New Town Primary School

New Town Primary is a highly inclusive primary academy in the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust. Inspectors found a caring, aspirational school where pupils are proud of its diversity, feel safe and behave well. The school has an above-average proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language, and many pupils join after Nursery or Reception; leaders identify needs quickly and support new arrivals, pupils with SEND and families well. This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and, under current arrangements, no overall effectiveness grade was awarded. The curriculum is sequenced clearly in every subject from early years, and reading is a particular strength: phonics teaching is consistent, pupils read with increasing fluency, and those needing extra help are supported effectively. Spoken language and vocabulary are developed well, and pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment, trips and clubs. Pastoral support is strong and extends to whole families, while attendance work has reduced absence. Trust and governance are well informed and provide appropriate support and challenge, and safeguarding is effective. The main area for improvement is writing. Although the school has recently revised the writing curriculum after careful analysis, teachers do not always have the subject and pedagogical knowledge to teach all aspects of it. As a result, some activities and explanations do not consistently help pupils build their writing skills, and pupils do not achieve as well as they could in this area.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive culture that celebrates diversity and welcomes pupils and families who speak English as an additional language
• High expectations for pupils' learning and behaviour, with pupils listening carefully and working hard
• Strong pastoral support for pupils and families, including therapeutic help and signposting to external services
• Clear curriculum sequencing in every subject from Nursery and Reception
• Effective phonics and reading provision, with pupils reading fluently and extra help available when needed
• Good development of spoken language and vocabulary across the school, including early years
• Well-considered personal development through learning about faiths and cultures, clubs and trips
• Effective support for pupils with SEND and for pupils who join the school after Nursery or Reception
• Trust and governing body are well informed and provide appropriate support and challenge
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective and attendance work has reduced absence

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not always have the subject and pedagogical knowledge needed to teach all aspects of the recently updated writing curriculum
• Some writing activities and explanations do not consistently help pupils build their writing skills, so pupils do not achieve as well as they could

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 New Town Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at New Town 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 New Town Primary School had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.6% 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, 13.7% of pupils at New Town Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 9 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 New Town Primary School received £7,113 and spent £7,052 for each of its 401 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £283,000 (£706 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, income was £7,225 and spending £7,175 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.

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All schools in Reading · Reading local authority: places and applications

New Town Primary School is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:

• St John's Church of England Primary School Reading
• New Christ Church Church of England Primary School Reading
• Kidmore End Church of England Primary School Reading
• Jennett's Park CofE Primary School Bracknell
• Burchetts Green CofE Infants' School Maidenhead
• Ranelagh School Bracknell
• Streatley Church of England Primary School Reading
• All Saints Church of England Junior School Maidenhead
• Holyport CofE Primary School Maidenhead
• St Luke's CofE Primary School Maidenhead

What is New Town Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for New Town Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was New Town Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

New Town Primary School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does New Town Primary School have?

New Town Primary School has 410 pupils on roll.

What age range does New Town Primary School cover?

New Town Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are New Town Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is New Town Primary School?

New Town Primary School is at School Terrace, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3LS.