School Chooser

Mary Hare School

Special · ages 4-19MixedNon-maintained special146 pupilsSixth formNewburyWest Berkshire
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths19%England 46%
Attendance85.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families23%About the same as most schools in England
Parents would recommend100%31 Parent View responses
Places94 spare146 pupils, 240 places
Average A level gradeC-2022/23

Mary Hare School is a non-maintained special school in Newbury for boys and girls aged 4 to 19. It has 146 pupils and room for 240. About 23 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England.

Arlington Manor, Snelsmore Common, Newbury, RG14 3BQ01635 244200maryhare.org.ukMr Robin Askew principalAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

27 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score31.5
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths19%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths37%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.52In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 28.428.420182019: 28.728.720192022: 42.442.420222023: 36.436.420232024: 35.235.220242025: 31.531.52025
Since 2018: +3.1
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018West BerkshireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11272225233033
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 831.535.236.442.428.728.446.646.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.52+0.32+0.32-0.62-0.27
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths19%9%20%43%13%12%46%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths37%27%56%70%30%33%66%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score2.512.902.793.172.192.144.124.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry15%18%12%4%13%9%38%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 9 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Subjects that did worse than the England average: English Language (23% here, 54% across England), Art and Design (35% here, 58% across England), English Literature (38% here, 58% across England), Mathematics (38% here, 53% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science.
HumanitiesGeography6

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Art and Design29 entries
35%England 58%
Mathematics24 entries
38%England 53%
23%England 54%
38%England 58%
15%England 36%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Art and Design293%35%55%58%
Mathematics240%38%67%53%
English Language225%23%32%54%
English Literature1613%38%63%58%
Combined Science130%15%62%36%
Chemistry60%83%100%81%
Biology60%50%100%82%
Physics60%83%83%82%
Geography60%17%50%51%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2023

79 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC-27.9 points per entry
AAB or better4%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202320172016
Students796354
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry27.9127.6223.92
Average A level gradeC-C-D+
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS22.6130.6730.00
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects4%20%0%
A level progressA level value added+0.04-0.25

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 GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
28.534.2
Gap 5.7England 3.0
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.

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.

What parents say

Would recommend the school100%England 84%
My child is happy here100%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe100%
Positive overall100%
My child is happy at this school
100%England 85%
My child feels safe at this school
100%England 86%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
90%England 79%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
7% yesEngland 20%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
50%England 49%
My child gets the right support to learn well
100%England 81%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
100% yesEngland 32%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
100%England 68%
The school communicates well with me
94%England 78%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
81%England 66%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
90%England 78%
I would recommend this school
100%England 84%
Overall view of the school is positive
100%England 79%
My child enjoys boarding and feels well cared forBoarders only
96%England 96%
Boarding helps my child's progress and developmentBoarders only
97%England 95%
Overall view of the boarding is positiveBoarders only
100%England 93%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 31 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for all schools with enough answers to publish.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll146Census January 2026
Places24061% full
Pupils from low-income families21%23% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English31%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support2%3 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan98%143 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)30%£35,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls82 / 64
White British pupils73%

Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with hearing impairment.

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 West Berkshire with hearing impairment provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Hearing impairment (139), Multi-sensory impairment (5), Physical disability (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll146159173202225220
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals21%18%19%19%19%20%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language31%36%34%30%25%20%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support2%1%2%1%2%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans98%99%99%99%98%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 85.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance85.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school47.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils23.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission4.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence14.6%8.3%5.3%6.4%4.1%8.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence10.2%6.6%4.3%6.1%4.0%7.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence4.5%1.7%1.0%0.4%0.1%0.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence47.5%17.7%16.7%27.6%7.3%20.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate23.329.530.723.616.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00110

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 25 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training100%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training100%96%100%100%
Education100%96%100%100%
Apprenticeship0%0%0%0%
Work0%0%0%0%
Not in education, work or training0%0%0%0%

After sixth form

Where the 38 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training90%and stayed there for at least six months

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m612 months to June 2026, mostly criminal damage and arson
Local crime rate51 per 1,000 people44% lower than the England average
Typical house price£399,950West Berkshire
Nearest bus stop310 mSnelsmore Country Park, 6 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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
The Castle SchoolCouncil1.4 miles228Outstanding 2024Compare
Curridge Primary SchoolCouncil1.5 miles111Good 202354Compare
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary SchoolChurch of England1.5 miles91No overall grade 202539Compare
Trinity SchoolAcademy1.7 miles1,349Good 202440Compare
Chieveley Primary SchoolCouncil1.8 miles164No overall grade 202425Compare
The Winchcombe SchoolCouncil1.9 miles436Report card 20267Compare
Robert Sandilands Primary School and NurseryCouncil2.0 miles221Not inspected84Compare
iCollege Alternative ProvisionPupil referral unit2.0 miles71Report card 2026Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Mary Hare School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Mary Hare School yet.

How good are Mary Hare School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 19% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 31.5, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Mary Hare School have?

146 pupils aged 4 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 61% full.

What is attendance like at Mary Hare School?

Pupils were in school 85.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 48% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Mary Hare School?

100% of the 31 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 100% say their child is happy there. Across England, 84% of parents would recommend their child's school.

Does Mary Hare School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It is a special school for hearing impairment. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Does Mary Hare School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2023 was C-.

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

Contact and details

Address
Arlington Manor, Snelsmore Common, Newbury, RG14 3BQ
Telephone
01635 244200
Website
www.maryhare.org.uk
Principal
Mr Robin Askew
Type of school
Non-maintained special school (Non-maintained special school, special schools)
Phase
Special school, ages 4-19, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
West Berkshire
Ward
Chieveley & Cold Ash
Constituency
Newbury
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
110180 · LAESTAB 8697005 · UKPRN 10013987

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from