Oxford Road Community School Review 2026: High-demand community primary with strong KS2 outcomes

On Oxford Road, this community primary combines an urban, outward-looking ethos with academic outcomes that sit comfortably above England averages at Key Stage 2. In 2024, 75.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 62%. A notable 21% reached the higher standard across reading, writing and maths, well above the England average of 8%.

The school is also significantly oversubscribed at Reception entry. In the most recent admissions data available, 177 applications were made for 30 offers, which is roughly 5.9 applications per place. Families considering Reception in September 2026 needed to work to a tight timetable, with the local coordinated deadline falling on 15 January 2026 and offers released on 16 April 2026.

Oxford Road Community School describes itself, without fuss, as a genuine “community” school, and the day-to-day feel aligns with that. The tone is relational and supportive, with a clear expectation that pupils learn how to treat one another well. The latest formal review paints a picture of pupils who are happy, settled, and ready to work, with calm, productive lessons and positive behaviour across classrooms and playtimes.

There is also a strong sense of place. The school opened in 1881, and it still operates from a Victorian two-storey building with original features. That matters less as a marketing line and more as context for families: this is a long-established local institution, shaped by generations of west Reading families and by the character of Oxford Road itself.

Leadership is stable enough to give consistency. Claire Hurst is the named headteacher on the school website and also serves as executive headteacher across the federation with Wilson Primary School. She was already the headteacher by the time of the December 2018 Ofsted correspondence and remains in post as executive headteacher in the most recent inspection documentation.

Early years, done deliberately

Nursery provision is a meaningful part of the school’s identity, not an add-on. The early years approach emphasises strong adult relationships, emotional security, and responsive teaching, including an explicit “planning in the moment” model. For families, the practical implication is that early years is likely to feel structured enough to build routines, while still leaving space for children’s interests to shape the day.

Oxford Road’s Key Stage 2 outcomes in 2024 show a school performing above the England picture on the measures that typically matter most to parents.

• Expected standard (reading, writing, maths combined): 75.67%, compared with an England average of 62%.

• Higher standard (reading, writing, maths combined): 21%, compared with an England average of 8%.

• Average scaled scores: reading 107, maths 106, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 109.

These results sit alongside strong subject-level expected standard rates, including 80% in reading, 77% in maths, and 87% in grammar, punctuation and spelling (all 2024).

In FindMySchool’s rankings (based on official performance data), the school is ranked 3009th in England for primary outcomes and 32nd locally in Reading. That places performance above the England average and within the top quarter of schools nationally (top 25%).

Parents comparing nearby options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to check how these measures stack up against other Reading primaries on the same basis.

The curriculum picture, as described in the most recent inspection documentation, is intentionally ambitious, with careful sequencing in most subjects and an expectation that pupils, including those who need additional support, access the full curriculum including trips and enrichment.

Reading is a clear priority. The formal evidence points to early phonics foundations beginning in Nursery, followed by systematic teaching and close checking of gaps so that pupils who fall behind receive targeted support. For families, the implication is that early reading development is unlikely to be left to chance, and that children who need catch-up should be identified quickly rather than drifting.

There is also a useful note of candour in the improvement agenda. Some foundation subjects are still being refined so that staff can be clearer about the most important knowledge pupils should retain over time. This is the kind of curriculum work that is largely invisible to pupils day to day, but it affects how consistently learning is checked and revisited across the wider curriculum.

As a Reading community primary, progression to secondary school follows the usual pattern: families make their choices during Year 6 through the local coordinated process, rather than through an automatic feeder guarantee. The school’s published admissions information notes that representatives from local secondary schools typically visit, and some invite Year 6 pupils for induction experiences, with the primary coordinating information so families can decide well.

For parents, the practical point is to think ahead early about travel time and the type of secondary setting that will suit your child. If you are considering selective routes, plan that work carefully and realistically, as it can change the Year 5 and Year 6 experience significantly.

Reception entry

Oxford Road Community School is oversubscribed for Reception entry in the most recent dataset available: 177 applications for 30 offers, which is about 5.9 applications per place. That level of competition means families should focus on two things: meeting deadlines and understanding the oversubscription criteria used for community primaries in Reading.

