Parsons Down Junior School, Thatcham
Parsons Down Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Thatcham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 12th-highest of the 12 schools in Thatcham with published results, and 13,829th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Capacity
- 92% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Parsons Down Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils at Parsons Down Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 49% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 71% in West Berkshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 69% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Parsons Down Junior School
Across West Berkshire, 91% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in West Berkshire lodged 23 appeals against primary school offers; 9 reached a hearing and 3 succeeded (33.3% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Parsons Down Junior School are Parsons Down Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Whitelands Park Primary School (0.7 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).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Parsons Down Junior School.
Parsons Down Infant SchoolWhitelands Park Primary SchoolThatcham Park CofE PrimaryFir Tree Primary School and Nursery
Who goes there
In 2026, 35 pupils (25.2%) received SEN support and 6 (4.3%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newbury Racecourse Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Derwent Road (adjacent), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 105 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 Junior School issued 38 suspensions, 23.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2017, 9 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 June 2017 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
17.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 69% to 54% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 63% to 49% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 71% to 54% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.8
Avg class size
27.8
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Parsons Down Junior School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Parsons Down Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Parsons Down Junior 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
165 pupils
180 places
15 spare places 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.
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
35
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
29.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
139
Total Pupils
63
Boys
76
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,948
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,882
Per pupil
£1087k
Total funding
£59k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
14.9%
Persistent absence
175
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 Junior School
Questions parents ask about Parsons Down Junior School
What are SATs results like at Parsons Down Junior School?
Of the pupils at Parsons Down Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 54% reached the expected standard in reading and 49% did so in maths.
What is Parsons Down Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Parsons Down Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Parsons Down Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Parsons Down Junior 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 Junior School?
Parsons Down Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at Parsons Down Junior School?
Classes at Parsons Down Junior School average 27.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Parsons Down Junior School?
Parsons Down Junior School has around 139 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Parsons Down Junior School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Parsons Down Junior School in 2024/25. 14.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Parsons Down Junior School?
Apply through West Berkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Parsons Down Junior School 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 Parsons Down Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 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 Junior School?
Parsons Down Junior School is at Herons Way, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 3SR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)