Inkpen Primary School

About Inkpen Primary School

Inkpen Primary School received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection in 2023, a notable step up from the Inadequate rating it had received the previous year. The inspection report highlighted that while the quality of education requires improvement, the school's leadership and management, behaviour and attitudes, and personal development were all judged to be Good. This upward trajectory is reflected in the school's most recent Key Stage 2 results from the 2023/24 academic year, where 47% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits below the local authority average of 57% for West Berkshire, placing Inkpen 43rd out of 67 primary schools in the area. The school's ranking places it in the bottom 50 nationally for this key metric, though the small cohort size of just 34 pupils means individual results can have a disproportionate impact on overall percentages.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 SATs data, performance varied noticeably across subjects. Reading was the strongest area, with 80% of pupils reaching the expected standard and 13% achieving a higher score. Maths followed with 67% at the expected level and 7% at the higher level, while writing saw 53% meeting the expected standard and no pupils reaching the higher threshold. The average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 102 in maths, both close to the national average of 100. Progress scores for all three subjects were not available in the data, making it difficult to assess how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. The school's small size means these figures should be interpreted with caution, as a single pupil's performance can shift percentages significantly from one year to the next.

Inkpen is a small village primary school with a capacity for 84 pupils but currently only 34 on roll, giving it a distinctly intimate feel. The school offers a range of facilities including a forest school, art studios, playing fields and a chapel, and runs clubs such as art, film, science, drama, gardening and choir. Sports on offer include football, swimming, cricket and athletics. The school has identified SEND provisions for pupils with specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed with 9 applications for 4 places, and all 4 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. This suggests a small but committed local community, and the school may particularly suit families looking for a close-knit rural setting where individual attention is possible due to the very low pupil numbers.

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