Reading schools in numbers
How Reading's 71 schools compare with South East and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools71open, all types
Pupils26,379on roll
Primary schools40
Secondary schools11
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Reading | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 61 schools | 24.4% | 21.8% | 26.3% | 57thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 56 schools | 26.0% | 22.2% | 27.1% | 61stof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 61 schools | 36.1% | 15.7% | 18.6% | 32ndof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 62 schools | 15.1% | 13.8% | 14.5% | 56thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 62 schools | 11.2% | 12.9% | 11.6% | 90thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Reading | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 51 schools | 24.7 | 25.8 | 25.0 | 60thof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 51 schools | 4.7% | 12.7% | 10.6% | 12thof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 60 schools | 18.9 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 70thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 60 schools | 18.0% | 15.3% | 15.0% | 137thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 59 schools | £51,392 | £50,407 | £51,377 | 61stof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 56 schools | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 70thof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Reading | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 55 schools | 92.9% | 93.7% | 93.8% | 135thof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 55 schools | 18.9% | 15.7% | 15.8% | 130thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 55 schools | 14.3 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 146thof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Reading | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 59 schools | £11,302 | £8,689 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 59 schools | £4,365 | £4,055 | £4,229 | 57thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 61 schools | 4.8% | 8.5% | 8.3% | 125thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 61 schools | 27.9% | 11.7% | 14.1% | 140thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Reading | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 9 schools | 56.2% | 48.6% | 46.1% | 18thof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 9 schools | 53.8 | 47.9 | 47.0 | 14thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 37 schools | 63.9% | 63.1% | 63.1% | 72ndof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 37 schools | 8.8% | 8.7% | 8.3% | 62ndof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Reading | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 54 schools | 13% | 13% | 13% | 66thof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 37 schools | 97% | 95% | 94% | 45thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 50 schools | 38% | 33% | 35% | 60thof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 51 schools | 84.7% | 88.2% | 86.2% | 95thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 63 schools | 43% | 45% | 52% | 100thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 63 schools | 6.3% | 6.8% | 12.0% | 125thof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
ReadingEngland
Since 2016: -2.6%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
ReadingEngland
Since 2019: +7.9%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
ReadingEngland
Since 2017: -5.4%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
ReadingEngland
Since 2016: +5.5%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
ReadingEngland
Since 2007: +9.0