Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge
45%
Capacity
421
Pupils
2.9x
Demand
About Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge
Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school in South Oxfordshire that currently educates 421 pupils against a capacity of 934, meaning it is operating at roughly 45 per cent of its potential roll. The proportion of students eligible for free school meals stands at 22.6 per cent, which is notably higher than the national average for secondary schools and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. Despite the spare capacity, the school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year: it received 289 applications for 101 places, with 57 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.86 applicants per place. This demand signal is strong, especially given the school’s relatively small current size, and indicates that local families are actively choosing it over alternatives. The school is part of the Maiden Erlegh Trust and has no sixth form, so pupils leave at 16.
Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good overall, with Good marks for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This represents a significant turnaround from its previous inspection in 2017, when it was rated Inadequate across the board. In the 2023/24 exam results, the school’s Progress 8 score was -0.4, placing it in the ‘below average’ band nationally and ranking it 32nd out of 46 similar schools in Oxfordshire. Its Attainment 8 score was 37.6, and 31 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score was 3.36, with 39.4 per cent of pupils entering the EBacc combination. The local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.07, so the school is performing below the LA norm, though its ranking within South Oxfordshire (9th out of 11 schools) reflects the competitive local landscape.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, sports hall, art studios, music rooms, and a chapel. Its sports provision covers swimming, gymnastics, football, tennis, athletics, and rounders, while extracurricular clubs include choir, Model UN, art, gardening, coding, science, book, and newspaper clubs. The school’s SEND provisions are extensive, covering specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. This makes it a potentially strong choice for families whose children require additional support. Given its oversubscription, families should apply early, and the lack of a sixth form means planning for post-16 options will be necessary from Year 9 onwards.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Reades Lane, Reading, South Oxfordshire, RG4 9LN |
| Headteacher | Emma Bliss |
| Local Authority | Oxfordshire |
| Number of Pupils | 421 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 22.6% |
| School Capacity | 421 / 934 (45% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 May 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 3 Jul 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.40)
2447th of 3,141
Nationally
357th of 461
In South East
9th of 11
In South Oxfordshire
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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2312%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 77 pupils).
- Sixth form college38%
- FE college38%
- School sixth form (stay)12%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Employment4%
- Not sustained4%
96% 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.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed101
289
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
57 families put this school as their 1st choice (20% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% 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%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British68.9%
- Mixed10.6%
- White (other)7.8%
- Asian5.2%
- Black0.7%
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.
75% 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.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this 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.
3
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
2
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge
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
Reades Lane, Reading
South Oxfordshire, RG4 9LN
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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