Newtown School, Chesham
Newtown School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in Chesham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. It was 97% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Buckinghamshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Newtown School in detail
Newtown School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Newtown School is a successful, vibrant school, at the heart of our community. We have a highly motivated, resourceful, and committed team of staff and governors who care about and nurture the needs of every child. We want our children to be happy at school and for learning to be fun and challenging."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Newtown School
For September 2026 entry, 56 families put Newtown School as their first choice and 94 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Newtown School are Elmtree Infant and Nursery School (0.4 miles); Brushwood Junior School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 72% maths); Ivingswood Academy (0.6 miles, 66% reading, 63% maths); and Thomas Harding Junior School (0.9 miles, Good, 88% reading, 88% maths).
Elmtree Infant and Nursery SchoolBrushwood Junior SchoolIvingswood AcademyThomas Harding Junior School
What parents say
71 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Newtown School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 57% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (57%).
Who goes there
13.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 42.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (40%), White British (36%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 44 pupils (18.8%) received SEN support and 2 (0.9%) 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 Underground station is Chesham Underground Station, about 1000 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Berkhampstead Road (o/s 320), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 116 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Buckinghamshire (44), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Newtown School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Newtown School are Chesham Grammar School (0.5 miles) and Chiltern Hills Academy (0.7 miles).
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
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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 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 July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Newtown School excels at helping every child feel safe, valued and included. Reading is a particular strength with expert phonics teaching that gets most pupils reading fluently and confidently from an early age. The school offers a nurturing environment where children with additional needs receive excellent support, and all pupils benefit from enriching activities, trips and clubs that build confidence and resilience.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with well-structured phonics programme delivered with accuracy and expertise, resulting in fluent and confident readers
- Excellent early years provision with a rich, well-structured environment that prepares children well for Year 1
- High-quality support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities through targeted strategies and the dedicated Nest space
- Warm, respectful relationships between staff and pupils creating a positive learning environment where pupils are motivated and eager to learn
- Broad and ambitious curriculum carefully sequenced in most subjects, particularly in reading and mathematics
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment checks on pupil learning are not used consistently across all subjects to identify gaps and address misconceptions
- Absence remains too high for some key groups of pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, disadvantaged pupils, and those learning English as an additional language
- Some pupils do not build securely on prior learning or retain key knowledge over time due to inconsistent assessment practices
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong culture around pupil safety and wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, trips, special events
Newtown School is an inclusive, nurturing infant school where pupils enjoy coming to learn and thrive within a culture built on caring, curiosity and courage. The school maintains good standards across all key areas including education quality, behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years provision.
At a Glance
13.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
71 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
28.6
Avg class size
29.2
Infant (KS1)
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Newtown School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Newtown School.
- Kumon Study Centre CheshamAt the school · Not yet graded
- Busy Living @ Brushwood730m away · Not yet graded
- Elmtree Play Active CLub750m away · Not yet graded
- JR Chesham800m away · Not yet graded
- Let's Play @ Chesham Leisure Centre850m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Newtown School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Buckinghamshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Newtown School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Newtown School is in Buckinghamshire; for families living there:
- Buckinghamshire's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy (0 to 25 Year Olds)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 12 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 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 Newtown School
Will you get a place at Newtown School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Newtown School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Newtown School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Newtown School.
- Buckinghamshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Newtown School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Newtown School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Buckinghamshire 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
97%
Near capacity
175 pupils
180 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chesham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chesham
Across Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,722
Applications
5,630
Got 1st preference
91.6%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
19.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
234
Total Pupils
135
Boys
99
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
23.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,732
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,164
Per pupil
£1155k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
19.4%
Persistent absence
124
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
Newtown School
Questions parents ask about Newtown School
What is Newtown School's Ofsted rating?
Newtown School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Newtown School?
No fixed boundary. When Newtown School is oversubscribed, Buckinghamshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Newtown School?
Newtown School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Newtown School?
Classes at Newtown School average 28.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Newtown School?
Newtown School has around 234 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Newtown School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Newtown School in 2024/25. 19.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Newtown School?
Apply through Buckinghamshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Newtown 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 Newtown School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kumon Study Centre Chesham (registered, not yet graded). There are 4 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Newtown School's term dates?
Newtown School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Buckinghamshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Newtown School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 12 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Newtown School?
Newtown School is at Berkhampstead Road, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 3AT.
Sources: Buckinghamshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)