Classpot

Birch Copse Primary School

West Berkshire, RG31 5LNPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Outstanding
Jul 2024
KS2 Results
82%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.4×
Oversubscribed
80 1st-choice / 58 places
Ranking
🏆Top 10%
#1116 of 13,686 nationally

About Birch Copse Primary School

Birch Copse Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 155 applications for just 58 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.67. Of those applicants, 80 put Birch Copse as their first preference, and all 58 places went to first-preference families. That level of demand is a strong signal of parent confidence, and it aligns with the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024, which awarded an overall Outstanding rating across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is the second consecutive Outstanding judgement for the school, following a similarly top-grade inspection in 2011. With a capacity of 420 and currently 416 pupils on roll, the school is running very close to full, which only reinforces how sought-after it is in the West Berkshire area.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressWittenham Avenue, Reading, West Berkshire, RG31 5LN
HeadteacherJ Micklewhite
Local AuthorityWest Berkshire
Number of Pupils416
Free School Meals (FSM)7.7%
School Capacity416 / 420 (99% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

9 Jul 2024
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
Early Years Provision
Outstanding

Source: Ofsted, 10 Sept 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
LibraryPlaying FieldsGymnasiumICT SuiteMusic RoomsForest SchoolChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

11

Sports

FootballCricketNetballGymnasticsCross Country

Clubs & Activities

DramaCodingFilm ClubGardeningScience ClubEco Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageLearning Difficulty

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:55 – 15:15

Breakfast club

07:45-08:40

After-school care

15:15-18:00

Source: birchcopse.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About Birch Copse Primary School

Birch Copse Primary School has been rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. This means the school provides an exceptional quality of education, and pupils thrive both academically and personally.