Denefield School

About Denefield School

Denefield School was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a rating it has held consistently across both its graded inspections. The school’s Progress 8 score of 0.16 is the most telling exam metric here, as it measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and their GCSEs compared with the national average. A positive score means pupils are making above-average progress, and Denefield’s figure sits comfortably above the West Berkshire local authority average of 0.02. That places the school third out of nine secondary schools in the area, behind only St Bartholomew’s and The Downs School. In national terms, Denefield ranks in the top 40% of all schools in England on this measure, which is a solid showing for a comprehensive that takes a broad mix of students.

Looking more closely at the GCSE results from 2023/24, the school’s Attainment 8 score — the average grade achieved across eight key subjects — is 49.3, which equates roughly to a strong pass at grade 5 or a low B. Over 72% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, and just over half hit the higher grade 5 threshold. The EBacc average point score is 4.3, and about a third of pupils entered the full EBacc combination of subjects. At A-level, the school’s 71 sixth-form students achieved an average grade of B- per entry, with a points-per-entry score of 35.41. The value-added score for sixth form is -0.02, which is essentially in line with national expectations, and the progress banding is rated as Average. The best three A-levels averaged out at a grade B, and 14% of entries were graded AAB or higher.

Denefield is a large secondary with 1,142 pupils on roll, slightly above its official capacity of 1,137, and it has a dedicated sixth form. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 440 applications for 208 places, with 209 first-preference applications and 185 offers made to first-preference families. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.12, so it’s worth applying early. Facilities are strong for a state school, including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, gym, science labs, music rooms, and a sixth form centre. The school lists a wide range of SEND provisions, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language issues, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With a free school meals rate of 17.3%, it serves a fairly typical cross-section of the local community. This is a school that suits families looking for solid, above-average academic progress in a well-equipped setting, particularly those who want a sixth form on site and a broad range of clubs and sports.

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