Reading Borough Council
Reading Borough Council is the local authority for Reading in the county of Berkshire, England. Reading has had a council since at least 1542, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1998, the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.
Political Control & Leadership
- Political control
- LabourMajority of seats
- Run by
- Labour administration
- Seats
- Labour 29 · Green 11 · Conservative 5 · Liberal Democrats 3 (48 seats)As at May 2026. "Independents and others" includes local parties. Source: Open Council Data UK (public domain).
- Leader
- Alice Mpofu-ColesLabour
- Chief executive
- Jackie Yates
- Last election
- 2026
Overview
- Population
- 163,203
- Founded
- 1835
- Website
- reading.gov.uk
Area rating
239th of 294 areas in England · band 5 (bottom fifth) · score 42.4
How the area compares with the rest of England. Much of this depends on things no council controls, such as local incomes and history, so it describes the area, not how well the council is run. The area is close to the edge of its band: in the weight test its band changed in 8 of 16 versions.
Scores run from 0 (lowest of all areas in England) to 100 (highest). For a district, services run by the county and health figures published only for the county come from its county.
Council services
166th of 294 · band 3 (middle fifth) · score 48.0 · 15th of 16 among similar councils
Planning averages major and other decisions made on time. Adult social care will join when the Care Quality Commission’s ratings can be added.
Similar councils
The 15 councils the government’s Statistical Neighbours model (1 July 2026) judges most like Reading, most similar first. This is the fairest comparison.
| Council | Area band | Services score | Warning flags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 5 ≈ | 48.0 | |
| Merton | 1 ≈ | 68.0 | |
| Lambeth | 4 ≈ | 54.0 | Exceptional financial support: 5 years, latest 2026-27 |
| Milton Keynes | 2 ≈ | 72.7 | |
| Kingston upon Thames | 1 | 71.0 | |
| Hounslow | 4 ≈ | 54.6 | |
| Bracknell Forest | 1 | 73.4 | |
| Bristol | 5 | 23.0 | |
| Camden | 4 ≈ | 58.5 | |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 4 ≈ | 57.0 | |
| Trafford | 1 | 56.7 | Exceptional financial support: 2 years, latest 2026-27 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 1 | 57.5 | Exceptional financial support: 2 years, latest 2026-27 |
| Wandsworth | 3 ≈ | 56.6 | |
| Southwark | 4 ≈ | 51.5 | |
| South Gloucestershire | 2 | 52.9 | |
| Hillingdon | 2 ≈ | 60.8 | Exceptional financial support: 2026-27 Usable reserves fell 85% in 2024-25 |
≈ means close to the edge of its band.
Financial health
Usable reserves (money the council holds that is not tied to schools or public health): £46.0m at 31 March 2025, from £62.8m a year earlier (down 27%). That is 13.0% of a year’s spending on services.
No section 114 notice, government intervention or exceptional financial support is on the record for this council.
Reserves: MHCLG, Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2024 to 2025 individual local authority data - outturn (RS, RSX), figures in the council’s own return.
See every area in the council area league table, with how the scores are worked out and where every figure comes from.
Finance
- Annual revenue budget
- £356m
- Council tax (Band D)
- £2,223This is the council’s own share only. Police and fire precepts (and, in areas with two tiers of council, the county or district precept) are added separately for the final bill. See Council Spending by Service below for how this council itself spends.
Council Spending by Service
- Total
- £383m2025-26 · MHCLG (outturn) · May not match "Annual revenue budget" above. That figure is a different accounting measure (budgeted resource requirement) for a different year than this outturn total.
