St Joseph's Catholic Primary in Bracknell is rated Strong in all seven Ofsted areas. College Town and St Michael's in Sandhurst earn Strong for early years.
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Bracknell has been rated Strong standard in every one of the seven areas Ofsted now grades. It is the best result of three Bracknell Forest primaries whose new-style report cards have been published since the start of term.
The other two are in Sandhurst. College Town Primary School and St Michael’s Church of England Primary School both reach the expected standard throughout, with Strong grades for their early years. College Town also earns Strong for attendance and behaviour.
Safeguarding standards were met at all three schools.
St Joseph’s: Strong across the board
St Joseph’s, in Gipsy Lane, was inspected on 23 June. Ofsted published its report card on 9 September (Ofsted, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School report card). Ofsted’s data puts the roll at 208 pupils, against a capacity of 210.
The inspectors rated it Strong standard for:
- inclusion
- curriculum and teaching
- achievement
- attendance and behaviour
- personal development and wellbeing
- early years
- leadership and governance
Strong standard means leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Only Exceptional sits higher on Ofsted’s scale.
The report describes “a culture where every pupil is known, valued and championed”. It says pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils “achieve very well”. On attendance, it records that overall attendance is “consistently above the national average” and persistent absence is low.
The inspectors also noted specialist seating, standing desks and robotic cameras used so that pupils with a range of needs can take part in lessons.
The school has been through a change of leadership. The report says an acting headteacher was appointed in the autumn term of 2025, and the post was made permanent on 1 June 2026. The headteacher is Nicola Philpott.
Ofsted’s two next steps are about keeping it there. Leaders should keep responding to the changing needs of pupils so standards hold, and governors should keep developing how they monitor leaders’ work.
College Town Primary: behaviour and attendance stand out
College Town Primary School, in Branksome Hill Road, was inspected on 9 and 10 September. The report card was published on 1 October (Ofsted, College Town Primary School report card). With 479 pupils it is much larger than the other two.
It is rated Strong standard for attendance and behaviour and for early years, and Expected standard in the other five areas. The report calls behaviour across the school “excellent” and says “very few pupils are persistently absent”. In early years, it says children “make an excellent start”.
Ofsted asks the school to:
- embed highly effective teaching across all subjects and classes
- match adaptations for pupils with barriers to learning more precisely to their needs
- deepen pupils’ understanding of British values and protected characteristics
The headteacher is Trudi Sammons.
St Michael’s, Sandhurst: a strong start in Reception
St Michael’s Church of England Primary School, in Lower Church Road, was inspected on 15 and 16 September. Ofsted published the report card on 6 October (Ofsted, St Michael’s Church of England Primary School report card). Ofsted’s data puts the roll at 199 pupils.
Early years is rated Strong standard: children in Reception “get off to a very positive start”, the report says. The other six areas are Expected standard. Attendance is still singled out as a strength, above that of other schools nationally. Pupils’ results in national assessments are above average, according to the report.
The school is part of The Keys Academy Trust. Its executive headteacher is Amanda Ruthven and its head of school is Jo Lanfear. Ofsted wants more consistent support for pupils with additional barriers to learning, and a broader curriculum in which pupils build detailed knowledge.
The council’s local list of buildings of local historic interest includes St Michael’s School in Lower Church Road and College Town Infants School in Branksome Hill Road.
How the three compare
| School | Strong grades | Pupils | Free school meals | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Joseph’s Catholic Primary, Bracknell | 7 of 7 | 208 | 4.33% | 9 September |
| College Town Primary, Sandhurst | 2 of 7 | 479 | 8.81% | 1 October |
| St Michael’s CofE Primary, Sandhurst | 1 of 7 | 199 | 6.03% | 6 October |
The free school meals figure is the share of pupils eligible at any point in the last six years. Ofsted describes all three as well below average.
What it means for you
If you are choosing a primary school for September 2027, these report cards are more detailed than the old one-word judgements. Each of the seven areas carries its own grade and a written explanation, so you can see what a school does well and what it has been asked to fix. Click any area on the Ofsted page to read it.
Our school term dates page has the holidays for this year, and our report on the council’s school places strategy covers where the borough expects to need places.
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