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Maiden Erlegh School, Reading

Outstanding
Secondary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 11–18

Maiden Erlegh School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Reading, part of Maiden Erlegh Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 4th-highest of the 21 schools in Reading with published results, and 282nd of 3,298 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.

GCSE results
Above England average
Ofsted
Outstanding (2020)
Demand
Oversubscribed
Attendance
Better than England average
Progress (2024)
Well above average
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Wokingham (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026

Maiden Erlegh School in detail

Maiden Erlegh School in its own words

In its own words: "Maiden Erlegh School is a highly successful comprehensive school for students from 11-18 years. Our purpose is to ensure all our students leave school with the qualifications, skills, and personal characteristics they need to lead successful lives. Our students are a delight to work with and the relationships between students and staff are extremely positive."

Vision and values (school website)

Source: The school's own website

Results

In 2026, pupils at Maiden Erlegh School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 59.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 54.2 in Wokingham and 47 across England.

77% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 62% in Wokingham and 47% in England.

That is up from 55.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.64: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 35.3, against 62 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 26.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

Getting a place at Maiden Erlegh School

For September 2026 entry, 297 families put Maiden Erlegh School as their first choice and 838 named it as one of their preferences, for 268 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 92 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

Admissions history and your chances at Maiden Erlegh School

Compared with nearby schools

The nearest other state secondary schools to Maiden Erlegh School are UTC Reading (1 mile, Inadequate, Attainment 8 34.5); Maiden Erlegh School in Reading (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 47.5); The Bulmershe School (1.2 miles, Attainment 8 50.6); and Reading School (1.5 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 80.6).

Maiden Erlegh School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

UTC ReadingMaiden Erlegh School in ReadingThe Bulmershe SchoolReading School

The trust

Maiden Erlegh School is one of 11 schools run by Maiden Erlegh Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.7 in 2024/25.

All 11 schools in Maiden Erlegh Trust

What parents say

163 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Maiden Erlegh School (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 65% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (65%).

Where pupils go next

Of the 277 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 20% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 199 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 69% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 14% into work. 32% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

Who goes there

5.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 42.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (34%), White British (31%) and Chinese (10%).

Maiden Erlegh School has a resourced provision for autism: 25 places, 10 pupils on roll.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Earley Rail Station, about 600 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Silverdale Road Shops (adjacent), 160 metres away.

The area around the school

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Maiden Erlegh School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 153 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wokingham (70), as is usual near a town centre.

Suspensions and exclusions

In 2024/25, Maiden Erlegh School issued 179 suspensions, 9.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

Primary schools nearby

The primary schools closest to Maiden Erlegh School are Aldryngton Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Earley St Peter's Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles), Radstock Primary School (0.6 miles) and Loddon Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.

Aldryngton Primary SchoolEarley St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolRadstock Primary SchoolLoddon Primary School

Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics

Location

Offered a place in 2024 (~1.4km)Unlikely (~1.8km)

Wokingham published that the last place for 2024 entry went to a family 0.844 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Steve Jump
Pupils:1,841
LA:Wokingham
Phone:01189262467
Address:Silverdale Rd, Earley, Reading, RG6 7HS
Trust:MAIDEN ERLEGH TRUST (11 schools)
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2011

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago

This judgement is from February 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.

-

Overall

Outstanding

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Outstanding

Leadership & Management

Outstanding

Sixth Form

Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.

Inspected 29 April 2025View full report
URN:136637
UKPRN:10033353
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Earley and Woodley
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.

What This School Does Well

Maiden Erlegh School excels at creating a warm, respectful environment where pupils are highly motivated to learn. Teachers are experts in their subjects and provide high-quality teaching that helps every pupil succeed, including those with additional needs. The school offers a broad range of enrichment activities and prepares sixth-form students exceptionally well for university and their futures.

Key Strengths

  • Expert teaching that helps pupils develop deep understanding of subject content with clear feedback on their work
  • Ambitious, well-designed curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13 that equips pupils with knowledge and skills to excel
  • Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, fully integrated into school life
  • Strong sixth form with high-quality teaching and exceptional discussion and debate
  • Effective reading support for weaker readers and pupils learning English as an additional language

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective and put pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

sports clubs, music clubs, eco-club, Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, school council, subject mentor roles

Maiden Erlegh School is a friendly, inclusive secondary school where pupils are happy and achieve very well academically. The school has maintained the high standards identified at its previous outstanding inspection.

About

Maiden Erlegh School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Earley in Berkshire, England.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a Glance

5.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

Resourced provision: Autism

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

163 responses
Would recommend85%
Child is happy88%
Child does well85%
High expectations89%
Feels safe91%
Well behaved82%
Bullying dealt with (of parents with a view)65%
Kept informed87%
Handles concerns (of parents who raised one)84%
Wider development83%

Source: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree

Secondary Performance (GCSE)

Academic year 2025/26

GCSE Results

2023
2024
2025
2026
Attainment 8 GCSE Eng+Maths

2025/26 academic year

Progress 8 has declined from 1.08 to 0.64 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 61.8 to 59.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 77% (2023 to 2026).

Performance by Group

GroupProgress 8Attainment 8Eng+Maths 5+
All pupils-59.377.4%
Disadvantaged(29)-35.320.7%
Not known to be disadvantaged(254)-62.083.9%
Boys(144)-56.572.2%
Girls(139)-62.182.7%
Show more breakdowns (2)
Known or believed to be other than English(114)-61.878.1%
Non mobile(278)-59.577.7%

2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data

GCSE Subjects Offered

English Language566
Mathematics564
English Literature556
Religious Studies518
Combined Science458
Geography338
Art and Design212
History200
Spanish176
Business Studies144
Physical Education144
French132
Computer Science126
Design and Technology124
German108
Chemistry106
Food Preparation and Nutrition106
Physics106
Biology106
Multimedia76

+ 7 more subjects

2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils

After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations

After GCSEs (Year 11) - 277 students

Continued education91%
Further education20%
Apprenticeships1%
Employment1%
Not in education/employment2%

2023/24 data

Exclusions & Suspensions

0

Permanent exclusions

0.00%

Exclusion rate

179

Suspensions

9.56%

Suspension rate

60 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,872 pupils

2024/25 academic year

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with Maiden Erlegh School

Term dates

Maiden Erlegh School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Wokingham's term dates for its community schools.

