Burnham Copse Primary School

Burnham Copse Primary is a welcoming, nurturing school where pupils are described as thriving and flourishing in a positive culture that supports disadvantaged pupils well. Pupils routinely demonstrate the school values, behave kindly and politely, and speak proudly of the school as being 'like a family'. The curriculum is well structured and adapted carefully for mixed-age classes, most pupils achieve well, and pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported by skilled staff. Reading has a clear emphasis, with an inspiring library, effective phonics teaching in the early years and key stage 1, and strong support for pupils who need to catch up at that stage. Safeguarding is effective, governors are committed, staff are positive about working at the school, and most parents are happy with the pastoral and academic support provided. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and it remains a good school overall. The main areas for improvement concern consistency. A small number of pupils in key stage 2 who have gaps in reading knowledge do not receive support that is as rigorous and precise as in key stage 1, which limits their ability to decode texts accurately and fluently. In a small number of subjects, and occasionally in the early years, tasks set by teachers do not always help pupils deepen or retain the key knowledge leaders intend. The school also needs to improve communication with parents: a significant proportion of parents who responded to Ofsted Parent View do not feel that communication between school and home is effective, and some do not feel as involved in their children's school experience and progress as they would like.

Strengths

• Welcoming, nurturing culture where pupils thrive and feel the school is 'like a family'
• Pupils routinely demonstrate the school values of believe, care, persevere and succeed
• High expectations for behaviour are typically met; pupils are kind, polite and considerate
• Well-structured curriculum identifies important knowledge and is adapted for mixed-age classes
• Most pupils achieve well across the curriculum and draw confidently on prior knowledge
• Strong emphasis on reading, with an inspiring library and effective phonics teaching
• Key stage 1 pupils who need extra reading help receive effective support to catch up
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported by skilled staff
• Calm and orderly school where staff model behaviour expectations well
• Effective action has reduced the number of pupils who were regularly late
• Pupils show empathy and respect and develop a good understanding of equality and British Values
• Varied clubs and opportunities help pupils develop talents and interests
• Governors are deeply committed and fulfil statutory duties, including safeguarding
• Staff are very positive about working at the school and their professional development
• Most parents are very happy with the pastoral and academic support the school provides

Areas for Improvement

• Support for the small number of key stage 2 pupils with reading gaps is not well targeted or as rigorous as in key stage 1
• Some tasks in a small number of subjects do not help pupils learn or embed the key knowledge intended
• Occasionally, tasks do not support pupils to deepen or retain knowledge, including in the early years
• Parent communication is inconsistent, and a significant proportion of Parent View respondents do not feel communication is effective
• Some parents do not feel as involved in their children's school experience and progress as they want to be

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 Burnham Copse Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.6% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Burnham Copse 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 Burnham Copse Primary School had 18.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.3% 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, 27.6% of pupils at Burnham Copse Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 Burnham Copse Primary School received £6,409 and spent £6,568 for each of its 308 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £28,000 (£92 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 Tadley · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Burnham Copse Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Burnham Copse Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Burnham Copse Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Burnham Copse Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Burnham Copse Primary School have?

Burnham Copse Primary School has 308 pupils on roll.

What age range does Burnham Copse Primary School cover?

Burnham Copse Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Burnham Copse Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Burnham Copse Primary School?

Burnham Copse Primary School is at Newchurch Road, Tadley, Hampshire, RG26 4HN.