School admissions in Reading

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 73 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.

Reading in figures

For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 90 schools in Reading first 3,318 times for 3,416 places: 0.97 first choices per place. 18 of the 90 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 19 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.27 miles (Wilson Primary School) to 2.61 miles (Englefield C.E. Primary School).

For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 21 schools in Reading first 3,591 times for 3,498 places: 1.03 first choices per place. 8 of the 21 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 4 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 1.00 miles (River Academy) to 2.15 miles (The Piggott School).

Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.

Reception places, September 2026

90 schools. 18 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
All Saints Church of England Aided Infant SchoolReading	1.85	20	not published
Sonning Church of England Primary SchoolReading	1.77	30	1.39 miles 2025
Birch Copse Primary SchoolReading	1.65	60	0.519 miles 2026
Downsway Primary SchoolReading	1.57	30	0.328 miles 2026
Battle Primary AcademyReading	1.33	60	not published
Burghfield St Mary's C.E. Primary SchoolReading	1.30	30	1.66 miles 2026
The Hill Primary SchoolReading	1.28	60	0.707 miles 2026
Moorlands Primary SchoolReading	1.27	30	0.449 miles 2026
Oxford Road Community SchoolReading	1.27	30	0.184 miles 2023
The Heights Primary SchoolReading	1.26	50	not published
Sonning Common Primary SchoolReading	1.21	29	4.264 miles 2012
The Colleton Primary SchoolReading	1.20	30	not published
Waltham St Lawrence Primary SchoolReading	1.15	20	2.362 miles 2026
Crazies Hill Church of England Primary SchoolReading	1.13	15	1.741 miles 2026
Englefield C.E. Primary SchoolReading	1.12	16	2.612 miles 2026
Silchester Church of England Primary SchoolReading	1.10	30	not published
Aldryngton Primary SchoolReading	1.09	45	1.205 miles 2026
Caversham Primary SchoolReading	1.05	60	0.658 miles 2026
Brimpton C.E. Primary SchoolReading	1.00	9	not published
Goring Church of England Aided Primary SchoolReading	1.00	20	not published
Knowl Hill Church of England Primary AcademyReading	1.00	12	not published
Pangbourne Primary SchoolReading	1.00	6	not published
Radstock Primary SchoolReading	1.00	30	not published
St Martin's Catholic Primary SchoolReading	1.00	14	not published
The Palmer Primary AcademyReading	1.00	58	not published
Whitchurch Primary SchoolReading	1.00	16	1.43 miles 2025
Woodcote Primary SchoolReading	1.00	21	2.295 miles 2012
Woolhampton C.E. Primary SchoolReading	1.00	6	not published
Whiteknights Primary SchoolReading	0.98	59	2.266 miles 2026
Geoffrey Field Infant SchoolReading	0.98	90	2.545 miles 2025
Katesgrove Primary SchoolReading	0.98	90	1.011 miles 2026
Whitley Park Primary and Nursery SchoolReading	0.98	45	not published
New Town Primary SchoolReading	0.97	36	not published
Bradfield C.E. Primary SchoolReading	0.97	30	not published
Coley Primary SchoolReading	0.97	30	0.425 miles 2026
Ranikhet AcademyReading	0.97	30	not published
Christ The King Catholic Primary SchoolReading	0.96	28	not published
Loddon Primary SchoolReading	0.96	28	not published
Southcote Primary SchoolReading	0.96	55	0.797 miles 2020
St Anne's Catholic Primary SchoolReading	0.96	23	not published
Hawkedon Primary SchoolReading	0.96	90	2.368 miles 2026
Alfred Sutton Primary SchoolReading	0.95	85	0.769 miles 2024
Mrs Bland's Infant SchoolReading	0.95	41	not published
Green Park Village Primary AcademyReading	0.95	60	not published
Calcot Infant School and NurseryReading	0.95	39	not published
St John's Church of England Primary SchoolReading	0.95	58	not published
Theale C.E. Primary SchoolReading	0.94	35	not published
New Christ Church Church of England Primary SchoolReading	0.94	16	not published
Emmer Green Primary SchoolReading	0.93	60	1.661 miles 2026
The Ridgeway Primary SchoolReading	0.93	30	not published
E P Collier Primary SchoolReading	0.92	26	not published
Manor Primary SchoolReading	0.92	39	not published
Beechwood Primary SchoolReading	0.92	24	not published
Wilson Primary SchoolReading	0.92	60	0.266 miles 2026
Bucklebury C.E. Primary SchoolReading	0.91	11	not published
Mortimer St. John's C.E. Infant SchoolReading	0.91	43	not published
St Mary & All Saints Church of England Primary SchoolReading	0.90	41	not published
English Martyrs' Catholic Primary SchoolReading	0.89	56	not published
Thameside Primary SchoolReading	0.89	56	1.173 miles 2021
Churchend Primary AcademyReading	0.88	60	not published
Kennet Valley Primary SchoolReading	0.88	24	not published
Springfield Primary SchoolReading	0.88	40	not published
Rivermead Primary SchoolReading	0.87	54	0.551 miles 2023
St Michael's Primary SchoolReading	0.87	46	0.744 miles 2020
Earley St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolReading	0.87	30	not published
Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet SchoolReading	0.87	15	not published
Meadow Park AcademyReading	0.86	37	not published
St Paul's Catholic Primary SchoolReading	0.86	36	not published
Polehampton Church of England Infant and Nursery SchoolReading	0.86	56	not published
Purley CofE Primary SchoolReading	0.86	7	not published
Redlands Primary SchoolReading	0.86	21	0.834 miles 2023
Lambs Lane Primary SchoolReading	0.83	30	1.605 miles 2024
Micklands Primary SchoolReading	0.83	30	1.449 miles 2026
The Piggott SchoolReading	0.82	28	not published
Woodley CofE Primary SchoolReading	0.82	28	not published
Aldermaston C.E. Primary SchoolReading	0.82	11	not published
Shinfield Infant and Nursery SchoolReading	0.81	90	0.819 miles 2026
Kidmore End Church of England Primary SchoolReading	0.81	21	not published
Caversham Park Primary SchoolReading	0.80	5	not published
Grazeley Church of England Primary SchoolReading	0.80	30	not published
Long Lane Primary SchoolReading	0.80	30	1.553 miles 2026
Park Lane Primary SchoolReading	0.78	60	0.464 miles 2020
Westwood Farm Infant SchoolReading	0.78	46	not published
Hillside Primary SchoolReading	0.78	59	0.813 miles 2022
South Lake Primary SchoolReading	0.78	59	0.856 miles 2023
Willow Bank Infant SchoolReading	0.77	60	1.574 miles 2021
Highwood Primary SchoolReading	0.74	39	not published
Civitas AcademyReading	0.68	60	not published
Beenham Primary SchoolReading	0.67	6	not published
The Coombes Church of England Primary SchoolReading	0.64	47	not published

