Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Reading

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Christ The King Catholic Primary School on 7 areas: 7 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Needs attention. "Not all pupils achieve well enough."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Too many pupils do not attend school often enough."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Teaching does not routinely identify pupils' misconceptions, gaps in their learning and errors that pupils make."

Early years - Needs attention. "Children are not as well prepared for the Year 1 curriculum as they should be."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders have not given sufficient consideration to their strategy for disadvantaged pupils."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders understand the schools' strengths."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "At times, the personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum is not taught well enough."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teaching across all year groups is effective, misconceptions are addressed, gaps are closed quickly and purposeful adaptations are in place, so that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve more highly"; "Leaders should ensure that there is greater focus on pupils securing foundational knowledge and skills, particularly in writing"; "Leaders should ensure that all staff in the early years are supported to teach the curriculum well, including engaging in consistently high-quality interactions that develop children's language and vocabulary so that children are ready for the demands of Year 1"; "Leaders should ensure that behaviour expectations and approaches to behaviour management are consistently applied by all staff so that pupils concentrate well "; "Leaders should continue their work in supporting pupils and families, to improve pupils' levels of attendance over time, including the pupils who are persistently absent"; "Governors and leaders should ensure that the pupil premium strategy is implemented and monitored effectively"; "Leaders should improve the effectiveness of their personal development programme to ensure that pupils learn all that they should, in readiness for life in modern Britain".

In its own words: "Christ the King is a Voluntary Aided Catholic Primary School provided by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth and maintained by Reading Borough. We base our work on the Gospel values of freedom and charity. Our mission statement makes the following three commitments:"

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Christ the King Catholic Primary School and Nursery with The Ark. At Christ the King, our mission is summed up in our vision:"

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include gymnastics and dance.

Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Christ The King Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 70% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Reading and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 64% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 27 families put Christ The King Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 64 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Christ The King Catholic Primary School are Geoffrey Field Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Geoffrey Field Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 70% reading, 80% maths); The Ridgeway Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 72% reading, 69% maths); and Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good, 64% reading, 65% maths).

Christ The King Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.

37.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 39.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (28%), Black (21%) and Mixed (17%).

In 2026, 87 pupils (29.2%) received SEN support and 37 (12.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Christ The King Catholic Primary School has a resourced provision for autism: 18 places, 15 pupils on roll.

Christ The King Catholic Primary School had 19 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Reading Green Park, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gratton Road (opposite), 110 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Christ The King Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 212 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Reading (351).

In 2024/25, Christ The King Catholic Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 2.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Christ The King Catholic Primary School are Hartland High School (0.2 miles), Reading Girls' School (0.9 miles) and Oakbank School (1.4 miles).