Highwood Primary School
Highwood Primary School is a converter academy in Reading for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 429 pupils and room for 434. About 16 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2021.
Fairwater Drive, Woodley, Reading, RG5 3JE0118 926 5493highwood.wokingham.sch.ukMr Matthew Hickey headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 1 December 2021, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
62 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. These are the results of Highwood Primary School, the school this one replaced.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025† | 2024† | 2023† | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Wokingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 62 | 58 | 61 | 29 | 31 | 23 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 69% | 55% | 56% | 62% | 65% | 52% | 72% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 15% | 12% | 8% | 21% | 19% | 4% | 12% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 110.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 | 108.1 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 108.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 102.0 | 106.8 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 108.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 107.0 | 107.0 | 102.0 | 107.4 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 87% | 81% | 79% | 69% | 68% | 74% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 84% | 69% | 70% | 83% | 77% | 70% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 71% | 67% | 62% | 86% | 71% | 83% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +0.4 | -1.9 | -1.8 | -1.9 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -0.7 | +0.3 | +0.2 | -3.6 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 58% | 25% | 27% | 60% | 78% | 40% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 72% | 71% | 65% | 63% | 59% | 62% | – | – |
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.
† These results are for Highwood Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
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. 1 of the 4 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
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.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference.
In 2025 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2025. Every child who applied got a place (42 offers for 60 places).
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Primary | 60 | 102 | 42 | – all offered | LA |
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 11 pupils, for speech, language and communication.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Wokingham with speech, language and communication provision.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.8 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (23), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (9), emotional and mental health (6), Physical disability (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1).
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25† | 2023/24† | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.1% | 5.2% | 6.2% | 6.8% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.1% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 5.5% | 3.4% | 3.0% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 11.3% | 15.3% | 19.8% | 20.3% | 9.1% | 5.8% | 12.8% |
† These attendance figures are for Highwood Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Lake Primary School | Academy | 850 m | 443 | No overall grade 2025 | 86 | Compare |
| Beechwood Primary School | Academy | 880 m | 244 | Requires improvement 2023 | 5 | Compare |
| St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 990 m | 420 | Outstanding 2020 | 100 | Compare |
| Earley St Peter's Church of England Primary School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 458 | Report card 2025 | 78 | Compare |
| Rivermead Primary School | Academy | 0.9 miles | 429 | Report card 2026 | 75 | Compare |
| Alfred Sutton Primary School | Council | 0.9 miles | 664 | Good 2023 | 86 | Compare |
| Aldryngton Primary School | Council | 1.0 miles | 314 | No overall grade 2024 | 95 | Compare |
| Willow Bank Infant School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 152 | Good 2022 | – | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Highwood Primary School a good school?
Highwood Primary School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in December 2021.
What is Highwood Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Highwood Primary School good at its last full inspection on 1 December 2021. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Highwood Primary School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 69% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 15% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Highwood Primary School have?
429 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 434 places, so it is 99% full.
Is Highwood Primary School oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Highwood Primary School?
Pupils were in school 94.9% 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 Highwood Primary School?
The average class had 28.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 46% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Highwood Primary School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Fairwater Drive, Woodley, Reading, RG5 3JE
- Telephone
- 0118 926 5493
- Website
- www.highwood.wokingham.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Matthew Hickey
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Orchard Learning Alliance (10 schools)
- Local authority
- Wokingham
- Ward
- South Lake
- Constituency
- Earley and Woodley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2025 (academy converter)
- URN
- 149998 · LAESTAB 8722246 · UKPRN 10093000
- Formerly
- Highwood Primary School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Wokingham council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2025.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.