Norcot Early Years Centre, Reading
Norcot Early Years Centre is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Reading. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Norcot Early Years Centre in detail
Norcot Early Years Centre in its own words
In its own words: "At Norcot Early Years Centre, our values of nurture, inclusion and kindness guide us to create a welcoming, stimulating and fun environment where everyone is treated as an individual. We are committed to providing meaningful opportunities and to celebrate diversity. We ensure every child can learn, grow, feel valued and belong."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
21.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 40.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (38%), White British (25%) and Mixed (12%).
In 2026, 31 pupils (26.3%) received SEN support and 2 (1.7%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Norcot Early Years Centre has a resourced provision for other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 20 places, 18 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Tilehurst Rail Station, about 730 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Weald Rise (adjacent), 110 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
21.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Other, Speech and language, Autism +2
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby nursery schools
Social & online
Keep up with Norcot Early Years Centre
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Norcot Early Years Centre from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Norcot Early Years Centre 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Reading
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Reading
Across Reading council
Places available
1,744
Applications
1,794
Got 1st preference
73.1%
Got preferred school
95.4%
All secondary applications across Reading council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
28.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Norcot Early Years Centre has a resourced provision for other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 20 places, 18 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
118
Total Pupils
70
Boys
48
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
29.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£61,781
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Norcot Early Years Centre
What is Norcot Early Years Centre's Ofsted rating?
Norcot Early Years Centre's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Norcot Early Years Centre?
No fixed boundary. When Norcot Early Years Centre is oversubscribed, Reading allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Norcot Early Years Centre?
Norcot Early Years Centre has around 118 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Norcot Early Years Centre have specialist SEN provision?
Norcot Early Years Centre has a resourced provision for other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 20 places, 18 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Norcot Early Years Centre?
Apply through Reading's coordinated admissions process, naming Norcot Early Years Centre on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Norcot Early Years Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Norcot Early Years Centre?
Norcot Early Years Centre is at 82 Lyndhurst Road, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG30 6UB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)