John Rankin Infant and Nursery School, Newbury
John Rankin Infant and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in Newbury, part of Maiden Erlegh Trust.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to West Berkshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
John Rankin Infant and Nursery School in detail
Getting a place at John Rankin Infant and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 53 families put John Rankin Infant and Nursery School as their first choice and 106 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at John Rankin Infant and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to John Rankin Infant and Nursery School are John Rankin Junior School (under 0.1 miles); Falkland Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 82% reading, 87% maths); St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School (0.7 miles, Good); and St Nicolas C.E. Junior School (0.9 miles, Good, 83% reading, 69% maths).
John Rankin Junior SchoolFalkland Primary SchoolSt John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery SchoolSt Nicolas C.E. Junior School
The trust
John Rankin Infant and Nursery School is one of 11 schools run by Maiden Erlegh Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
7.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 26 pupils (10.8%) received SEN support and 10 (4.2%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newbury Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Garford Crescent (adjacent), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 74 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order 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.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to John Rankin Infant and Nursery School are St Bartholomew's School (0.5 miles) and Park House School (0.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
John Rankin Infant and Nursery School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in January 2026. Before that, as John Rankin Infant and Nursery School (URN 109826), it was rated Good in June 2017.
At a Glance
7.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
24.3
Avg class size
24.5
Infant (KS1)
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with John Rankin Infant and Nursery School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near John Rankin Infant and Nursery School.
- West Berkshire Mencap700m away · Not yet graded
- Elite Camps Newbury980m away · Not yet graded
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to John Rankin Infant and Nursery School, with their latest published grades:
- Ladybirds Pre School - Pre-school, 0.5 milesOfsted report card, 1 July 2026: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Wings & Wellies - Pre-school, 0.6 milesOfsted, 20 June 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Jane's House Montessori - Pre-school, 0.7 milesOfsted, 19 October 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Busy Bees Day Nursery at Newbury - Day nursery, 0.9 milesOfsted report card, 11 May 2026: Expected standard in 1 area, Needs attention in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
- St. John's Pre-School - Pre-school, 1.0 milesOfsted, 30 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to John Rankin Infant and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. John Rankin Infant and Nursery 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.
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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at John Rankin Infant and Nursery School
Will you get a place at John Rankin Infant and Nursery School?
For 2026 entry it had 53 first choices for 59 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
73%
Available places
240 pupils
330 places
90 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
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: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
15.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
240
Total Pupils
128
Boys
112
Girls
2026 academic year
Absence at John Rankin Infant and Nursery School before it took its current form in 20262024/25
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 109826). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
4.2%
Overall absence
7.6%
Persistent absence
145
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
John Rankin Infant and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about John Rankin Infant and Nursery School
What is John Rankin Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
John Rankin Infant and Nursery School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in January 2026. Before that, as John Rankin Infant and Nursery School (URN 109826), it was rated Good in June 2017.
How big are the classes at John Rankin Infant and Nursery School?
Classes at John Rankin Infant and Nursery School average 24.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to John Rankin Infant and Nursery School?
John Rankin Infant and Nursery School has around 240 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
Does John Rankin Infant and Nursery School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of John Rankin Infant and Nursery School: West Berkshire Mencap (700m away, registered, not yet graded) and Elite Camps Newbury (980m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near John Rankin Infant and Nursery 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. 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 John Rankin Infant and Nursery School?
John Rankin Infant and Nursery School is at Garford Crescent, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 6EX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)