School Chooser

Garland Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedCouncil185 pupilsReadingWest Berkshire
School Chooser Score
27
Below
similar schools
Likely range 15 to 46
Out of 100. Better than 33% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, June 2026
Reached the expected level at 1154%England 63%
Attendance95.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families27%About the same as most schools in England
Places55 spare185 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher18.9School workforce census

Garland Junior School is a council school in Reading for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 185 pupils and room for 240. About 26 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 27 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in June 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Clay Hill Road, Burghfield Common, Reading, RG7 3HG0118 983 2776burghfieldcommonfederation.co.ukMrs Catherine Rose headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 2 June 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
20 September 2023UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

54 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1154%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level6%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 62%62%20172018: 57%57%20182019: 53%53%20192023: 56%56%20232024: 52%52%20242025: 54%54%2025
Since 2017: -8%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017West BerkshireEngland
Pupils tested545661515647
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths54%52%56%53%57%62%57%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths6%13%0%0%11%13%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0105.0105.0103.0104.0106.0105.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0103.0102.0102.0101.0104.0103.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0102.0101.0102.0104.0105.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard74%73%67%69%70%79%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard70%66%57%67%63%74%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)69%63%68%67%71%74%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.0-2.2-1.2+2.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.7-3.7-2.7+0.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged33%13%47%40%18%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged62%68%60%56%67%64%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
33%62%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%57%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
71%54%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%6%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places192 pupils for 240 places, 2024/25
80% full

48 places were empty (20% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 16% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to West Berkshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll185Census January 2026
Places24077% full
Pupils from low-income families27%27% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English9%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support24%44 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.47 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils14%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)28%£82,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls92 / 93
White British pupils68%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (19), Autistic spectrum disorder (13), emotional and mental health (11), language and communications needs (4), Other difficulty or disability (2), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll185185219235230209
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals27%27%30%29%21%18%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language9%10%11%10%10%9%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%20%17%16%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils13.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.3%6.5%6.5%7.8%3.2%4.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.6%5.0%4.3%5.8%1.9%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.5%2.3%2.0%1.4%2.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.6%20.7%20.3%24.6%10.1%11.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate13.012.313.210.92.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00111

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers9.8full-time equivalent, 13 people
Pupils per teacher18.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,633
Teachers who left in the year39%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.12024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,370England £7,738. Total £1.5m
Income per pupil£7,722England £7,697. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,626England £3,480
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £94k, £510 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£120kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£8,370spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m20112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate86 per 1,000 people6% lower than the England average
Typical house price£399,950West Berkshire
Nearest bus stop110 mThe Close, 11 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Mrs Bland's Infant SchoolCouncil510 m181No overall grade 202568Compare
Burghfield St Mary's C.E. Primary SchoolChurch of England1.1 miles208Good 202341Compare
Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet SchoolChurch of England1.2 miles94Good 202267Compare
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant SchoolChurch of England1.7 miles164No overall grade 202456Compare
Mortimer St Mary's C.E. Junior SchoolChurch of England2.0 miles235Report card 202651Compare
Theale C.E. Primary SchoolChurch of England2.8 miles301No overall grade 202495Compare
Calcot Infant School and NurseryCouncil3.0 miles217Good 202357Compare
Calcot Junior SchoolCouncil3.0 miles264Good 202321Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Garland Junior School with the 45 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats33%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 27 is 11 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 39 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 27 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 27% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 15 to 46. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 54 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.08
Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.22
DfE progress measure; 54 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.06
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 199 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.02
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 54 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Garland Junior School a good school?

The figures are weak. Garland Junior School scores 27 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 15 to 46, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Garland Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 2 June 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Garland Junior School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 54% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Garland Junior School have?

185 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 77% full.

Is Garland Junior School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 48 places were empty in 2024/25 (20% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Garland Junior School?

Pupils were in school 95.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Garland Junior School?

The average class had 26.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 14% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Clay Hill Road, Burghfield Common, Reading, RG7 3HG
Telephone
0118 983 2776
Website
www.burghfieldcommonfederation.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Catherine Rose
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
West Berkshire
Ward
Burghfield & Mortimer
Constituency
Reading West and Mid Berkshire
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
109858 · LAESTAB 8692125 · UKPRN 10079847

Where these figures come from