Getting There

Train Stations

Earley Rail Station (Entrance)
604m · 10 min walk

Bus Stops

Silverdale Road Shops (adj)
163m · 3 min walk
Lakeside (Opp)
304m · 5 min walk
Stanton Close (adj 404)
364m · 6 min walk
Kennedy Gardens (Adj 29)
378m · 6 min walk
Repton Road (Opp)
410m · 7 min walk

Free school transport

Check free transport to Maiden Erlegh School from your postcode →

You apply to the council where you live. Maiden Erlegh School is in Wokingham; for families living there:

Apply to Wokingham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
7
Fatal
0
Serious
1
Children hurt
3

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight.

3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.

2 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 Wokingham is 7 (the median across 85 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.

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Commute and house prices

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Your chances of a place at Maiden Erlegh School

Will you get a place at Maiden Erlegh School? Get the admissions report

Your home postcode, set against Maiden Erlegh School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.

What the report includes for Maiden Erlegh School:

  • The straight-line distance from your home to Maiden Erlegh School.
  • Last distance offered for 2022 to 2024 entry, from Wokingham's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
  • Applications, first choices and offers at Maiden Erlegh School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
  • How many families in Wokingham 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

96%

Near capacity

1,868 pupils

1,945 places

77 spare places in 2025

2025, DfE school capacity data

Area Demand Pressure - Reading

Low pressure
New homes approved:9,088
Projected new pupils:1,636

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Reading

Across Wokingham council

Low demand council-wide1.01 applications per place

Places available

2,293

Applications

2,318

Got 1st preference

82.4%

Got preferred school

97.9%

All secondary applications across Wokingham council (2026/27), not just this school.

This school: Oversubscribed

Inspection History(4)

29 April 2025

Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.

Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
Sixth FormOutstanding
11 February 2020
OutstandingReport
Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
Sixth FormOutstanding
12 September 2018

SEND & SEN Provision

SEN Overview

249

SEN Support

103

EHC Plans

19.1%

of Total Pupils

2026 academic year

Provision & Specialist Facilities

Maiden Erlegh School has a resourced provision for autism: 25 places, 10 pupils on roll.

Source: GIAS, Department for Education.

Resourced Provision

Pupils by Need Type

Autistic Spectrum Disorder96
Social, Emotional & Mental Health84
Specific Learning Difficulty72
Speech, Language & Communication36
Other24
Moderate Learning Difficulty15
Physical Disability11
Hearing Impairment7
Visual Impairment4
Severe Learning Difficulty3
EHC Plan
SEN Support

Pupil Demographics

Ethnicity

White British
30.9%
Asian
34.1%
Black
4.2%
Mixed
8.5%
Chinese
10.0%
Other
2.3%
Unclassified
2.0%

2026 academic year

Key Indicators

Free School Meals5.9%
English as Additional Language42.9%

1,841

Total Pupils

975

Boys

866

Girls

2026 academic year

Workforce

115

Teachers

16.0:1

Pupil-teacher ratio

£55,364

Mean salary

2026 data

School Funding

£6,569

Per pupil

£9565k

Total funding

£106k

Pupil premium

Deprivation£194,182
EAL funding£217,947
Lump sum£149,156

2025-26 financial year allocations

Pupil Absence
2024/25

7.0%

Overall absence

19.3%

Persistent absence

1,439

Enrolments

Authorised5.2%
Unauthorised1.8%
Persistent (10%+)19.3%
Severe (50%+)2.0%

Absence trend

4.5%
18/19
5.4%
20/21
7.9%
21/22
8.1%
22/23
7.3%
23/24
7.0%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Questions parents ask about Maiden Erlegh School

What are GCSE results like at Maiden Erlegh School?

In the 2026 results, pupils at Maiden Erlegh School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 59.3. 77% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.

What is Maiden Erlegh School's Ofsted rating?

Maiden Erlegh School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2020, it was rated Outstanding.

How close to Maiden Erlegh School do you need to live?

Wokingham publishes how far the last offered place was, in miles: 0.741 for 2022 entry, then 0.784 for 2023 entry, then 0.844 for 2024 entry. The cut-off has loosened over that period, so places have been reaching further out. These are the authority's own figures, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications each year.

Is it hard to get a place at Maiden Erlegh School?

Maiden Erlegh School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.

How big are the classes at Maiden Erlegh School?

Classes at Maiden Erlegh School average 25.4 pupils (2025/26).

How many pupils go to Maiden Erlegh School?

Maiden Erlegh School has around 1841 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.

Does Maiden Erlegh School have specialist SEN provision?

Maiden Erlegh School has a resourced provision for autism: 25 places, 10 pupils on roll.

What is attendance like at Maiden Erlegh School?

7% of sessions were missed at Maiden Erlegh School in 2024/25. 19.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).

How do I apply to Maiden Erlegh School?

Apply through Wokingham's coordinated admissions process, naming Maiden Erlegh School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.

How many road collisions happen near Maiden Erlegh School?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Wokingham is 7 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).

Where is Maiden Erlegh School?

Maiden Erlegh School is at Silverdale Rd, Earley, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 7HS.

Sources: Wokingham admissions booklets; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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