The Ambleside Centre
The Ambleside Centre is a local authority nursery school in Reading for pupils aged 3 to 5. It has 99 pupils on roll.
| Type | Other schools / Local authority nursery school |
| Age Range | 3-5 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Ambleside Close Reading RG5 4JJ |
| Reference Number | 109759 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 99 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 54.55%
Girls: 45.45% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 0% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 21.2% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 50.5% |
| Asian, Other | 23.2% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 7.1% |
| White, Other | 6.1% |
| White & Asian | 6.1% |
| Pakistani | 2% |
| Indian | 1% |
| White & Black (African) | 1% |
| Mixed, Other | 1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | This school has not had an inspection yet. |
| Date | Report |
|---|
In 2025–26 The Ambleside Centre had 18.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for nursery schools was 24.9). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 13.4%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 22.4 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 6.9 | 5.3 | 9.5 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 6.9 | 8.4 | 5.4 | 3.7 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 11.6% | 26.3% | 0.0% | 46.7% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 26.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | – | 60.0% | – | – | – | 40.0% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sick days per teacher | – | 2.7 | – | – | – | 1.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.
In 2025–26, 14.1% of pupils at The Ambleside Centre were on SEN support (nationally 16.7%) and 2.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 2.4%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 12 | 2 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 2 | 0 |
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded nursery schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2025–26 The Ambleside Centre received £29,181 and spent £28,514 for each of its 56 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £12,000 (-£218 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | -£22,000 | £15,000 | -£96,000 | -£81,000 | -£81,000 | -£109,000 | -£50,000 | -£12,000 |
| per pupil | -£307 | £146 | -£1,095 | -£918 | -£1,161 | -£1,372 | -£768 | -£218 |
| In-year balance | -£79,000 | £37,000 | -£110,000 | £15,000 | £0 | -£28,000 | £60,000 | £37,000 |
| per pupil | -£1,078 | £370 | -£1,263 | £171 | £2 | -£358 | £923 | £667 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
| Name | Distance |
|
Beechwood Primary School
Ambleside Close, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4JJ |
0.02 miles |
|
South Lake Primary School
Campbell Road, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 3NA |
0.41 miles |
|
Rivermead Primary School
Loddon Bridge Road, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4BS |
0.41 miles |
|
St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School
Western Avenue, Woodley, Berkshire, RG5 3BH |
0.41 miles |
|
Highwood Primary School
Fairwater Drive, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 3JE |
0.53 miles |
|
Willow Bank Infant School
Duffield Road, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4RW |
0.74 miles |
|
Willow Bank Junior School
Duffield Road, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4RW |
0.74 miles |
|
Woodley CofE Primary School
Hurricane Way, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4UX |
0.88 miles |
|
Sonning Church of England Primary School
Liguge Way, Sonning, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 6XF |
1.18 miles |
|
Earley St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Church Road, Earley, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 1EY |
1.19 miles |
|
Loddon Primary School
Silverdale Road, Earley, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 7LR |
1.28 miles |
|
Aldryngton Primary School
Off Silverdale Road, Earley, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 7HR |
1.36 miles |
|
Alfred Sutton Primary School
148 Wokingham Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 1JR |
1.45 miles |
|
Hawkedon Primary School
Hawkedon Way, Lower Earley, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 3AP |
1.48 miles |
|
Winnersh Primary School
Greenwood Grove, Winnersh, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 5LH |
1.91 miles |
|
Radstock Primary School
Radstock Lane, Earley, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 5UZ |
1.91 miles |
|
Redlands Primary School
Lydford Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5QH |
1.92 miles |
|
New Town Primary School
School Terrace, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3LS |
2 miles |
|
St Nicholas Church of England Primary, Hurst
School Road, Hurst, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG10 0DR |
2.08 miles |
|
St John's Church of England Primary School
121-147 Orts Road, Reading, 121-147 Orts Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3JN |
2.11 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Addington School
Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 3EU |
0.59 miles |
|
The Bulmershe School
Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 3EU |
0.59 miles |
|
Waingels
Waingels Road, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4RF |
1.09 miles |
|
Maiden Erlegh School
Silverdale Rd, Earley, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 7HS |
1.33 miles |
|
Reading Blue Coat School
Holme Park, Berkshire, RG4 6SU |
1.42 miles |
|
UTC Reading
Crescent Road, East Reading, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5RQ |
1.58 miles |
|
Maiden Erlegh School in Reading
81 Crescent Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5SL |
1.58 miles |
|
The Forest School
Robin Hood Lane, Winnersh, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 5NE |
1.83 miles |
|
Reading School
Erleigh Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5LW |
2.17 miles |
|
Red Balloon Learner Centre Reading
220-222 Kings Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 4JJ |
2.29 miles |
|
Leighton Park School
Shinfield Road, Reading, RG2 7ED |
2.36 miles |
|
Oak Tree School
Woodward Close, Winnersh, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 5LP |
2.37 miles |
|
Hamilton School
135 Bulmershe Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5SG |
2.4 miles |
|
Groveside School
40 Christchurch Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 7AY |
2.43 miles |
|
The Abbey School Reading
17 Kendrick Road, Reading, RG1 5DZ |
2.5 miles |
|
The Deenway Montessori School
3-5 Sidmouth Street, Reading, RG1 4QZ |
2.55 miles |
|
Kendrick School
London Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5BN |
2.58 miles |
|
Reddam House Berkshire
Bearwood Road, Wokingham, RG41 5BG |
2.66 miles |
|
Reading Girls' School
Northumberland Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 7PY |
2.7 miles |
|
Dolphin School
|
2.73 miles |
All schools in Reading · Reading local authority: places and applications
How many pupils does The Ambleside Centre have?
The Ambleside Centre has 99 pupils on roll.
What age range does The Ambleside Centre cover?
The Ambleside Centre for pupils aged 3 to 5.
Where is The Ambleside Centre?
The Ambleside Centre is at Ambleside Close, Reading, RG5 4JJ.