The Willink School
124%
Capacity
1,233
Pupils
1.8x
Demand
About The Willink School
The Willink School is a mixed state secondary and sixth form in West Berkshire, and it is noticeably oversubscribed. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 359 applications for 195 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.84. Of those, 222 were first-preference applications, and 184 first-preference offers were made, meaning a significant number of families who put it first still missed out. The school currently has 1,233 pupils on roll against a capacity of 995, so it is operating well above its official limit. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 12.8%, which is slightly below the national average for secondary schools and reflects the relatively affluent catchment in West Berkshire. The school has no religious character and is a standard community state school, drawing from a wide area around the village of Burghfield Common.
Academically, The Willink School performs solidly, with a Progress 8 score of 0.04, which is exactly in line with the West Berkshire local authority average of 0.02. This places it 6th out of 9 schools in the LA, and in the top half nationally at the 45th percentile. The Attainment 8 score is 49.1, and 75.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, while 54.1% achieved a grade 5 or above. The school has a strong EBacc entry rate of 87.6%, though only 40.2% of pupils actually achieved the EBacc at grade 4 or above. At A-level, the school has 116 pupils in the sixth form, with a points per entry of 32.83, equivalent to a C+ grade, and a value-added score of -0.05, which is rated as Average. The school was graded Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a significant improvement from its Requires Improvement rating in 2012.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, library, gymnasium, science labs, tennis courts, ICT suite, chapel, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision includes swimming, badminton, hockey, cross country, basketball, and cricket, while extracurricular clubs range from a newspaper and science club to chess, book club, Young Enterprise, orchestra, choir, and debate. The school has a comprehensive SEND offer, with provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families looking for a well-subscribed, academically solid state secondary with a strong sixth form, a broad range of activities, and a clear SEND support structure, particularly those living within commuting distance of Burghfield Common.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | School Lane, Reading, West Berkshire, RG7 3XJ |
| Headteacher | N Browning |
| Local Authority | West Berkshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,233 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 12.8% |
| School Capacity | 1,233 / 995 (124% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 Oct 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (5 Oct 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 3 Mar 2014. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.04)
1423rd of 3,141
Nationally
220th of 461
In South East
6th of 9
In West Berkshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
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
40.4
'22/23
34.8
'23/24
32.8
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
2022/2364%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 164 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)64%
- FE college13%
- Sixth form college12%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Employment2%
- Not sustained1%
98% 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
2022/2363%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 91 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
24%
Russell Group
31%
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)63%
- Employment23%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Not sustained5%
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- Mathematics36
- Psychology30
- History22
- Biology20
- Sociology19
- Physical Education / Sports Studies18
- Economics16
- Government and Politics13
- Business Studies:Single11
- Mathematics (Further)11
- Physics11
- Chemistry10
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
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed195
359
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
222 families put this school as their 1st choice (62% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:05
Source: willinkschool.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British80.5%
- Mixed7.1%
- White (other)4.7%
- Asian4.0%
- Black0.4%
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.
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.
4
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
3
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 The Willink 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
School Lane, Reading
West Berkshire, RG7 3XJ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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