- Education services
- £162m
- Adult Social Care
- £78m
- Children Social Care
- £71m
- Environmental and regulatory services
- £22m
- Public Health
- £13m
- Housing services (GFRA only)
- £12m
- Central services
- £9m
- Cultural and related services
- £6m
- Highways and transport services
- £6m
- Planning and development services
- £2m
Claimant count
5,360 people claiming unemployment-related benefits, August 2026
4.3% of residents aged 16 to 64 · −10 on August 2025
| August 2026 | Claimants | % aged 16 to 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 3,055 | 4.8% |
| Women | 2,305 | 3.7% |
Yearly and recent figures
| Month | Claimants | % aged 16 to 64 |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 5,360 | 4.3% |
| July 2026 | 5,300 | 4.2% |
| June 2026 | 5,360 | 4.3% |
| May 2026 | 5,375 | 4.3% |
| April 2026 | 5,485 | 4.4% |
| March 2026 | 5,525 | 4.4% |
| February 2026 | 5,530 | 4.4% |
| January 2026 | 5,365 | 4.3% |
| December 2025 | 5,385 | 4.3% |
| November 2025 | 5,345 | 4.2% |
| October 2025 | 5,345 | 4.2% |
| September 2025 | 5,440 | 4.3% |
| August 2025 | 5,370 | 4.3% |
| July 2025 | 5,450 | 4.3% |
| June 2025 | 5,570 | 4.4% |
| May 2025 | 5,485 | 4.4% |
| April 2025 | 5,490 | 4.4% |
| March 2025 | 5,495 | 4.4% |
| February 2025 | 5,460 | 4.3% |
| January 2025 | 5,280 | 4.2% |
| December 2024 | 5,315 | 4.2% |
| November 2024 | 5,330 | 4.2% |
| October 2024 | 5,380 | 4.3% |
| September 2024 | 5,380 | 4.3% |
| August 2026 | 5,360 | 4.3% |
| August 2025 | 5,370 | 4.3% |
| August 2024 | 5,415 | 4.3% |
| August 2023 | 4,505 | 3.6% |
| August 2022 | 4,245 | 3.5% |
| August 2021 | 5,830 | 4.9% |
| August 2020 | 6,945 | 5.8% |
| August 2019 | 2,850 | 2.4% |
| August 2018 | 2,225 | 1.8% |
| August 2017 | 1,745 | 1.5% |
| August 2016 | 1,535 | 1.3% |
| August 2015 | 1,425 | 1.2% |
| August 2014 | 1,860 | 1.6% |
| August 2013 | 2,785 | 2.5% |
| August 2012 * | 3,730 | 3.4% |
| August 2011 * | 3,795 | 3.5% |
| August 2010 * | 3,755 | 3.5% |
| August 2009 * | 4,465 | 4.2% |
| August 2008 * | 1,950 | 1.8% |
| August 2007 * | 2,040 | 1.9% |
| August 2006 * | 2,125 | 2.0% |
| August 2005 * | 1,735 | 1.7% |
| August 2004 * | 1,780 | 1.8% |
| August 2003 * | 2,220 | 2.2% |
| August 2002 * | 2,020 | 2.0% |
| August 2001 * | 1,490 | 1.5% |
| August 2000 * | 1,820 | 1.9% |
| August 1999 * | 2,025 | 2.1% |
| August 1998 * | 2,085 | 2.2% |
| August 1997 * | 2,480 | 2.6% |
| August 1996 * | 4,345 | 4.7% |
| August 1995 * | 5,235 | 5.7% |
| August 1994 * | 6,350 | 7.1% |
| August 1993 * | 6,965 | 7.8% |
| August 1992 * | 6,285 | 7.0% |
| August 1991 * | 5,060 | n/a |
| August 1990 * | 2,290 | n/a |
| August 1989 * | 1,980 | n/a |
| August 1988 * | 3,000 | n/a |
| August 1987 * | 4,890 | n/a |
| August 1986 * | 6,415 | n/a |
* Before 2013: Unemployment Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants only. n/a means no share was published for that year.
The Claimant Count is people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance plus people on Universal Credit who are required to look for work. Before 2013 it counted only Unemployment Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants, so earlier years are not strictly comparable. Universal Credit requires more people to search for work than Jobseeker’s Allowance did, so as it replaced older benefits from 2013, part of the rise in the count reflects that change rather than more unemployment. It is not the official unemployment rate, which comes from a survey. The latest month can be revised.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Claimant Count (via Nomis). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Welfare spending
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Child poverty
Children under 16 living in low-income families, 2024-25
| Year | Children | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 4,523 | 13.8% |
| 2022-23 | 4,975 | 14.8% |
| 2023-24 | 4,959 | 14.5% |
| 2024-25 | 5,144 | 14.9% |
A child is counted if their family’s income is below 60% of the UK median for that year and the family claimed Child Benefit plus at least one other benefit (Universal Credit, tax credits or Housing Benefit). The two measures can differ a lot: housing costs push the after-housing-costs figure far higher in expensive areas such as London. Figures are provisional and years before 2021-22 are not comparable, so the trend starts there.
Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Children in Low Income Families: local area statistics (FYE 2022 to 2025, published 26 March 2026).
