Find the best primary schools in West Berkshire. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
West Berkshire has 69 primary schools, all in West Berkshire council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 69, 35 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any West Berkshire primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Enborne C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 4.9 / 5 |
| Theale C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 4.7 / 5 |
| Bradfield C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 4.7 / 5 |
| Birch Copse Primary School | Mixed | 4.6 / 5 |
| Streatley C.E. Voluntary Controlled School | Church of England | 4.6 / 5 |
| Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School | Church of England | 4.6 / 5 |
| John Rankin Infant and Nursery School | Mixed | 4.6 / 5 |
| Yattendon C.E. Primary School |
There are 69 primary schools in West Berkshire.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 69 primary schools in West Berkshire, 35 have a religious character: 32 Church of England and 3 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Enborne C.E. Primary School (4.9), Theale C.E. Primary School (4.7), Bradfield C.E. Primary School (4.7), Birch Copse Primary School (4.6) and Streatley C.E. Voluntary Controlled School (4.6). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 69 schools here, 65 have enough published data for a rating.
| Church of England |
| 4.5 / 5 |
| Mrs Bland's Infant School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Robert Sandilands Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| The Ilsleys Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Westwood Farm Infant School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Highwood Copse Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Hampstead Norreys C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Calcot Infant School and Nursery | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| St Paul's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.2 / 5 |
| Parsons Down Infant School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| The Willows Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Falkland Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Curridge Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Inkpen Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Hermitage Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Springfield Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Downsway Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Englefield C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Hungerford Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Speenhamland School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Beedon C.E. (Controlled) Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Cold Ash St Mark's CE Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Burghfield St Mary's C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Finian's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.5 / 5 |
| Compton C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Aldermaston C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Thatcham Park CofE Primary | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Chaddleworth St Andrew's C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Stockcross C.E. School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Woolhampton C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Lambourn CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| St Nicolas C.E. Junior School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Calcot Junior School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Mortimer St Mary's C.E. Junior School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Pangbourne Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Long Lane Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Westwood Farm Junior School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Brimpton C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Purley CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Spurcroft Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.1 / 5 |
| Whitelands Park Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Francis Baily Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Chieveley Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Kennet Valley Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Garland Junior School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| The Winchcombe School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Welford and Wickham C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 2.9 / 5 |
| Bucklebury C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 2.8 / 5 |
| Shefford C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 2.7 / 5 |
| Kintbury St Mary's C.E. Primary School | Church of England | 2.6 / 5 |
| Parsons Down Junior School | Mixed | 2.5 / 5 |
| Beenham Primary School | Mixed | 1.0 / 5 |
| Basildon C.E. Primary School | Church of England | Not yet rated |
| Compton C.E. Primary School | Church of England | Not yet rated |
| John Rankin Infant and Nursery School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| John Rankin Junior School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.