Parsons Down Infant School, Thatcham
Parsons Down Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Thatcham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below 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
Parsons Down Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Parsons Down Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Parsons Down Infant School as their first choice and 69 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 9 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Parsons Down Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Parsons Down Infant School are Parsons Down Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 54% reading, 49% maths); Whitelands Park Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 75% reading, 77% maths); Thatcham Park CofE Primary (0.8 miles, Good, 74% reading, 69% maths); and Fir Tree Primary School and Nursery (0.9 miles, Good, 67% reading, 60% maths).
Parsons Down Junior SchoolWhitelands Park Primary SchoolThatcham Park CofE PrimaryFir Tree Primary School and Nursery
Who goes there
6.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (6%).
Staffing
Parsons Down Infant School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newbury Racecourse Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Derwent Road (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 114 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour 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, Parsons Down Infant School issued 3 suspensions, 3.3 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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
6.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Parsons Down Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Parsons Down Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Parsons Down 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 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 Parsons Down Infant School
Will you get a place at Parsons Down Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Parsons Down Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Parsons Down Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Parsons Down 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 Parsons Down 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
89 pupils
90 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Thatcham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Thatcham
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(16)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
19.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
88
Total Pupils
41
Boys
47
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
11.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,043
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,556
Per pupil
£655k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
9.8%
Persistent absence
61
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
Parsons Down Infant School
Questions parents ask about Parsons Down Infant School
What is Parsons Down Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Parsons Down Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Parsons Down Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Parsons Down 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 Parsons Down Infant School?
Parsons Down Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Parsons Down Infant School?
Classes at Parsons Down Infant School average 29.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Parsons Down Infant School?
Parsons Down Infant School has around 88 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Parsons Down Infant School?
6.5% of sessions were missed at Parsons Down Infant School in 2024/25. 9.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Parsons Down Infant School?
Apply through West Berkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Parsons Down 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.
How many road collisions happen near Parsons Down Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 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 Parsons Down Infant School?
Parsons Down Infant School is at Herons Way, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 3SR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)