Padnell Infant School Review 2026, a values-led infant school with forest school at its heart

As an infant school (Reception to Year 2), there is no Key Stage 2 published outcomes set to compare against England averages in the way parents might expect for a full primary. Rather than treating that as a gap, it is more useful to focus on the early building blocks that underpin later attainment, particularly phonics, language development, and strong classroom routines.

The most recent inspection highlights ambitious leadership and subject curriculums prepared with care and precision, with teachers delivering lessons effectively and checking learning during lessons. The implication for parents is that day-to-day teaching quality is being treated as the engine of progress, rather than relying on end-of-phase test preparation.

There is also an honest improvement thread. Some subject curriculums were described as relatively new and not yet fully embedded, with inconsistency in how well pupils achieve across the wider curriculum, and a need for routine checks that all teachers implement the intended curriculum effectively, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is the right kind of developmental issue for an infant school to be tackling: breadth and consistency, not headline exam performance.

Early reading is clearly prioritised. After a change in phonics scheme, the report notes consistent staff methods, including use of a “phonics arm” to support segmenting sounds. Most pupils are matched to books they can read fluently, and the next step is increasing reading frequency for pupils who need more practice, including through recruited volunteers. The practical implication is that parents should expect a structured phonics approach, and should also expect the school to be proactive when a child needs more repetition and fluency-building rather than simply waiting for confidence to arrive.

Curriculum intent on the school website describes a “child led” approach to topics while ensuring key knowledge and skills are woven into everyday experiences, framed through the same GROW language. This tends to suit children who learn best through concrete experiences and talk-rich classrooms, because the hook is often what children are currently interested in, while adults keep the learning trajectory in view.

Mathematics is evidenced in the inspection through a simple but telling example: pupils persisting to compare the difference between small weights. That kind of task is developmentally appropriate and gives parents a clue about expectations, pupils are encouraged to keep going, explain thinking, and gain confidence through practice rather than speed.

Support for pupils with SEND is described as strong, with clear targets in individual plans. The nuance is important: leaders also recognise that sometimes tasks set for pupils with SEND do not enable them to learn as well as they could, which points to ongoing work around adaptation and precision of scaffolding. For families, the best next step is to ask how targets are reviewed, how adaptations are decided, and how classroom staff share what works for your child.

As an infant school, the main transition is into junior provision at Year 3. The admissions documentation explicitly references a linked junior school, Padnell Junior School, and inspection evidence shows a lived relationship between the schools, with older pupils returning to support at lunchtimes and shared opportunities such as mixed play on the field in summer Friday lunchtimes. For parents, that continuity can reduce the social leap at age seven because the junior school becomes familiar well before the formal move.

In Year 2, enrichment trips are tied into curriculum themes, including visits to Portchester Castle and SeaCity Museum as part of local history projects. This matters for transition because it builds cultural capital and shared experiences children can draw on when they move into junior-phase writing, topic work, and discussion-based learning.

This is a Hampshire County Council community infant school, so Reception entry is coordinated by the local authority rather than handled as a direct school application.

Demand is real. In the latest available admissions figures the school recorded 179 applications and 84 offers for the main entry route, which equates to 2.13 applications per offer and an oversubscribed status. The practical implication is simple: families should treat this as competitive and plan on submitting a complete application on time, with realistic alternatives listed. (No last-distance figure is available for the same results, so proximity cannot be benchmarked here.)

For September 2026 Reception entry, the published admissions policy sets a PAN (published admission number) of 90, and confirms the key dates: applications close at midnight on 15 January 2026, with offer notifications issued on 16 April 2026.

Oversubscription criteria follow a familiar Hampshire structure. After looked after and previously looked after children, priority includes exceptional medical or social need with professional evidence, children of qualifying staff, catchment children with siblings (including the linked junior school), then other catchment children, then out-of-catchment siblings, and finally other children ranked by straight-line distance, with random allocation used as a tie-break where distances are equal.

A useful planning tool at this stage is FindMySchool’s Map Search. Even without a published last-distance figure for this school, checking your distance and listing strong alternatives in the same travel envelope keeps applications grounded in what is realistically achievable.

