The Ambleside Centre, Reading
The Ambleside Centre is a nursery school for pupils aged 3 to 5 in Reading. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, ended in a report card: 3 strong standard, 1 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Before that it was rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in December 2012.
- Ofsted report card
- 2 areas need attention
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Ambleside Centre in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 7 July 2026 inspection grades The Ambleside Centre on 6 areas: 3 strong standard, 1 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Strong standard. "The school's curriculum and teaching ensures that children are well prepared and ready for moving onto the Reception Year."
Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum that helps children learn more over time."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Personal development and wellbeing are woven throughout the school's work and curriculum."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders' inclusive vision is that every child receives the support they need to access the school's learning environment successfully."
Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Leaders have only recently started to take action to improve attendance so it is too early to see the impact of this work."
Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Many governors are new to their roles."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to embed and develop their systems for tracking attendance, so attendance improves and so that they can evaluate the impact of their work"; "Governors need challenge school leaders effectively, to assure themselves of the quality and impact of the school's work".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Who goes there
1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 21.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (14.1%) received SEN support and 2 (2%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
The Ambleside Centre has a resourced provision for hearing impairment.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Earley Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Chequers, 190 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 Wokingham (70), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at The Ambleside Centre
Children jump with joy every morning when they see their friends. They build special relationships and have a genuine love and warmth for each other. Children arrive each morning excited for the day ahead, confidently leaving their parents and getting straight on with their morning tasks. Staff know children well and help them to feel safe and settled. Warm relationships between children and staff are seen everywhere and help create a genuine family feel to the school. Parents are genuinely effusive in their praise for the care and education their children receive. Children behave kindly towards one another. Lunchtimes are harmonious occasions where children learn to eat safely and share a meal with their friends and keyworkers. Relationships are a notable strength. Children say they love everything about their school and that they feel safe. They are taught to be resilient in the face of difficulties and to keep trying. Children focus on their chosen activity for increasing lengths of time. They demonstrate determination when faced with new and interesting challenges. Although children are non-statutory school age, there is work to do for leaders to analyse attendance, reduce barriers and promote good attendance consistently. Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff provide effective support that helps to reduce children's barriers to learning or to accessing other aspects of school life. Children make secure progress across the early years curriculum. They show curiosity, independence and sustained involvement in their learning. As a result, they are ready for their next steps of education. Children sing rhymes, play in the water and swing on the climbing bars happily. They talk about their learning and love the stories they are told. Staff ensure that children's physical development needs are met well.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should continue to embed and develop their systems for tracking attendance, so attendance improves and so that they can evaluate the impact of their work.
- Governors need challenge school leaders effectively, to assure themselves of the quality and impact of the school's work.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 7 July 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its December 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
1.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Hearing
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby nursery schools
Keep up with The Ambleside Centre
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Ambleside Centre from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Ambleside Centre is in Wokingham; for families living there:
Apply to Wokingham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 13 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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 Wokingham is 7 (the median across 85 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 Wokingham council
Places available
2,293
Applications
2,318
Got 1st preference
82.4%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All secondary applications across Wokingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
16.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Ambleside Centre has a resourced provision for hearing impairment.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
99
Total Pupils
54
Boys
45
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
33.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£62,375
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about The Ambleside Centre
What is The Ambleside Centre's Ofsted rating?
The Ambleside Centre's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Ambleside Centre?
No fixed boundary. When The Ambleside Centre is oversubscribed, Wokingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Ambleside Centre?
The Ambleside Centre has around 99 pupils on roll. 1% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Ambleside Centre have specialist SEN provision?
The Ambleside Centre has a resourced provision for hearing impairment.
How do I apply to The Ambleside Centre?
Apply through Wokingham's coordinated admissions process, naming The Ambleside 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 The Ambleside Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 13 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 Wokingham is 7 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Ambleside Centre?
The Ambleside Centre is at Ambleside Close, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 4JJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)