The Palmer Primary Academy, Reading
The Palmer Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Reading, part of Reach2 Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 27th-highest of the 85 schools in Reading with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Reading (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Palmer Primary Academy in detail
The Palmer Primary Academy in its own words
In its own words: "The Palmer Academy is a two form entry school for children aged three to eleven, serving the children and families of Whitley, Reading and the surrounding area. We are part of the REAch2 Reading Cluster which also includes Civitas Academy , Ranikhet Academy and Green Park Village Academy ."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026 and an open day on Friday 4 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Reading
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at The Palmer Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Reading and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 67% in reading and 65% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Palmer Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 58 families put The Palmer Primary Academy as their first choice and 116 named it as one of their preferences, for 58 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Palmer Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Palmer Primary Academy are New Christ Church Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 73% reading, 62% maths); Katesgrove Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 75% reading, 74% maths); Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School (0.7 miles, Good, 64% reading, 65% maths); and Coley Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths).
The Palmer Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
New Christ Church Church of England Primary SchoolKatesgrove Primary SchoolWhitley Park Primary and Nursery SchoolColey Primary School
The trust
The Palmer Primary Academy is one of 65 schools run by Reach2 Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
47.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (35%), White British (24%) and Black (12%).
Staffing
The Palmer Primary Academy had 14 teachers in 2026, one for every 28 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Reading Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Elgar Road (opposite), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Palmer Primary Academy issued 34 suspensions, 7.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Palmer Primary Academy are Reading Girls' School (0.3 miles), Reading School (0.7 miles), Kendrick School (0.7 miles) and Hartland High School (1 mile).
Reading Girls' SchoolReading SchoolKendrick SchoolHartland High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2022 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
30.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 67% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 65% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 61% to 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
28.5
Infant (KS1)
27.8
KS2
15
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with The Palmer Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Palmer Primary Academy.
- Go Beanies Play & Learn (The Palmer Academy)At the school · Not yet graded
- Premier Education at New Christ Church C of E Primary School380m away · Not yet graded
- Eminent Tutoring870m away · Not yet graded
- Super Camps at The Abbey School940m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Palmer Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Palmer Primary Academy 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
- 26
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 22 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
Your chances of a place at The Palmer Primary Academy
Will you get a place at The Palmer Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Palmer Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Palmer Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Palmer Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Reading, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Palmer Primary Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Reading 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
390 pupils
420 places
30 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Reading
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Reading
Across Reading council
Places available
2,001
Applications
1,844
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Reading council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
70
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
19.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
436
Total Pupils
210
Boys
226
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
31.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,252
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,644
Per pupil
£2442k
Total funding
£152k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.9%
Overall absence
20.5%
Persistent absence
365
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
Questions parents ask about The Palmer Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at The Palmer Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at The Palmer Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is The Palmer Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Palmer Primary Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022.
What is the catchment area for The Palmer Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Palmer Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Reading allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Palmer Primary Academy?
The Palmer Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at The Palmer Primary Academy?
Classes at The Palmer Primary Academy average 28.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to The Palmer Primary Academy?
The Palmer Primary Academy has around 436 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Palmer Primary Academy?
6.9% of sessions were missed at The Palmer Primary Academy in 2024/25. 20.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Palmer Primary Academy?
Apply through Reading's coordinated admissions process, naming The Palmer Primary Academy 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.
Does The Palmer Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Go Beanies Play & Learn (The Palmer Academy) (registered, not yet graded). There are 3 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near The Palmer Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 22 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 The Palmer Primary Academy?
The Palmer Primary Academy is at 70 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 7PP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)