The Winchcombe School, Newbury
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The Winchcombe School excels at creating a warm, caring environment where children feel valued and safe. Pupils benefit from a rich personal development programme including clubs, trips and meaningful responsibilities that build confidence and independence. The early years provision is particularly strong, with excellent focus on language development and emotional wellbeing that sets children up well for their school journey.
Key Strengths
- Strong personal development programme with meaningful pupil roles and enrichment activities
- Effective safeguarding culture where pupils feel safe and concerns are actively managed
- Well-organised early years provision with excellent focus on communication, language and emotional development
- Clear school values (respect, kindness, courage, curiosity) that pupils understand and apply maturely
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent teaching quality across the school, particularly in early reading and writing instruction
- Significant attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers by end of Year 6
- Low phonics screening results at end of Year 1
- High persistent absence rates among disadvantaged pupils
- Variable provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Steel pans, sewing, choir, football, residential stays, trips and visits
The Winchcombe School provides a caring environment where pupils feel safe and valued, supported by warm relationships and well-established routines. However, the school faces challenges in ensuring consistent teaching quality and closing the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils.
At a Glance
17.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, SLCN - Speech, language and Communication
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 72%. Maths has remained stable at around 79%. Writing has declined from 67% to 56%.
Class Sizes
25.9
Avg class size
23.6
Infant (KS1)
26.4
KS2
17
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
104%
Over capacity
436 pupils
420 capacity
16 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Newbury
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Newbury
Admissions Demand - West Berkshire
Places available
1,973
Applications
1,515
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
98.9%
Primary admissions across West Berkshire (2025/26)
Inspection History(11)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.64616%
Overall absence
15.61644%
Persistent absence
365
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
The Winchcombe School
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