Fuel poverty
7,221 households in fuel poverty, 2024
10.0% of 72,368 households · England 9.9%
Across this area’s 100 neighbourhoods, estimates range from 4.0% to 22.5%; 42 are above the England rate of 9.9%.
| Neighbourhood | Households | Fuel poor |
|---|---|---|
| Reading 012E | 612 | 22.5% |
| Reading 010B | 677 | 20.1% |
| Reading 012D | 601 | 20.0% |
| Reading 010E | 509 | 18.7% |
| Reading 007B | 820 | 17.2% |
A household is counted as fuel poor if its home has an energy efficiency rating of band D or below and, after paying for housing and the energy it needs, its income is below the poverty line (60% of the national median). These are modelled estimates: the government advises using them for broad comparisons and to spot areas of particularly high or low fuel poverty, not to track year-to-year changes, so only the latest year is shown. Neighbourhoods are small census areas (lower layer super output areas) of roughly 1,500 people, named after their council and a reference number; their estimates are less certain than the council figure.
Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Sub-regional fuel poverty data (2024 data). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
House prices
£349,550 average house price, July 2026
−1.2% over 12 months · −2.8% over 1 month · 118 sales in May 2026
Yearly figures
| July 1995 | £59,431 |
| July 1996 | £58,487 |
| July 1997 | £66,873 |
| July 1998 | £82,349 |
| July 1999 | £90,900 |
| July 2000 | £122,649 |
| July 2001 | £130,916 |
| July 2002 | £155,465 |
| July 2003 | £168,413 |
| July 2004 | £177,376 |
| July 2005 | £186,638 |
| July 2006 | £191,451 |
| July 2007 | £217,272 |
| July 2008 | £208,719 |
| July 2009 | £186,491 |
| July 2010 | £203,659 |
| July 2011 | £198,578 |
| July 2012 | £208,346 |
| July 2013 | £213,747 |
| July 2014 | £241,886 |
| July 2015 | £267,808 |
| July 2016 | £312,893 |
| July 2017 | £319,627 |
| July 2018 | £312,809 |
| July 2019 | £301,343 |
| July 2020 | £294,133 |
| July 2021 | £311,057 |
| July 2022 | £350,731 |
| July 2023 | £342,403 |
| July 2024 | £353,636 |
| July 2025 | £353,930 |
| July 2026 | £349,550 |
| Type | Average price | 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £714,852 | −1.2% |
| Semi-detached | £442,678 | 0.0% |
| Terraced | £351,976 | +0.1% |
| Flat or maisonette | £223,165 | −3.8% |
| First home buyers | £307,709 | −1.2% |
| Existing owners moving home | £431,515 | −1.2% |
| Cash buyers | £333,972 | −1.9% |
| Mortgage buyers | £353,211 | −1.1% |
Average prices are HM Land Registry’s estimates for the whole area, adjusted for the mix of homes sold, not the price of any one home. Figures for the latest months are provisional: sales can take weeks or months to be registered, so each month is revised for a year after it is first published. Sales counts are published about three months behind prices. In areas with fewer sales, figures can swing noticeably from month to month.
Source: HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index (July 2026 data). Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Homelessness
325 households were owed help by the council because they were homeless or at risk, January to March 2026
433 households in temporary accommodation on 31 March 2026
6.2 per 1,000 households · 308 with children · 699 children
Quarterly figures
| Quarter | Owed help | In temporary accommodation |
|---|---|---|
| April to June 2019 | 245 | 157 |
| July to September 2019 | 246 | 170 |
| October to December 2019 | 242 | 150 |
| January to March 2020 | 261 | 149 |
| April to June 2020 | 290 | 240 |
| July to September 2020 | 248 | 223 |
| October to December 2020 | 217 | 195 |
| January to March 2021 | 195 | 178 |
| April to June 2021 | 222 | 133 |
| July to September 2021 | 230 | 154 |
| October to December 2021 | 265 | 172 |
| January to March 2022 | 265 | 174 |
| April to June 2022 | 260 | 161 |
| July to September 2022 | 240 | 195 |
| October to December 2022 | 228 | 206 |
| January to March 2023 | 367 | 244 |
| April to June 2023 | 405 | 274 |
| July to September 2023 | 391 | 280 |
| October to December 2023 | 421 | 323 |
| January to March 2024 | 655 | 341 |
| April to June 2024 | 310 | 373 |
| July to September 2024 | not published | 400 |
| October to December 2024 | 334 | 407 |
| January to March 2025 | 346 | 400 |
| April to June 2025 | 359 | 408 |
| July to September 2025 | 361 | 408 |
| October to December 2025 | 314 | 429 |
| January to March 2026 | 325 | 433 |
| Type | Households | With children |
|---|---|---|
| Bed and breakfast hotels | 16 | 0 |
| Rooms or flats with own facilities, paid nightly | 171 | 147 |
| Hostels and refuges | 1 | 1 |
| Private homes leased for the purpose | 0 | 0 |
| Council or housing association homes | 245 | 160 |
| Other (including private landlords) | 0 | 0 |
24 households placed in temporary accommodation in another council's area · 25 owed temporary accommodation but none yet secured
Councils must help households threatened with homelessness within 56 days (prevention duty) and those already homeless (relief duty), and may house them in temporary accommodation while more settled housing is found. Figures for January to March 2026 are provisional and may be revised. “Not published” means the council did not submit figures or MHCLG suppressed small numbers to protect households.
