands: fluent early reading, secure number sense, and the confidence to learn independently.

The available external evidence focuses heavily on curriculum strength rather than raw scores. The published picture is of a broad curriculum that revisits prior learning so knowledge sticks, with ambitious end points for what pupils should know, remember, and be able to do.

If you want a practical way to interpret this as a parent, look for two things in pupils’ work and conversations: (1) whether they can explain ideas in their own words, and (2) whether they remember key content after a few weeks, not just immediately after a topic finishes. A curriculum designed around spaced revisiting should make both more visible.

Teaching here appears to be organised around clarity and repetition, which is exactly what many 3 to 7 year olds need. Subject leadership is used to support staff consistency, and the early years team is described as highly knowledgeable about individual pupils’ next steps, including for children with special educational needs and or disabilities.

Early reading and phonics

Reading is treated as a priority from the start, with early years teaching described as precise and effective in helping children learn to read quickly. At the same time, there is a candid acknowledgement that more pupils have found learning to read difficult in recent years, and that the school has been introducing a new phonics approach to improve how targeted support is matched to the specific sounds pupils struggle with.

The implication is reassuring for parents who worry about early reading, because it suggests two things at once: high ambition for fluent reading by the end of Year 2, and a willingness to adjust practice when outcomes are not where leaders want them to be.

Curriculum breadth with practical enrichment

A useful marker of curriculum intent is how the school frames “experience” alongside classroom content. The curriculum area references a structured set of rich experiences (described as the “HIS 50”), which signals that leaders want pupils to do memorable, concrete things, not only worksheets and carpet sessions.

One distinctive external detail is that the school was included in Ofsted’s list of schools visited for history subject inspections carried out between November 2019 and March 2020. That does not replace a full inspection judgement, but it does suggest that curriculum thinking in foundation subjects has attracted serious professional attention in the past.

Most pupils move on after Year 2, and for many families the main “destination” question is which junior school follows. The linked junior school is Horndean Church of England Controlled Junior School, and Hampshire’s own school listing flags it explicitly as linked.

Practically, parents should treat the infant years as preparation for the step up in independence and stamina that Key Stage 2 demands. When visiting, it is worth asking how transition is handled, what information is shared with receiving junior schools, and how Year 2 routines build towards junior expectations.

Competition is the defining feature for Reception entry. The school is oversubscribed, and the latest admissions snapshot recorded 184 applications for 89 offers, with first preferences only slightly higher than offers (a 1.07 first preference ratio). That pattern typically means many families list the school as a realistic first choice, not only an aspirational one.

Key dates for September 2026 entry

For Hampshire families applying for Reception (Year R) in September 2026, the coordinated admissions timetable is clear: applications opened on 1 November 2025; the on time deadline was 15 January 2026; and National Offer Day is 16 April 2026, with waiting lists established from 30 April 2026. This matches the school’s own admissions page wording around the 16 April 2026 notification date.

For in year moves aiming for a September 2026 start, Hampshire states that applications can be made from 1 May 2026 and are processed from 8 June 2026.

Nursery admissions, and the common misunderstanding

The nursery offers places from age 3, and the school highlights use of funded early education and childcare support. The important admissions reality is that a nursery place does not remove the need to apply properly for Reception through the local authority route. Government guidance is explicit that parents must still apply even if a child attends a linked nursery or infant setting.

How to be strategic

For families trying to judge their chances, distance is often the deciding factor, but no last distance data is published in the available results for this school. The practical alternative is to read the school’s published oversubscription criteria carefully, then use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check how your home compares with likely cut off patterns in your area.

Pastoral strength in infant schools often shows up as fast, calm intervention and adults who know children exceptionally well. The published evidence supports that style: pupils report trusting adults with worries, and parents expressed strong confidence during the inspection period.

Inspectors also found that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with appropriate record keeping, safer recruitment checks, and governor awareness of safeguarding duties.

For pupils with additional needs, the school’s SEN information identifies the SENCo as Mrs Elisa Buckley. The most useful next step for parents is to ask how support works day to day in class, what early identification looks like in Nursery and Reception, and how communication with families is structured.

Extracurricular breadth in infant schools is rarely about dozens of clubs; it is about a small number done well, plus wide participation. External evidence points to sports clubs and ukulele lessons as current examples of structured opportunities beyond lessons.

The more interesting question is inclusion. The same external evidence suggests leaders wanted a wider activity menu, because take up was mixed for some groups, including pupils with SEND. That is not a red flag, it is a realistic challenge in infant settings where staffing and timings are tight. For families, the implication is to ask what is offered now, who it is designed for, and how the school ensures children who need extra confidence are actively encouraged to join in.

The school day timings published for pupils indicate an 08:40 to 08:50 drop off window, with doors closing at 08:50, and the end of the school day at 15:15.

Wraparound care is clearly signposted. Morning provision starts at 07:30, with breakfast club drop off handled via the linked junior school and children escorted across by staff; after school provision runs until 18:00.

Food is also straightforward for parents to budget for: the school states that all infant pupils are entitled to a hot meal at no cost. For nursery specific pricing, the school directs families to its own nursery information; it also references funded hours and vouchers, so it is sensible to check eligibility early.

• Reception entry is competitive. The latest admissions snapshot recorded 184 applications for 89 offers, so families should treat entry as uncertain and keep realistic alternatives on the form.

• Phonics transition work may be ongoing. External evidence highlights a new phonics approach being introduced, with a specific focus on ensuring support resources match pupils’ sticking points. This is a sensible improvement priority, but parents of children who struggle with reading should ask exactly how intervention works week to week.

• Clubs may feel limited for some children. The published picture suggests enrichment exists but that leaders wanted a broader, more inclusive offer, especially for pupils with SEND. Families who care a lot about after school options should ask what is currently available and how children are encouraged to take part.

• Think ahead to the junior transition early. As an infant school, the main destination decision happens at Year 2, not Year 6. It is worth considering the linked junior pathway from the beginning.

This is a well regarded infant school where early years quality is a clear strength and the wider curriculum is treated seriously, not as filler between phonics and maths. Admission is the obstacle; for families who secure a place, day to day school life appears calm, purposeful, and strongly anchored in simple values children can understand.

Best suited to families who want a structured start to school, value strong early years practice, and are comfortable planning early and pragmatically for competitive Reception admissions.