The Ridgeway Primary School, Reading
The Ridgeway Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Reading. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 61st-highest of the 85 schools in Reading with published results, and 10,218th of 14,452 across England. It was 62% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Reading (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Ridgeway Primary School in detail
The Ridgeway Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The Ridgeway is a two-form entry primary school with a Nursery class with space for 26 children from their third birthday. Ours is a happy, diverse community and we work in partnership with parents at every opportunity."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at The Ridgeway Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Reading and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (71% in reading, 71% in maths).
Getting a place at The Ridgeway Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put The Ridgeway Primary School as their first choice and 82 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Ridgeway Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Ridgeway Primary School are Whiteknights Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 97% reading, 98% maths); Christ The King Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 77% reading, 70% maths); Hillside Primary School (0.6 miles); and Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School (0.7 miles, Good, 64% reading, 65% maths).
The Ridgeway Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Whiteknights Primary SchoolChrist The King Catholic Primary SchoolHillside Primary SchoolWhitley Park Primary and Nursery School
What parents say
33 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Ridgeway Primary School (as of September 2025): 79% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
38.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 82 pupils (22.7%) received SEN support and 14 (3.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Earley Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tamarisk Avenue (adjacent), 290 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 217 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Reading (351).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Ridgeway Primary School issued 10 suspensions, 2.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Ridgeway Primary School are Hartland High School (0.5 miles), Reading Girls' School (0.7 miles), Maiden Erlegh School (1.3 miles) and Reading School (1.4 miles).
Hartland High SchoolReading Girls' SchoolMaiden Erlegh SchoolReading School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Ridgeway Primary excels at making reading exciting and accessible from the very start, with expert teaching that ensures children who might fall behind get daily support. The school offers children far more than just lessons - from visiting local theatres and museums to learning in the forest school - all designed to boost confidence and help every child feel they belong. Whether your child has additional needs or learns differently, staff work closely with families to ensure every pupil is supported and happy.
Key Strengths
- Excellent early reading programme with expert teaching and well-matched phonics books that help pupils develop a love of reading
- Strong curriculum with clear essential knowledge from early years to Year 6, particularly in English and mathematics
- Inclusive approach with good support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to learn as well as their peers
- Calm school environment with established routines that support positive behaviour and learning
- Rich enrichment opportunities including forest school visits, theatre and museum trips, and 100 Things to do at The Ridgeway
Areas for Improvement
- Checks on learning do not always effectively identify whether pupils understand the intended curriculum, sometimes leading to activities that don't help pupils practise the right knowledge
- Teachers occasionally focus on activity completion rather than how well pupils understand and apply their learning
- Some pupils are introduced to new concepts before they are ready, affecting recall and building on prior knowledge
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Forest school visits, theatre visits, museum visits, breakfast club, after-school club, food bank volunteering, charity fundraising
The Ridgeway Primary School is an inclusive place with a strong caring ethos where pupils learn well across subjects. The school has high expectations for all pupils and maintains a calm, purposeful environment.
At a Glance
38.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
33 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 69% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 61% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.6
Avg class size
24.3
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
13
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Ridgeway Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Ridgeway Primary School.
- Funtastic Kids @ The RidgewayAt the school · Not yet graded
- Ultimate Activity Camps At Crosfields School670m away · Not yet graded
- Eminent Tutoring930m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Ridgeway Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Ridgeway Primary School 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
- 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 foot.
6 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 Ridgeway Primary School
Will you get a place at The Ridgeway Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Ridgeway Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Ridgeway Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Ridgeway Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Reading, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Ridgeway Primary School 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
62%
Available places
393 pupils
630 places
237 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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
82
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
26.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
362
Total Pupils
170
Boys
192
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
16.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,662
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,129
Per pupil
£2686k
Total funding
£215k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.8%
Overall absence
20.9%
Persistent absence
368
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 Ridgeway Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Ridgeway Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Ridgeway Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 69% did so in maths.
What is The Ridgeway Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Ridgeway Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Ridgeway Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Ridgeway Primary School 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 Ridgeway Primary School?
The Ridgeway Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 62% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at The Ridgeway Primary School?
Classes at The Ridgeway Primary School average 26.6 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 Ridgeway Primary School?
The Ridgeway Primary School has around 362 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Ridgeway Primary School?
6.8% of sessions were missed at The Ridgeway Primary School in 2024/25. 20.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Ridgeway Primary School?
Apply through Reading's coordinated admissions process, naming The Ridgeway Primary 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.
Does The Ridgeway Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Funtastic Kids @ The Ridgeway (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 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 Ridgeway Primary School?
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 foot. 6 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 Ridgeway Primary School?
The Ridgeway Primary School is at Hillbrow, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 8JD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)