School Chooser

Sandy Lane Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy422 pupilsNurseryBracknellBracknell Forest
School Chooser Score
8
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 5 to 14
Out of 100. Better than 0% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, April 2026
Reached the expected level at 1152%England 63%
Attendance94.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families18%A bit fewer than most schools
Places208 spare422 pupils, 630 places
Pupils per teacher19.6School workforce census

Sandy Lane Primary School is a converter academy in Bracknell for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 422 pupils and room for 630. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 8 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in April 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Sandy Lane, Bracknell, RG12 2JG01344 423896sandylanebracknell.comMs Katie Parkhouse interim executive headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 21 April 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
Needs attention
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”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
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
4 February 2020Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 2Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1152%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 37%37%20172018: 64%64%20182019: 59%59%20192023: 38%38%20232024: 52%52%20242025: 52%52%2025
Since 2017: +15%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023†2019†2018†2017†Bracknell ForestEngland
Pupils tested588468907370
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths52%52%38%59%64%37%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%2%0%4%5%1%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0104.0105.0105.0105.0101.0106.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0101.0101.0104.0104.0101.0105.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0103.0103.0105.0105.0103.0105.7105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard81%73%68%74%79%67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard57%61%56%73%77%57%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)74%64%51%80%74%47%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.8+0.6+0.3-2.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-5.2-0.6-0.5-3.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged33%42%0%48%47%14%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged57%55%46%62%69%43%

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 Sandy Lane Primary School, the school this one replaced in October 2022. 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

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
33%57%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
58%44%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
81%52%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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 places387 pupils for 630 places, 2024/25
61% full

243 places were empty (39% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

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 Bracknell Forest 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 roll422Census January 2026
Places63067% full
Pupils from low-income families17%18% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English37%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%81 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%24 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.016 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils6%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)19%£116,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls220 / 202
White British pupils51%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 12 pupils, for autism, 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 Bracknell Forest with autism provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.2 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.1 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (39), language and communications needs (39), Autistic spectrum disorder (17), Specific learning difficulty (5), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll422436450475
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%16%15%13%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language37%34%37%37%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%17%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils19.32024/25, 2 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.7%5.0%6.1%8.0%5.3%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.7%3.6%4.1%6.1%4.5%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.0%1.5%2.0%1.9%0.8%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.6%11.8%15.5%27.9%18.0%9.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate19.36.210.55.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions2000

† These attendance figures are for Sandy Lane Primary School, the school this one replaced in October 2022. 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.

Teachers20.9full-time equivalent, 24 people
Pupils per teacher19.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants19.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,823
Teachers who left in the year24%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.32024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£6,507England £7,128. Total £2.7m
Income per pupil£7,059England £7,587. Total £3.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,175England £3,405
Money in reserve12%A healthy amount put by: £348k, £825 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£233kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,507spent 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 m19412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate42 per 1,000 people54% lower than the England average
Typical house price£415,000Bracknell Forest
Nearest bus stop130 mBull Lane, 13 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
Warfield Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England0.7 miles444Good 202262Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, BracknellRoman Catholic0.7 miles210Good 202294Compare
Holly Spring Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles603Good 202414Compare
King's Academy Meadow ValeAcademy0.8 miles562Good 201978Compare
Whitegrove Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles418Good 202256Compare
Wildridings Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles413Report card 202614Compare
King's Academy BinfieldFree school1.3 miles1,500Good 202258Compare
Fox Hill Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles214Good 202446Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Sandy Lane Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats0%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 8 is 66 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 25 · middle 73 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Sandy Lane Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Luke's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy7.4 miles327Outstanding 202382Compare
Lent Rise SchoolAcademy8.0 miles443Good 202455Compare
Wellington Community Primary SchoolCouncil12.0 miles403No overall grade 202555Compare
St Ignatius Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy14.3 miles410Report card 202584Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 8 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 8% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 5 to 14. 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%below
-0.10
2025 and 2024 results; 58 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.22
Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.34
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 58 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 347 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.17
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 58 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 Sandy Lane Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Sandy Lane Primary School scores 8 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 5 to 14, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Sandy Lane Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 21 April 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Sandy Lane Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 52% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Sandy Lane Primary School have?

422 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 630 places, so it is 67% full.

Is Sandy Lane Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 243 places were empty in 2024/25 (39% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Sandy Lane Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Sandy Lane Primary School?

The average class had 26.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 6% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Sandy Lane Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism, 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
Sandy Lane, Bracknell, RG12 2JG
Telephone
01344 423896
Website
www.sandylanebracknell.com
Interim Executive Headteacher
Ms Katie Parkhouse
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Greenshaw Learning Trust (39 schools)
Local authority
Bracknell Forest
Ward
Priestwood & Garth
Constituency
Bracknell
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2022 (academy converter)
URN
149386 · LAESTAB 8672814 · UKPRN 10091314
Formerly
Sandy Lane Primary School

Where these figures come from