Primary schools1 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Steve Daniels · CC BY-SA 2.0A−School Grade
Schools in Sonning Common · DfE, Ofsted
Sonning Common’s state schools outscore 82% of towns in England
A strong pass in English and maths, grade 5 or better, went to 57% of Sonning Common’s pupils, above both Oxfordshire’s towns (46%) and towns in England (45%). 2 state-funded schools are located in Sonning Common’s built-up area. Sonning Common grades A− for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #7 of 38 in Oxfordshire. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
2
1 primary, 0 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
66%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
51.2
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
57%
a strong pass in both · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
School Grade
Sonning Common grades A− for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (66% meet the standard)Better than 73% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (51.2 and 57%)Better than 82% of towns in England
Sonning Common has 1 primary of its own with KS2 results, too few to judge on, so the primary figure uses the 7 graded primaries in and within 3 km of the town (635 pupils in results). Sonning Common has no secondaries of its own with GCSE results, so the secondary figure uses the 2 graded secondaries in and within 3 km of the town (328 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Sonning Common’s 2 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Sonning Common’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondarySpecial, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Getting a place
How school places work in Sonning Common
Oxfordshire County Council handles applications for every state school in Sonning Common, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
The schools
2 state schools in Sonning Common
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Sonning Common’s schoolsA 0B 1C 0D 01 without a letter
Special schools, nurseries and colleges1 · no letter: their results don’t compare
Village schools near Sonning Common1 · outside any built-up area; Sonning Common is the nearest town
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 1 of Sonning Common’s 2 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishopswood SchoolNovember 2025 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard |
Special needs
Special schools and alternative provision in Sonning Common
Sonning Common has 1 special school (Bishopswood: 73 pupils). A special-school place isn’t applied for like a mainstream one: for a child with an education, health and care plan (EHCP), Oxfordshire County Council names the school in the plan, after asking the family’s preference. These schools have no letter, because their results don’t compare with mainstream schools’. Their cards ↑
Oxfordshire County Council’s SEND Local Offer lists support beyond these schools.
Towns its size
84th of 471 English towns of 4,000 to 7,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Sonning Common, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | A+ | 83% | 78.4 | 99% |
| … | |||||
| 80 | Skelton (Redcar and Cleveland) North Yorkshire | A− | 72% | 45.5 | 54% |
| 81 | Brotton North Yorkshire | A− | 72% | 45.5 | 54% |
| 82 | Send Surrey | A− | 63% | 57.8 | 72% |
| 83 | Allerton Bywater West Yorkshire | A− | 67% | 49.7 | 57% |
| 84 | Sonning Common Oxfordshire | A− | 66% | 51.2 | 57% |
| 85 | South Cave East Riding of Yorkshire | A− | 67% | — | — |
| 86 | Great Shelford and Stapleford Cambridgeshire | A− | 65% | 51.9 | 58% |
| 87 | Backwell Somerset | A− | 67% | 50.2 | 53% |
| 88 | Billinge Merseyside | A− | 79% | 48 | 44% |
| … | |||||
| 471 | Amble Northumberland | D− | 35% | 32.7 | 16% |
Neighbours
Sonning Common and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
CavershamHenley-on-ThamesWoodcoteLower ShiplakeSonningReadingPangbourneSonning Common
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonning Common 2 schools | A− | 66% | 51.2 |
| Caversham 12 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 3 mi | A− | 65% | 52.6 |
| Henley-on-Thames 4 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 3.3 mi | A | 67% | 60.2 |
| Woodcote 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.1 mi | A | 67% | 54 |
| Lower Shiplake 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.1 mi | A | 67% | 60.6 |
| Sonning 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.8 mi | A | 68% | 57.8 |
| Reading 71 schools · 4.9 mi | A− | 63% | 52.5 |
| Pangbourne 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 5.1 mi | B− | 56% | 48.9 |
Sonning has the best-graded schools nearby (A). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Sonning Common: 14% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Sonning Common
Are schools in Sonning Common good?
Sonning Common’s state schools earn an A− against schools across England: primary results beat 73% of towns in England; secondary results beat 82% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Oxfordshire council.
How do I apply for a school place in Sonning Common?
Through Oxfordshire County Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many state schools are in Sonning Common?
2 open state-funded schools are located in Sonning Common’s built-up area: 1 primary, 0 secondary and 1 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.