The Palmer Primary Academy

General Information

Address: 70 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, RG2 7PP
Phone: 01189375481
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Miss Anne Higginbotham
Age range: 3-11 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Number of pupils: 436
School capacity: 420
Pupils eligible for free school meals: 129
% eligible for free school meals: 31.7%
Nursery provision: Yes

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Behaviour information for this school has not been added yet.

Attendance

Overall absence: 6.9%
Persistently absent pupils: 20.6%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

SEN provision information for this school has not been added yet.

Pupils on SEN Support: 16.1%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 3.7%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 24 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 14 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 12 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 9 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 7 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 5 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 5 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 2 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 2 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

Behaviour

–

Openness

–

Teaching Quality

–

School Ethos

–

Ability to Deal with Problems

–

Headteacher Approval

–

Would recommend –

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Educational Attainment

Good 2022 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Educational attainment data for this school has not been added yet.

View full Ofsted inspection report

Ranked #24 of 26 Ofsted Rating schools of this type in the area

#22St Michael's Primary SchoolGood
#23The Hill Primary SchoolGood
#24The Palmer Primary AcademyGood
#25Whitley Park Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#26Wilson Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

#1Alfred Sutton Primary SchoolGood
#2Caversham Park Primary SchoolGood
#3Caversham Primary SchoolGood
#4Christ The King Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#5Churchend Primary AcademyGood
#6Civitas AcademyGood
#7Coley Primary SchoolGood
#8E P Collier Primary SchoolGood
#9Earley St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#10English Martyrs' Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#11Green Park Village Primary AcademyGood
#12Katesgrove Primary SchoolGood
#13Manor Primary SchoolGood
#14Meadow Park AcademyGood
#15Moorlands Primary SchoolGood
#16New Christ Church Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#17Park Lane Primary SchoolGood
#18Ranikhet AcademyGood
#19Southcote Primary SchoolGood
#20St John's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#21St Martin's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#22St Michael's Primary SchoolGood
#23The Hill Primary SchoolGood
#24The Palmer Primary AcademyGood
#25Whitley Park Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#26Wilson Primary SchoolGood

Financials

Financial summary information for this school has not been added yet.

Spending per pupil: £6,180 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

Ranked #31 of 37 Spending Per Pupil schools of this type in the area

#29Earley St Peter's Church of England Primary School£6,267
#30Caversham Primary School£6,223
#31The Palmer Primary Academy£6,180
#32The Hill Primary School£6,161
#33The Heights Primary School£6,123

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

#1Thameside Primary School£9,821
#2Caversham Park Primary School£9,793
#3Christ The King Catholic Primary School£9,723
#4St Anne's Catholic Primary School£8,625
#5Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School£8,392
#6Oxford Road Community School£8,166
#7Moorlands Primary School£8,082
#8Redlands Primary School£7,912
#9New Christ Church Church of England Primary School£7,732
#10Micklands Primary School£7,681
#11Manor Primary School£7,586
#12Ranikhet Academy£7,330
#13St Michael's Primary School£7,276
#14Coley Primary School£7,207
#15The Ridgeway Primary School£7,136
#16Southcote Primary School£7,126
#17E P Collier Primary School£6,909
#18Wilson Primary School£6,880
#19St Martin's Catholic Primary School£6,879
#20New Town Primary School£6,774
#21Churchend Primary Academy£6,650
#22Meadow Park Academy£6,629
#23English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School£6,609
#24Green Park Village Primary Academy£6,570
#25Katesgrove Primary School£6,557
#26Park Lane Primary School£6,480
#27Emmer Green Primary School£6,360
#28St Mary & All Saints Church of England Primary School£6,346
#29Earley St Peter's Church of England Primary School£6,267
#30Caversham Primary School£6,223
#31The Palmer Primary Academy£6,180
#32The Hill Primary School£6,161
#33The Heights Primary School£6,123
#34Alfred Sutton Primary School£5,969
#35Battle Primary Academy£5,660
#36St John's Church of England Primary School£5,595
#37Civitas Academy£5,573

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)