Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School
92%
Capacity
165
Pupils
1.5x
Demand
About Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School is a Church of England primary in West Berkshire for children aged 4 to 7, and it is a school that local families clearly want to get into. With 165 pupils on roll against a capacity of 180, it is not quite full, but the admission data for 2025/26 tells a different story: the school received 75 applications for 50 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.5 applicants per place. Of those 75 applications, 43 were first-preference choices, and all 43 received offers. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 8.5%, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively affluent intake. The school is led by headteacher Clare Beswick and its most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, rated it Good overall, with all individual categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management — also judged Good.
Academically, Mortimer St. John's is a solid performer within its local authority. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 awarded a Good rating for quality of education, and the previous graded inspection in 2011 also rated overall effectiveness as Good, with leadership and management judged Outstanding at that time. While the school does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results — it is an infant school, so pupils leave at age 7 before those tests — the local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment across West Berkshire is 57, which provides useful context for the standard of primary education in the area. The school's early years provision was rated Good in both its 2011 and 2024 inspections, indicating consistent quality from the start. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 100% of the 34 respondents to the Ofsted Parent View survey would recommend the school, and 97% strongly agreed that their child is happy there.
The school offers a range of facilities including an ICT suite, music rooms, a chapel, playing fields, and an outdoor playground, plus sports such as tennis, swimming, athletics, and cross country. Clubs include art, coding, book club, drama, and eco club. For children with additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions covering social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, physical disability, and other difficulties. The oversubscription data suggests that securing a place requires a first-preference application, and the school's Church of England character may be a factor in admissions criteria. This is a small, popular infant school that suits families looking for a Good-rated, community-focused start to primary education in West Berkshire, with strong parental satisfaction and a clear demand signal from the local area.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 7 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | The Street, Reading, West Berkshire, RG7 3RD |
| Headteacher | Clare Beswick |
| Local Authority | West Berkshire |
| Number of Pupils | 165 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 8.5% |
| School Capacity | 165 / 180 (92% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 Dec 2024Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 23 Jan 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Ofsted Parent View
34 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed50
75
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
43 families put this school as their 1st choice (57% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:10
Source: mortimerschools.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
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
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British80.0%
- Mixed9.6%
- White (other)5.5%
- Asian0.6%
- Black0.6%
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
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
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.
2
Total schools
1
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
The Street, Reading
West Berkshire, RG7 3RD
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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