Westbury Infant School Review 2026: A caring infant school with a strong reading focus and a well-established resource base

Because this is an infant school, pupils move on at the end of Year 2. That means families should not expect the same headline performance markers used for Year 6 schools, such as Key Stage 2 test outcomes, to be the central lens here.

Instead, what matters most at this phase is whether children leave Year 2 as confident readers, secure in early number, and ready for the greater independence and writing demands of junior school. The strongest available evidence points to a school that prioritises those foundations. Reading is explicitly prioritised, phonics begins immediately on entry to Reception, and pupils who fall behind are supported to catch up quickly.

Mathematics is also described as carefully sequenced from the early years, with vocabulary built deliberately and routine checking of prior learning used to support progression into more complex problem solving.

There is, however, one clear improvement priority that parents should understand. Assessment systems are described as embedded for reading and mathematics, but less developed in some wider curriculum subjects, with a risk that gaps in knowledge can persist if those subjects are not checked as systematically.

Phonics is a defining feature. The school uses Read Write Inc. Phonics, including its language conventions for sounds and letter groups, and starts this work at the very beginning of Reception. The practical implication for parents is that daily practice, consistent routines, and aligned home reading will matter. Children who respond well to repetition and clear structures often thrive with this kind of programme.

Reading is framed as more than decoding. The curriculum intent includes adults reading carefully selected books aloud, with the aim of making reading feel exciting and giving children access to vocabulary and stories that are ahead of what they can yet read independently. For many pupils, this is what turns reading into a habit rather than a task.

In maths, teaching is described as clear and systematic. A specific example referenced in the inspection narrative is a routine used to check what pupils know and can do, which supports retention and helps teachers spot misconceptions before they harden. The benefit, when it is done well, is fewer gaps building up quietly across the year.

The wider curriculum appears deliberately planned and sequenced, with leaders having considered what pupils need to know and when. For parents, this should translate into a curriculum that feels joined up across year groups, rather than a sequence of disconnected themes.

As an infant school, the most common transition is from Year 2 into junior provision. For most families, the practical question is whether your child’s next step is straightforward, and how well the infant phase prepares pupils for that change in expectations.

The school’s approach, strong early reading and structured maths, is broadly aligned with what junior schools tend to need pupils to arrive with. The additional dimension here is the resource base. For children supported through that route, transition planning tends to be more complex, and families should expect coordination with the local authority and the receiving setting.

If you are weighing options, it can help to map your likely junior pathways early, then work backwards to decide whether the infant provision and support structures match your child’s needs. FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful here, not because infant entry is purely about distance, but because it helps families plan realistically around local options and likely travel patterns.

Westbury Infant School is a Wiltshire local authority school, so there are no tuition fees, and admissions are handled through the coordinated council process rather than direct selection by the school.

For Reception entry for September 2026, Wiltshire’s published deadline is 15 January 2026. Offers follow the normal primary timetable for the county. If you are applying after the main round, in-year processes apply, and families should expect fewer vacancies and more reliance on waiting lists.

Demand indicators suggest the school is oversubscribed in the most recent available snapshot, with 86 applications for 62 offers. In practical terms, that usually means you should treat your preference order seriously, and make sure you understand how the local authority’s published oversubscription criteria work, especially if you are moving house or sit close to common boundary lines.

Safeguarding is described as effective, and the broader narrative emphasises staff vigilance and prompt follow-up on concerns, including working with other agencies when families need early help. This matters in infant settings, where early identification and quick communication with parents can make a disproportionate difference to a child’s first experience of school.

Wellbeing support is framed as proactive rather than reactive. The Thrive approach described by the school focuses on building relationships, using practical and sensory activities that suit the developmental stage, and putting small but consistent interventions in place for children who need extra help regulating emotions or navigating friendships.

The resource base also affects pastoral capacity. For pupils with more complex needs, it creates additional structure, smaller group spaces, and specialist support within a mainstream context, which can be a strong fit for some profiles of need and not the right solution for others.

A healthy infant extracurricular offer is less about breadth for its own sake and more about giving young pupils structured chances to practise social skills, coordination, creativity and confidence in low-stakes settings.

The school’s own FAQs give a useful sense of what clubs have been offered recently. Examples include knitting, computing, movie club, board games, dance, skipping, ball games and art. For an infant school, that mix is practical. It includes fine-motor activities, collaborative games, creative options, and movement-based sessions.

Trips and visitors are also part of the wider experience, and are linked explicitly to personal development, safety learning and relationship education. The school indicates that fundraising is used to subsidise trips, and that trips above a certain threshold are capped per child, which can help families predict costs more confidently.

Wraparound care is another key part of life beyond lessons for working families. Breakfast club runs from 7.30am until the start of the school day, and after-school care runs from 3.05pm until 6.00pm, with booking options that fit around clubs.

This is a state infant school with no tuition fees. The key practical differentiator is wraparound provision. Breakfast club begins at 7.30am, and after-school care runs until 6.00pm, delivered by an external provider.

For transport planning, infant schools are usually most workable when the daily routine is simple. If you are comparing options, FindMySchool’s Map Search can help you evaluate walking routes and travel times to likely next-step schools, not just the infant phase.

• Competition for places. The most recent snapshot shows more applications than offers, so families should plan on the basis that a first preference does not guarantee entry.

• Assessment beyond English and maths. Reading and maths assessment is described as established, but assessment in some foundation subjects is still developing, which can allow knowledge gaps to persist if not addressed.

• Resource base admissions are separate. The school operates a resource base with admissions organised separately with the local authority, so families considering this route should expect additional steps and timelines.

• Confirm day structure early. Wraparound timings are clear, but families should confirm the core school day schedule and any club timetables that affect pick-up arrangements.

Westbury Infant School looks like a well-organised start to schooling, with stable leadership, clear behaviour expectations, and a strong focus on early reading and phonics. The resource base adds meaningful specialist capacity inside a mainstream infant context, which will be a strong match for some children and a less suitable model for others.

Best suited to families who want a structured, calm infant phase with wraparound options and a curriculum that puts reading at the centre. The main hurdle is admission demand, so realistic planning and timely application matter.