St Finian's Catholic Primary School, Thatcham

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades St Finian's Catholic Primary School on 7 areas: 2 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is highly effective."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have established a well thought out and carefully crafted personal development programme."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils typically achieve well and broadly in line with national expectations."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders promote the importance of pupils attending school regularly."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have ensured there is a broad curriculum in place."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for children which supports their development in the early years well."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and governors foster a sense of community and shared values within the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that their high ambition for the curriculum and teaching is consistently embedded and that the task design of activities enables pupils to deepen their learning over time"; "Leaders should continue to embed strategies for developing writing skills so that they can continue to improve pupils' achievement".

In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at St Finian's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 71% in West Berkshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 68% in reading and 59% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 30 families put St Finian's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 63 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Finian's Catholic Primary School are Cold Ash St Mark's CE Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 77% reading, 71% maths); Whitelands Park Primary School (1 mile, Good, 75% reading, 77% maths); Thatcham Park CofE Primary (1.1 miles, Good, 74% reading, 69% maths); and Francis Baily Primary School (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, 71% reading, 67% maths).

St Finian's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.

2.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (74%) and Mixed (7%).

The nearest railway station is Thatcham Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Finians School (adjacent), 60 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Finian's Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 9 crimes within a mile of the school, most often criminal damage and arson, drug offences and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Berkshire (26).

In 2024/25, St Finian's Catholic Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.