Little Heath School
99%
Capacity
1,679
Pupils
1.8x
Demand
About Little Heath School
Little Heath School is a large secondary in West Berkshire, currently operating very close to its capacity of 1,700 pupils with 1,679 on roll. The school serves a community with a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 18.9%, compared with the national secondary average of around 24%. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 471 applications for 257 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.83. Of those applicants, 224 put Little Heath as their first preference, and all of those were offered a place. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and has no religious character. It also operates a sixth form, so pupils can stay on from age 11 through to 18 without needing to move schools.
Academically, Little Heath’s Progress 8 score of -0.15 places it in the ‘Average’ banding nationally, though it sits below the West Berkshire local authority average of 0.02. In the local rankings, the school comes seventh out of nine similar schools in the area, putting it in the bottom half of the LA table. Attainment 8 sits at 46.6, and 67.5% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, compared with 42.4% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is low at 17.6%, and only 9.8% of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 4 or above. At A-level, the school’s value added score is -0.04, also rated ‘Average’, with pupils averaging a C+ grade per entry and 32.05 points per entry. The sixth form has 161 students, and 8.9% achieved at least AAB in their best three A-levels.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, art studios, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include football, rugby, hockey, cricket, and martial arts, while extracurricular clubs cover science, eco, film, debate, drama, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and Young Enterprise. Little Heath also provides for a wide range of SEND needs, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, hearing and visual impairments, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With its large size, strong demand for places, and comprehensive SEND provision, this school suits families looking for a well-established, inclusive secondary with a sixth form and a broad extracurricular offer, particularly those within commuting distance of Newbury.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Little Heath Road, Reading, West Berkshire, RG31 5TY |
| Headteacher | David Ramsden |
| Local Authority | West Berkshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,679 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.9% |
| School Capacity | 1,679 / 1,700 (99% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Nov 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (29 Nov 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 10 Sept 2014. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.15)
1890th of 3,141
Nationally
288th of 461
In South East
7th of 9
In West Berkshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
33.6
'22/23
32.4
'23/24
32.0
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2356%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 239 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)56%
- FE college26%
- Employment5%
- Sixth form college4%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Not sustained4%
95% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2347%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 154 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
13%
Russell Group
13%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)47%
- Employment23%
- Not sustained11%
- Apprenticeship8%
- Further education6%
- Other education4%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology37
- Mathematics34
- Biology27
- Chemistry22
- Economics21
- History20
- Business Studies:Single19
- Physics18
- Computer Studies / Computing17
- English Language15
- Government and Politics15
- Geography13
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
13Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed257
471
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
224 families put this school as their 1st choice (48% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British60.8%
- Asian13.5%
- Mixed10.3%
- White (other)5.9%
- Black2.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Little Heath School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Little Heath Road, Reading
West Berkshire, RG31 5TY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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