New Town Primary School, Reading
New Town Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Reading, part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 57th-highest of the 85 schools in Reading with published results, and 9,982nd of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Reading (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
New Town Primary School in detail
New Town Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "New Town Primary School is an academy and is proud to be part of the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust. We are a two-form entry school, meaning we have two classes per year group. The school is attended by children aged 3 to 11 years old."
From the headteacher's welcome: "New Town Primary School is a very special place where we believe all of our children, whatever their background, have a right to a fantastic education and to shine as young people."
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care, from £2.75 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at New Town Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Reading and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (72% in reading, 70% in maths).
Getting a place at New Town Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put New Town Primary School as their first choice and 100 named it as one of their preferences, for 36 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 New Town Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to New Town Primary School are St John's Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 70% reading, 74% maths); Redlands Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 57% reading, 75% maths); Alfred Sutton Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 88% reading, 88% maths); and St Anne's Catholic Primary School (1 mile, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths).
New Town Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St John's Church of England Primary SchoolRedlands Primary SchoolAlfred Sutton Primary SchoolSt Anne's Catholic Primary School
The trust
New Town Primary School is one of 46 schools run by Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
55 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about New Town Primary School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 63% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (63%).
Who goes there
64.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (49%), Black (12%) and White British (11%).
New Town Primary School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and severe learning difficulties: 9 places, 9 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Reading Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
Suspensions and exclusions
New Town Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to New Town Primary School are Reading School (0.6 miles), Kendrick School (0.7 miles), Maiden Erlegh School in Reading (0.8 miles) and UTC Reading (0.8 miles).
Reading SchoolKendrick SchoolMaiden Erlegh School in ReadingUTC Reading
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 school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
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
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 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 January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
New Town Primary School creates a truly inclusive environment where children from diverse backgrounds are warmly welcomed and celebrated. Pupils become confident, skilled readers through expert phonics teaching and enjoy a well-planned curriculum that helps them learn across all subjects. The caring staff and clear expectations mean children behave well, feel safe, and understand that making mistakes is part of learning.
Key Strengths
- Excellent inclusive atmosphere celebrating diversity, with strong support for pupils who speak English as an additional language
- Well-structured curriculum with clear learning sequences across all subjects, especially strong phonics teaching and reading outcomes
- Pupils behave well, show resilience, and understand that mistakes support learning
- Strong pastoral support for whole families, including therapeutic services and health promotion
- Regular parent workshops and clear communication through newsletters and knowledge organisers
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers need better training in the writing curriculum so they can help pupils build writing skills across all aspects, not just grammar
- Some teaching activities in writing do not effectively support pupils to strengthen their written outcomes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders and staff creating a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
After-school clubs, enrichment opportunities, trips and visits including local museum visits for history learning
New Town Primary School is an inclusive primary school where pupils are proud of their diverse community and feel safe and happy. The school has been rated Good across all key areas of inspection.
At a Glance
18.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language, SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
55 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 remained stable at around 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 65% to 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.1
Avg class size
26.5
Infant (KS1)
26.6
KS2
18
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
1 unlawfully large infant class
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from New Town Primary School
From New Town Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with New Town Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near New Town Primary School.
- uSports at New Town Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- Premier Education Clubs at New Town Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- Reading Palmer Park Kumon Centre870m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to New Town Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. New Town 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
- 56
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 15
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 56 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 41 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
7 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 New Town Primary School
Will you get a place at New Town Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against New Town Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for New Town Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to New Town 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 New Town Primary School for 2017 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
93%
Near capacity
389 pupils
420 places
31 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
56
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
16.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
New Town Primary School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and severe learning difficulties: 9 places, 9 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
410
Total Pupils
219
Boys
191
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
18.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,567
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,589
Per pupil
£2371k
Total funding
£114k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
17.7%
Persistent absence
390
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
Questions parents ask about New Town Primary School
What are SATs results like at New Town Primary School?
Of the pupils at New Town Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is New Town Primary School's Ofsted rating?
New Town Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for New Town Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When New Town 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 New Town Primary School?
New Town Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at New Town Primary School?
Classes at New Town Primary School average 23.1 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to New Town Primary School?
New Town Primary School has around 410 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
Does New Town Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
New Town Primary School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs and severe learning difficulties: 9 places, 9 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at New Town Primary School?
5.7% of sessions were missed at New Town Primary School in 2024/25. 17.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to New Town Primary School?
Apply through Reading's coordinated admissions process, naming New Town 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 New Town Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: uSports at New Town Primary School (registered, not yet graded) and Premier Education Clubs at New Town Primary School (registered, not yet graded). There is another 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 New Town Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 56 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 41 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 7 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 New Town Primary School?
New Town Primary School is at School Terrace, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3LS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)