Moorlands Primary School, Reading
Moorlands Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Reading. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 36th-highest of the 85 schools in Reading with published results, and 4,824th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 69% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Reading (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Moorlands Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Moorlands Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Reading and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 70% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Moorlands Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Moorlands Primary School as their first choice and 127 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 12 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Moorlands Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Moorlands Primary School are Meadow Park Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 68% reading, 60% maths); Churchend Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 73% maths); St Michael's Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 53% reading, 51% maths); and English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 86% maths).
Moorlands Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Meadow Park AcademyChurchend Primary AcademySt Michael's Primary SchoolEnglish Martyrs' Catholic Primary School
What parents say
30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Moorlands Primary School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 88% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (83%).
Who goes there
39.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Moorlands 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Tilehurst Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church End Lane (adjacent), 260 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Moorlands Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Moorlands Primary School are King's Academy Prospect (0.7 miles), Little Heath School (1.3 miles) and Denefield School (1.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from March 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Moorlands is a nurturing school where children thrive in a positive environment with warm relationships. The school excels at teaching reading through phonics and fostering a love of books, while providing highly effective support for all learners including those with special needs. Pupils develop strong character through taking on responsibilities and contributing meaningfully to school life.
Key Strengths
- Reading is a priority with strong phonics teaching from Nursery onwards, and pupils develop a love of reading through author visits and high-quality diverse books
- Teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain concepts clearly, with effective support for pupils with SEND
- Broad and stimulating curriculum with high expectations, supported by The Nest provision for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties
- Pupils behave well, are kind to each other, and older pupils take on meaningful responsibilities as role models
- Strong focus on attendance with effective actions to raise attendance and reduce persistent absence
Areas for Improvement
- Some aspects of curriculum implementation are not yet fully embedded across all subjects, meaning pupils occasionally do not consolidate knowledge fully before moving to the next stage
- Staff need consistent support to deliver the curriculum effectively in all areas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Chess club, football, forest club, choir performances, wind instrument lessons in Year 3, reading ambassador scheme, author visits, Year 6 laboratory visit to learn about the heart
Moorlands Primary School is a happy, welcoming and inclusive school where relationships are warm and nurturing. The school has maintained good standards with an ambitious curriculum that supports all pupils, including those with special educational needs, to achieve well.
At a Glance
39.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
30 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 70% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 77% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 68% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.3
Avg class size
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Moorlands Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Moorlands Primary School.
- Junior Adventures Group @ Moorlands RG30At the school · Not yet graded
- NSSport (MJ) Care Club590m away · Not yet graded
- Reading Tilehurst Kumon Centre820m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Moorlands Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Moorlands Primary School is in Reading; for families living there:
- How to apply: apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Reading is 21 (the median across 71 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 Moorlands Primary School
Will you get a place at Moorlands Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Moorlands Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Moorlands Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Moorlands Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Reading, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Moorlands Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Reading 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
69%
Available places
290 pupils
420 places
130 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Reading
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Reading
Across Reading council
Places available
2,001
Applications
1,844
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Reading council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(9)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
21.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
286
Total Pupils
163
Boys
123
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
15.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,715
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,061
Per pupil
£1982k
Total funding
£174k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
18.4%
Persistent absence
305
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
Moorlands Primary School
Questions parents ask about Moorlands Primary School
What are SATs results like at Moorlands Primary School?
Of the pupils at Moorlands Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 81% did so in maths.
What is Moorlands Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Moorlands Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Moorlands Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Moorlands Primary School is oversubscribed, Reading allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Moorlands Primary School?
Moorlands Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 69% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Moorlands Primary School?
Classes at Moorlands Primary School average 24.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Moorlands Primary School?
Moorlands Primary School has around 286 pupils on roll. 40% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Moorlands Primary School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Moorlands Primary School in 2024/25. 18.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Moorlands Primary School?
Apply through Reading's coordinated admissions process, naming Moorlands 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.
Does Moorlands Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Junior Adventures Group @ Moorlands RG30 (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Moorlands Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Reading is 21 (the median across 71 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Moorlands Primary School?
Moorlands Primary School is at Church End Lane, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG30 4UN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)