Bishopswood School, Reading
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 10 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Bishopswood School excels at creating a warm, secure environment where every pupil feels they belong. Staff know each pupil exceptionally well and provide highly personalised support to help them succeed, whether that's developing communication skills, building independence, or managing behaviour. The school is ambitious for what all pupils can achieve and consistently prepares them well for the next stage of their education.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional attendance rates and behaviour management, with calm and purposeful atmosphere throughout the school
- Highly effective inclusion strategies tailored to individual pupils' needs, with seamless coordination of support
- Strong staff training and professional development programme ensuring all staff are skilled in supporting pupils' specific needs
- Rich and ambitious personal development programme covering music, sport, horticulture, hospitality and more
- Well-constructed, coherent curriculum with three clear pathways meeting pupils' incredibly diverse starting points
Areas for Improvement
- Further expanding the range of qualifications and accreditations available to pupils
- Addressing minor remaining inconsistencies in the quality of teaching practice
- Reviewing and refining the curriculum following its first cycle to secure further improvements
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Music, sport, horticulture, hospitality, travel training in the community, careers programme with local colleges and employers, work experience opportunities, sensory exploration activities, local magazine delivery project
Bishopswood School is a special educational needs school that has transformed its culture and provision from a low baseline to become highly effective. Leaders are relentlessly focused on breaking down barriers for all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or vulnerable.
At a Glance
52.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, VI - Visual Impairment, OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, HI - Hearing Impairment
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2025/26 academic year
Class Sizes
0.0
Avg class size
0
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
73 pupils
72 capacity
1 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Reading
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Reading
Admissions Demand - Oxfordshire
Places available
7,684
Applications
6,969
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
96.5%
Secondary admissions across Oxfordshire (2025/26)
Inspection History
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.35743%
Overall absence
32%
Persistent absence
75
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Bishopswood School
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