Highwood Copse Primary School, Newbury
Highwood Copse Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Newbury, part of The Thames Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 57% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to West Berkshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Highwood Copse Primary School in detail
Getting a place at Highwood Copse Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put Highwood Copse Primary School as their first choice and 93 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Highwood Copse Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Highwood Copse Primary School are The Willows Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 81% reading, 85% maths); St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School (0.8 miles, Good); Falkland Primary School (1 mile, Good, 82% reading, 87% maths); and John Rankin Infant and Nursery School (1 mile).
The Willows Primary SchoolSt John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery SchoolFalkland Primary SchoolJohn Rankin Infant and Nursery School
The trust
Highwood Copse Primary School is one of 6 schools run by The Thames Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
11.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 15 pupils (10.1%) received SEN support and 4 (2.7%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Highwood Copse Primary School had 10 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newbury Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Highwood Copse Way (opposite), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 75 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Berkshire (26), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Highwood Copse Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 4.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Highwood Copse Primary School are Park House School (0.8 miles) and St Bartholomew's School (0.9 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.8
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Highwood Copse Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Highwood Copse Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Highwood Copse Primary School is in West Berkshire; for families living there:
Apply to West Berkshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Highwood Copse Primary School
Will you get a place at Highwood Copse Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Highwood Copse Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Highwood Copse Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Highwood Copse Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from West Berkshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Highwood Copse Primary School for 2022 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in West Berkshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
57%
Available places
120 pupils
210 places
90 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newbury
Across West Berkshire council
Places available
2,024
Applications
1,547
Got 1st preference
90.8%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across West Berkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
15
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
12.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
149
Total Pupils
76
Boys
73
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
14.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,870
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,347
Per pupil
£880k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
3.2%
Persistent absence
93
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Highwood Copse Primary School
Questions parents ask about Highwood Copse Primary School
What is Highwood Copse Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Highwood Copse Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023.
What is the catchment area for Highwood Copse Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Highwood Copse Primary School is oversubscribed, West Berkshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Highwood Copse Primary School?
Highwood Copse Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 57% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Highwood Copse Primary School?
Classes at Highwood Copse Primary School average 29.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Highwood Copse Primary School?
Highwood Copse Primary School has around 149 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Highwood Copse Primary School?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Highwood Copse Primary School in 2024/25. 3.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Highwood Copse Primary School?
Apply through West Berkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Highwood Copse Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Highwood Copse Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Highwood Copse Primary School?
Highwood Copse Primary School is at Highwood Copse Way, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 9BS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)