First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.

Year 7 places, September 2026

21 schools. 8 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
Kendrick SchoolReading	2.76	127	not published
Reading SchoolReading	2.74	146	not published
Langtree SchoolReading	1.39	109	3.964 miles 2021
River AcademyReading	1.30	162	0.996 miles 2026
The Piggott SchoolReading	1.12	220	2.152 miles 2026
Maiden Erlegh SchoolReading	1.11	268	not published
Denefield SchoolReading	1.07	203	1.899 miles 2025
The Willink SchoolReading	1.06	201	2.756 miles 2025
The Bulmershe SchoolReading	0.88	233	1.17 miles 2026
Little Heath SchoolReading	0.84	260	1.427 miles 2024
Theale Green SchoolReading	0.81	124	5.3 miles 2013
Highdown School and Sixth Form CentreReading	0.79	243	not published
Maiden Erlegh School in ReadingReading	0.78	169	1.433 miles 2026
Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic SchoolReading	0.76	174	1 miles 2025
WaingelsReading	0.74	235	2.119 miles 2024
King's Academy ProspectReading	0.72	145	not published
Reading Girls' SchoolReading	0.66	154	2.546 miles 2024
The WREN SchoolReading	0.60	117	not published
Hartland High SchoolReading	0.53	86	not published
Oakbank SchoolReading	0.33	43	not published
Maiden Erlegh Chiltern EdgeReading	0.20	79	not published