Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School, Reading
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Reading. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. It was 93% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to West Berkshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School as their first choice and 78 named it as one of their preferences, for 43 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 Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School are Mortimer St Mary's C.E. Junior School (0.7 miles, Good, 89% reading, 80% maths); Mrs Bland's Infant School (1.6 miles, Good); Garland Junior School (1.7 miles, Good, 74% reading, 70% maths); and Silchester Church of England Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 97% reading, 88% maths).
Mortimer St Mary's C.E. Junior SchoolMrs Bland's Infant SchoolGarland Junior SchoolSilchester Church of England Primary School
What parents say
34 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
7.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%) and Mixed (10%).
In 2026, 24 pupils (14.6%) received SEN support and 3 (1.8%) 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 Mortimer Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Johns Church (e-bound), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 40 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary, criminal damage and arson and shoplifting. 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, Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School issued 3 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2011, 15 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a caring, family-orientated school where children settle quickly and feel safe. Teachers have strong subject knowledge, particularly in English and maths, and the school makes real efforts to support all families. Your child will benefit from a welcoming environment with excellent pastoral care and a clear focus on developing confident, fluent readers.
Key Strengths
- Strong emphasis on reading with clear focus on phonics and fluency development
- Excellent start for children in Reception with well-trained teachers delivering engaging activities
- Pupils with SEND are well supported with caring staff and external providers
- High expectations for behaviour with calm, orderly routines throughout the school
- Comprehensive personal development programme with leadership roles and preparation for junior school
Areas for Improvement
- Phonics teaching methods sometimes do not support effective learning, leading to gaps in knowledge that slow reading progress
- Some curriculum subjects lack clarity on key knowledge and skills, meaning pupils learn breadth rather than depth
- Weakest readers do not always receive phonics support effectively enough
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders prioritising pupil safety and wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Craft club, choir, sports club, visits to places of interest, theatre groups
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School is a welcoming school where pupils enjoy learning and positive relationships are central. The school has high expectations for achievement and provides a broad, balanced curriculum with strong support for pupils with additional needs.
At a Glance
7.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
34 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
27.3
Avg class size
27.3
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School.
- Early Little OaksAt the school · Not yet graded
- Little Oaks After School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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 Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School
Will you get a place at Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant 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 Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School for 2014 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
93%
Near capacity
167 pupils
180 places
13 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 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
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
24
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
16.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
164
Total Pupils
92
Boys
72
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,782
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,454
Per pupil
£1002k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
6.6%
Persistent absence
122
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
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School
Questions parents ask about Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School
What is Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant 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 Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School?
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School?
Classes at Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School average 27.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School?
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School has around 164 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School in 2024/25. 6.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School?
Apply through West Berkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant 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 Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: Early Little Oaks (registered, not yet graded) and Little Oaks After School Club (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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 Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School?
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School is at The Street, Mortimer Common, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 3RD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)