Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School

Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School is a small, friendly village school that is performing at the expected standard across all evaluated areas. Safeguarding standards are met, and the inspection found a calm, caring and inclusive environment where pupils behave well, attend regularly and feel safe. The school’s Christian ethos and values are evident in positive relationships and pupils’ readiness for the next stage of education. Leaders have a clear, ambitious and sequenced curriculum, with particular strengths in early reading and phonics, early years provision, inclusion and pastoral support. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities generally progress suitably, and the school’s work to improve attendance is increasingly effective. Leadership and governance are effective, staff feel supported, and pupils access a broad personal development offer, including music, sport and enrichment. The main areas for further development are writing, handwriting and spelling, and ensuring task design consistently deepens pupils’ learning over time. Pupils’ understanding of British values and protected characteristics is not yet fully secure. Overall outcomes are broadly in line with national averages, though reading has been below national averages in recent combined measures; the report notes clear progress from starting points.

Strengths

• Warm, caring and inclusive school community with a genuine family feel
• Pupils behave positively, interact kindly and show respect
• Attendance is high and improving, with effective support for families facing barriers
• Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum across subjects
• Strong early reading and phonics provision, including effective catch-up support
• Ambitious early years curriculum with effective indoor and outdoor provision
• Strong inclusive ethos and effective support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
• Effective leadership and governance, with appropriate challenge and support
• Broad personal development programme including music, sport, trips and leadership roles
• Pastoral support is a notable strength, helping pupils regulate and overcome barriers
• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education

Areas for Improvement

• Task design does not consistently enable pupils to deepen their learning over time
• Writing, handwriting and spelling require further strengthening
• Pupils’ understanding of British values and protected characteristics is not yet fully secure
• Reading outcomes have been below national averages in recent combined measures

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School attended 96.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

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, 15.9% of pupils at Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School received £8,325 and spent £9,132 for each of its 88 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £15,000 (-£173 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Newbury · West Berkshire local authority: places and applications

What is Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School have?

Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School has 88 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School cover?

Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School?

Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School is at Common Lane, Brightwalton, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 7BN.