The Willows Primary School, Newbury

Ofsted's report card from its 10 February 2026 inspection grades The Willows Primary School on 7 areas: 6 strong standard and 1 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Leaders ensure that pupils have secure knowledge and skills in English and mathematics as the foundations for being successful learners now and in the future."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders oversee an ambitious curriculum that builds pupils' knowledge and skills meticulously from the start of Nursery through to the end of Year 6."

Early years - Strong standard. "Leaders ensure that provision for the youngest children is of a consistently high quality, preparing children extremely well for their move to Year 1."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Being inclusive is what this school is all about."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders have an in-depth understanding of the school's context, which informs everything that they do."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have carefully crafted the personal development programme to be relevant to pupils' lives now and in the future."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders are diligent in their work to ensure that pupils are not absent without good reason."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to be resolute in tackling barriers to high attendance to further increase rates of attendance for pupils, particularly for disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders, including those responsible for governance, should maintain their focus on disadvantaged pupils to ensure that improvements for these pupils are sustained and built on".

The school runs after-school care.

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at The Willows Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 85% 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 64% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 37 families put The Willows Primary School as their first choice and 74 named it as one of their preferences, for 53 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to The Willows Primary School are St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good); Highwood Copse Primary School (0.7 miles, Good); St Nicolas C.E. Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 83% reading, 69% maths); and John Rankin Junior School (1.2 miles).

35 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Willows Primary School (as of April 2026): 74% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 83% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (89%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (71%).

The nearest railway station is Newbury Racecourse Rail Station, about 1160 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Nightingales (on), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Willows Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 172 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Berkshire (26), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Willows Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to The Willows Primary School are St Bartholomew's School (0.8 miles), Park House School (1.3 miles) and Trinity School (1.7 miles).