Purbrook Infant School Review 2026: A three-form entry start with Forest School woven in

Infant schools do not have GCSE or A-level outcomes, and Key Stage 2 measures are not applicable to a setting that finishes at Year 2. For this school, there are no published performance metrics included so it is not appropriate to quote attainment percentages or scaled scores here.

What can be said, based on the most recent inspection evidence, is that pupils are described as achieving highly across the curriculum, with a strong start in Reception for counting and letter formation. In an infant context, that translates into the practical building blocks parents care about: children learning to read fluently, writing with increasing control, and developing number sense early enough that maths does not become a worry later.

If you are comparing local schools and want to keep the decision evidence-led, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools can still help by lining up Ofsted history and admissions pressure side by side, even where formal outcomes are limited at infant phase.

Reading sits at the centre of the curriculum. The January 2025 inspection describes a swift start to reading and writing in Reception, with staff identifying pupils who begin to struggle and intervening quickly so they can keep up. The implication for families is straightforward: if your child needs early reinforcement, the model described is one that aims to prevent gaps becoming ingrained.

The curriculum language is also unusually specific for an infant school. The school’s own curriculum materials reference structured remote education systems (Microsoft Teams and Seesaw) developed for periods of isolation, with leadership roles assigned to support implementation. While remote learning is no longer the day-to-day norm, having an established platform is still useful, for example during short absences or when parents want a clearer view of home support tasks.

Early years leadership is clearly identified, with an EYFS leader named within the leadership team, and SEND leadership sits at assistant headteacher level. That matters because the infant phase is where needs first become visible; a clear line of responsibility usually means faster identification and clearer communication with families.

Because this is an infant school, the key transition is not to secondary but to junior school at Year 3. The school notes close liaison with Purbrook Junior School, which shares the site. For many children, that continuity reduces the social and logistical shock of moving settings at age 7.

Practically, parents should expect Hampshire’s coordinated “infant to junior transfer” process to be part of the journey. Hampshire’s published key dates for September 2026 entry include infant to junior transfer alongside Reception admissions timelines. If your child is due to transfer, it is worth diarising those council dates early, as the junior move is a significant step in expectations and independence even when geography stays familiar.

Entry is competitive. For the main admissions route, there were 207 applications for 90 offers and the route was oversubscribed. That level of demand usually means that, in practice, a strong application is not a differentiator; the published oversubscription criteria and tie-breaks are what matter.

Applications for Reception are coordinated through Hampshire. The school’s own admissions page states that for children due to start in September 2026, applications open on 01 November 2025 and close on 15 January 2026, with outcomes notified on 16 April 2026. Hampshire’s admissions key dates page confirms the same timetable for starting school (Year R).

Open mornings are clearly signposted for the September 2026 intake, listed as Wednesday 05 November, Wednesday 26 November and Wednesday 17 December (these dates align with 2025 weekdays). If you are using open events to judge fit, ask targeted infant-phase questions: phonics approach, how writing stamina is developed in Year 1, and how the school supports summer-born children through Reception routines.

A practical tip: use FindMySchool’s Map Search to sanity-check your home-to-school distance before you commit to a single option. Even where a specific last distance is not published, proximity commonly plays a central role once priority groups are applied.

Pastoral support is visible in staffing. The published staff list includes ELSA roles and a Family Liaison Officer, which is a meaningful commitment for an infant setting where family context and attendance patterns often drive progress as much as classroom teaching. The same staff list shows SENDCo leadership at assistant headteacher level, supporting early identification and consistent plans.

The most recent inspection describes pupils as highly motivated, with excellent attitudes to work, and highlights very high levels of attendance and punctuality. For parents, the significance is not a league-table point; it suggests routines are understood and families generally buy into expectations, which tends to reinforce calm behaviour and steady progress.

Wider development is also addressed deliberately. The inspection notes considered planning around experiences that broaden horizons, including charitable activity and opportunities for pupils to debate topics such as healthy lifestyles and mutual respect. For a 4 to 7 cohort, that is the groundwork for empathy and speaking skills, not “big-school” citizenship messaging.

The school’s most distinctive enrichment feature is Forest School, positioned as regular, year-round sessions in almost all weathers, with a hands-on approach in a woodland environment. The detail that matters is not the label but the intent: developing confidence, self-esteem, cooperation and risk-management within clear safety boundaries. For many children, that kind of structured risk is how resilience becomes real, balancing caution with curiosity.

Forest School is supported by dedicated documentation and timetables for Reception and for Years 1 and 2, signalling that it is not an occasional add-on. Staffing reinforces that too, with a Forest School Teacher listed within the school team.

Wraparound provision is also part of “beyond the classroom” for this age group because it shapes friendships and energy levels. The school advertises breakfast club and an after-school club under its wraparound care offer, and the junior school site confirms that breakfast provision can be used by pupils from both the infant and junior schools. If wraparound is essential, ask about availability early, as spaces can be constrained in popular schools.

The school day starts at 8.45am, with registers closing at 8.55am, and finishes at 3.15pm; the school states pupils are in school for 32.5 hours per week. For working families, wraparound care is an important complement to these hours. The school publishes breakfast club and an after-school club as part of its wraparound offer, and breakfast provision is also referenced as available to infant pupils via the linked junior setting.

On logistics, this is a Waterlooville, Purbrook setting in a largely residential area, and the school notes that many families apply from outside the immediate catchment. If you are travelling in from further afield, build a realistic drop-off plan around peak-time traffic and parking constraints, and confirm any walking-gate arrangements at open events.

• Competition for places. With 207 applications for 90 offers on the main entry route admission is a genuine constraint. Families should keep a realistic back-up list, even if this is first choice.

• Evidence for outcomes is limited at infant phase. There are no applicable GCSE, A-level or Key Stage 2 measures for a 4 to 7 school, and there are no attainment figures available for this listing. For some parents, that means relying more heavily on curriculum detail, inspection evidence and day-to-day routines.

• Wraparound capacity. Breakfast and after-school care are advertised, but wraparound availability can change term to term. If you need regular sessions, confirm capacity and booking expectations early.

• A school day with clear expectations. The culture described in the most recent inspection is purposeful, with values and rules applied consistently. Many children thrive with that clarity; a minority may need a little more time to settle into structured routines.

Purbrook Infant School looks like a well-organised, high-expectation start for young pupils, with reading prioritised early and Forest School treated as a serious strand rather than a novelty. External evidence points to calm behaviour, strong routines and effective safeguarding, and parent demand suggests it is a popular local choice.

Who it suits: families who want a structured infant phase, a strong early reading focus, and outdoor learning integrated into the week. The main hurdle is securing a place, so the best approach is to plan confidently but keep realistic alternatives in play.