Manor Primary School

About Manor Primary School

Manor Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 68 applications for just 28 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.43. That means more than two families applied for every available spot, and all 27 first-preference applicants were offered a place. While the school doesn't publish a formal parent recommendation percentage, the high demand speaks for itself. Headteacher Fiona Swain leads a mixed, state primary for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. The school has capacity for 354 pupils and currently enrols 315, so it is running close to full. A significant 37.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, reflecting the diverse intake the school serves. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, Manor Primary was rated Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2012.

Academically, Manor Primary performs solidly above the local average. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Reading local authority average of 61%. That places the school 8th out of 38 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the top 21% locally. Nationally, it sits in the top 39% of all primary schools. Looking at individual subjects, 74% met expectations in both maths and writing, while 71% did so in reading. At the higher standard, 10% of pupils achieved greater depth across all three subjects, with maths leading at 31% and reading at 33%. Average scaled scores were 106 in maths and 105 in reading, both comfortably above the national baseline of 100. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds from starting points, but the attainment figures are reassuring for parents prioritising solid academic foundations.

The school offers a strong range of facilities and activities that go beyond the classroom. Pupils have access to playing fields, a sports hall, gymnasium, art studios, an ICT suite, a forest school area, and even a chapel. Sports include football, gymnastics, cross country, rounders, swimming and athletics, while clubs cover eco, gardening, drama and choir. For families with children who have additional needs, Manor Primary lists support for a wide spectrum of SEND, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, autism, hearing and visual impairments, and physical disabilities. The school is oversubscribed, so early application is essential. It suits families who want a well-resourced, inclusive community school with strong core results and a broad enrichment offer, all within a setting that reflects the diversity of Reading.

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