Applications for September 2026 entry were coordinated locally, with the online admissions site opening on 1 November 2025, the national closing date on 15 January 2026, and offers released on 16 April 2026. The published timetable also sets a 30 April 2026 deadline to accept the place offered.

Open days for Reception 2026 were run as small-group visits with very limited spaces, scheduled across October and November 2025 and early January 2026. If you are planning for a later year, that pattern suggests open mornings typically cluster in autumn, with some additional dates in early January, and booking is likely to be required.

Families using distance as part of their planning should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their exact home-to-school measurement and keep in mind that admissions outcomes shift annually based on who applies.

Nursery entry

Nursery admissions are handled directly rather than through the main Reception process. The school publishes a nursery waiting list route and also notes that nursery availability can be constrained in-year, so it is sensible to enquire early if Nursery is central to your plan. Nursery sessions and 30-hour attendance patterns are set out clearly in the school day information.

The overall wellbeing picture is grounded in relationships and consistency. The most recent inspection documentation describes strong adult-pupil relationships beginning in early years, with pupils feeling safe and parents valuing the support the school provides.

Attendance is an explicit priority, with a focus on working with families to improve regular school attendance. The same evidence also notes that persistent absence remains too high for some pupils, which matters because it directly affects learning continuity and confidence.

Additional needs support is a significant feature. The school has a specially resourced provision, Maple and Willow, for pupils with severe learning difficulties, opened in September 2023 and serving a small cohort. For families, this is a useful signal that inclusion is not just a policy statement, it is reflected in dedicated structures and staff expertise.

Oxford Road’s enrichment is most convincing when it is specific. One example is music: the school’s official inspection documentation notes that all pupils in Year 4 learn steel pans, which is a distinctive, practical route into ensemble playing and rhythm work that can suit children who do not immediately see themselves as “musical”.

For after-school clubs, the published programme changes term by term, but the current examples listed include First Impressions Theatre (Years 1 to 6) and a Singing club (Years 4 to 6). These matter because they give a sense of the school’s priorities: performance, confidence, and shared activity across year groups, not only competitive sport.

Trips and local learning also come through strongly in the formal evidence, including curriculum-linked visits within Reading, such as museum learning to support topics like the Romans and Victorian schooling. This is the kind of enrichment that tends to benefit pupils who learn best when knowledge is anchored in real artefacts and places.

The school day is clearly set out. For Reception to Year 6, the school day starts at 8:40am (registration at 8:50am) and ends at 3:15pm. Nursery sessions are listed as 8:30am to 11:30am and 12:15pm to 3:15pm, with a 30-hours pattern running 8:30am to 3:15pm Monday to Friday with a lunch club.

Wraparound care is available. Breakfast Club runs 8:00am to 8:40am and is priced at £3.50 per session. After School Club operates daily during term time, priced at £11.00 per session from September 2025, with a £9.00 sibling rate.

Transport-wise, the location is well suited to walking and short local journeys given its position close to Reading town centre on a major corridor. The practical question for many families will be drop-off timing and how that fits with work patterns, especially given the gate opening and closing times described in the school day guidance.

• Competition for Reception places. With around 5.9 applications per place in the latest available data, admission is the main constraint. Plan early, prioritise deadlines, and sanity-check your assumptions about how likely a place is.

• Attendance as a current focus. Formal evidence highlights improvements, but also notes persistent absence remains too high for some pupils. Families should ask how attendance is supported, particularly if a child has health or anxiety-related barriers.

• Curriculum refinement in some subjects. The school is still sharpening what “most important knowledge” looks like in a few foundation areas. That is not unusual, but it is worth asking how this is being embedded and checked over time.

• Federation context. Leadership and governance operate across a federation with Wilson Primary School. For many families this adds capacity and shared expertise, but it can also mean changes or initiatives are implemented across both schools rather than in isolation.

Oxford Road Community School suits families who want a grounded, urban community primary with a clear emphasis on relationships, reading, and consistent academic outcomes above the England average. It is particularly well matched to parents who value inclusion as a practical reality, not just a slogan, and who want wraparound care options that support working patterns.

Who it suits most is also shaped by the admissions reality: for families who can secure a place, the day-to-day offer is convincing. The challenge is getting in.