Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery

Fir Tree Primary School has made significant improvements since its last inspection, transitioning from requiring improvement to being deemed good across multiple domains, with the quality of education being a notable strength. The school enjoys a positive atmosphere where pupils feel valued and safe, attributable to effective leadership and a commitment to high expectations. However, the early years provision remains a concern, requiring further development to ensure that children are well prepared for their educational journey.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and commitment from senior leaders.
• Improved curriculum and teaching in mathematics.
• Positive behaviour and attitudes among pupils.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.
• Engaging and enjoyable learning environment.

Areas for Improvement

• Early years curriculum is not fully developed and inconsistently implemented.
• Weak readers do not get enough practice with matched reading materials.
• Variable quality of education in foundation subjects.
• Some pupils have poor attendance.

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 Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.7% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery 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 Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% 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, 18.4% of pupils at Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 12 pupils.

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 2024–25 Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery received £8,645 and spent £6,904 for each of its 236 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £0 (£0 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Newbury Academy Trust, income was £7,900 and spending £7,476 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery is part of Newbury Academy Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Trinity School Newbury
• Speenhamland School Newbury

What is Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.

When was Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery was last inspected in July 2022.

How many pupils does Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery have?

Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery has 239 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery cover?

Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery?

Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery is at Fir Tree Lane, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2RA.