Garland Junior School, Reading

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Garland Junior School on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Pupils benefit from a well-planned and highly effective programme for personal development and wellbeing."

Achievement - Expected standard. "The school is ambitious for all pupils."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders work persistently to maintain the expectation of high attendance in the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and make informed decisions about how it should evolve."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that staff can identify and assess pupils' needs accurately."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including governors, explicitly understand the school's strengths and have made pragmatic decisions for improvement based on the needs of the pupils."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to embed their approach to teaching and developing pupils' handwriting and spelling so that the quality of pupils' writing improves further"; "Leaders should continue to strengthen the consistency of the wider curriculum, so that highly effective teaching helps pupils to build knowledge securely over time".

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at Garland Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 70% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 71% in West Berkshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (73% in reading, 66% in maths).

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

Across West Berkshire, 91% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.

In 2026, families in West Berkshire lodged 23 appeals against primary school offers; 9 reached a hearing and 3 succeeded (33.3% of those heard).

The nearest other state primary schools to Garland Junior School are Mrs Bland's Infant School (0.3 miles, Good); Burghfield St Mary's C.E. Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 87% reading, 53% maths); Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet School (1.2 miles, Good, 71% reading, 59% maths); and Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School (1.7 miles, Good).

Garland Junior School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.

9.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (68%) and Mixed (9%).

In 2026, 44 pupils (23.8%) received SEN support and 9 (4.9%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

Garland Junior School had 13 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 Theale Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Close (adjacent), 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 46 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Berkshire (26), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Garland Junior School issued 24 suspensions, 13 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.