Safeguarding is a clear strength. The inspection states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, supported by a strong culture, thorough staff training, and swift action where concerns need escalation. For parents, that is the baseline you want, and it is explicitly evidenced here.

Wellbeing support is more than reactive. The Parent Hub is positioned as a regular support offer for families, open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, with practical help across routines, behaviour, eating and sleeping, and bereavement, plus a Stay and Play element. This kind of offer often matters most in Reception and Year 1 when family routines are shifting and small problems can become big ones if they are not addressed early.

Behaviour support is described with care and sensitivity, including for pupils who need specific behaviour support and those with SEND. Combined with the Golden Acorn recognition system, which rewards exceptional effort in work or behaviour and is celebrated publicly, the overall message is that effort and kindness are noticed early and often.

The enrichment story is unusually concrete for an infant setting. Forest school is highlighted as a relished part of school life, linked to developing care for the environment and, importantly, to learning how to manage risk safely, including controlled fire-lighting with explicit teaching about risks and what to do if something goes wrong. For many families, this is a strong signal that the school values hands-on learning and practical life skills, not just desk-based work.

Clubs and activities exist in a few layers. There is wraparound provision, then separately organised after-school clubs. Current examples include football with Skilful Sports, Southern Karate, and AAA Gymnastics for Years 1 and 2. The implication for parents is that you can build a week of consistent activity without overcommitting very young children, and you can choose based on temperament, movement-based clubs for high-energy pupils, and structured skill-building for those who benefit from routine.

Music has a specific pathway too. A club run by Hampshire Music Service is referenced as a way for some pupils to develop early promise, alongside a structured music curriculum that includes an African drumming unit. For parents, this points to music being treated as a real curriculum area rather than a once-a-term extra.

There are also “beyond the norm” experiences: all Year 2 pupils had a skiing taster session in the year referenced by inspection. That is not about producing skiers. It is about widening horizons, giving children a shared challenge, and building confidence in trying something unfamiliar, which is often the hidden foundation of later resilience in learning.

The school day structure is clearly published. Doors open 8.40am to 8.55am (rolling registration), doors close at 8.55am, and the day ends at 3.05pm. Shared site gates open 8.30am to 9.00am and again at 3.00pm.

Wraparound care is available on-site. Breakfast Club runs 7.30am to 8.40am and After School Kids Club runs 3.05pm to 5.00pm, with session prices published as £5 and £6.50 respectively. For working families, the key decision is whether a 5.00pm finish fits your commuting pattern, or whether you need a later option elsewhere.

Uniform and kit expectations are simple and practical (including PE kit and outdoor-learning items such as wellington boots). Parents should also be aware the school describes itself as cashless for most payments, which can make day-to-day admin easier once set up.

• Oversubscription is the norm. The school is oversubscribed in the latest available admissions figures, and the September 2026 timeline has a hard deadline of 15 January 2026 with offers on 16 April 2026. Families should plan early and list realistic alternatives alongside this preference.

• Curriculum consistency is still bedding in. The wider curriculum has been significantly developed, but not all subjects were described as fully embedded, with a stated need to ensure consistent implementation and checking of essential knowledge, including for pupils with SEND. Ask what has changed since March 2023, and how subject leaders check impact.

• Wraparound ends at 5.00pm. That is plenty for many families, but it may be tight if you regularly finish work later or have a longer commute. Clarify your contingency plan before relying on it week in, week out.

• Transition at age seven is a real step. The linked junior relationship is a strength, but it is still a move. It suits children who are ready for a bigger setting in Year 3, while some may need careful preparation and reassurance.

This is a settled, well-structured infant school that puts values into daily practice and backs them up with tangible experiences, forest school, purposeful enrichment trips, and clear routines around behaviour and effort. The Good judgement in March 2023, alongside explicit evidence of effective safeguarding, supports the picture of a calm, well-run setting.

Who it suits: families in the local area who want an infant start that takes early reading seriously, offers practical enrichment, and values close partnership with parents, including structured support through the Parent Hub. The main hurdle is admission rather than what follows.