Highwood Copse Primary School

Highwood Copse Primary has entered its first Ofsted inspection with a positive overall effectiveness rating of 'Good'. The school excels in areas such as personal development and early years provision, which are both rated as 'Outstanding'. The pupils thrive in a supportive and engaging atmosphere, allowing them to build strong relationships and achieve well. The curriculum is well-implemented across most year groups, enabling students to reach high standards in their learning, particularly in essential subjects like phonics and mathematics.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate outstanding behaviour and attitudes towards learning.
• Exceptional provision in early years, with children quickly developing confidence.
• Effective curriculum planning that supports strong academic achievement.
• Highly skilled staff providing tailored support for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Some gaps exist in pupils' knowledge in the wider curriculum, impacting their ability to make connections in learning.

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 Highwood Copse Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.2% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Highwood 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 Highwood Copse Primary School had 22.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.5% 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, 10.1% of pupils at Highwood Copse Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 2024–25 Highwood Copse Primary School received £8,410 and spent £8,108 for each of its 122 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £451,000 (£3,699 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of The Thames Learning Trust, income was £7,763 and spending £7,300 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

Highwood Copse Primary School is part of The Thames Learning Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Ashford Hill Primary School Thatcham
• Battle Primary Academy Reading
• Reading Girls' School Reading
• Phoenix Infant Academy Slough
• Baylis Court School Slough

What is Highwood Copse Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Highwood Copse Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Highwood Copse Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Highwood Copse Primary School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Highwood Copse Primary School have?

Highwood Copse Primary School has 149 pupils on roll.

What age range does Highwood Copse Primary School cover?

Highwood Copse Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Highwood Copse Primary School?

Highwood Copse Primary School is at Highwood Copse Way, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 9BS.