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Statutory homelessness: detailed local authority level tables (accredited official statistics). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Crime
20,492 crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
125.6 per 1,000 residents · Up 5.2% on the previous 12 months
Monthly figures
| September 2025 | 1,631 |
| October 2025 | 1,605 |
| November 2025 | 1,586 |
| December 2025 | 1,556 |
| January 2026 | 1,561 |
| February 2026 | 1,476 |
| March 2026 | 1,790 |
| April 2026 | 1,750 |
| May 2026 | 1,909 |
| June 2026 | 1,846 |
| July 2026 | 1,909 |
| August 2026 | 1,873 |
| Type of crime | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 7,256 | 44.5 |
| Shoplifting | 3,228 | 19.8 |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,927 | 11.8 |
| Other theft | 1,676 | 10.3 |
| Public order | 1,597 | 9.8 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,211 | 7.4 |
| Vehicle crime | 923 | 5.7 |
| Burglary | 644 | 3.9 |
| Drugs | 516 | 3.2 |
| Bicycle theft | 430 | 2.6 |
| Other crime | 367 | 2.2 |
| Robbery | 356 | 2.2 |
| Theft from the person | 229 | 1.4 |
| Possession of weapons | 132 | 0.8 |
Source: data.police.uk, the official police crime data for England and Wales, summed to this council’s boundary from the small local area each crime is recorded in. Locations are approximate by design to protect privacy. Includes antisocial behaviour. Excludes fraud, which is recorded nationally, and the small number of crimes (about 1.4% in recent months) that police record with no location.
Crime figures last updated 13 October 2026.
Road casualties
People killed or injured on roads reported to the police, 2025
Yearly figures
| Year | Killed | KSI as recorded | KSI adjusted | All casualties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 48 | 50.8 | 281 |
| 2024 | 2 | 31 | 38.8 | 277 |
| 2023 * | 0 | 34 | 40.9 | 286 |
| 2022 * | 4 | 50 | 58.2 | 352 |
| 2021 | 0 | 31 | 36.4 | 264 |
| 2020 | 3 | 35 | 40.6 | 255 |
| 2019 | 2 | 41 | 46.3 | 251 |
| 2018 | 1 | 46 | 52.8 | 327 |
| 2017 | 2 | 56 | 63.6 | 370 |
| 2016 | 5 | 47 | 55.0 | 392 |
* DfT flags unexpected data collection issues affecting some police forces’ figures for these years.
| Road user | Killed | Killed or seriously injured |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 3 | 24 |
| Cyclists | 0 | 8 |
| Motorcyclists | 2 | 9 |
| Car occupants | 0 | 4 |
| Bus or coach occupants | 0 | 0 |
| Van occupants | 0 | 0 |
| Lorry (HGV) occupants | 0 | 0 |
| Other vehicle occupants | 0 | 3 |
These are casualties in collisions reported to the police on all roads in the council’s area, including motorways and trunk roads it doesn’t manage. Police forces have moved to an injury-based recording system that classes more injuries as serious, so the Department for Transport publishes an adjusted “killed or seriously injured” estimate to allow fair comparison between years; the trend uses the adjusted figure, and the road-user table uses figures as recorded. Rates are per billion miles driven by motor vehicles in the area.
Source: Department for Transport, Reported road casualties Great Britain (RAS0403, first published 30 July 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Public Health
- Smoking (adults)
- 8.6%2025 · OHID Fingertips
- Physically active (adults)
- 70.4%2024/25 · OHID Fingertips
- Overweight or obese (adults)
- 62.8%2024/25 · OHID Fingertips
- Life expectancy (male)
- 78.8 years2021 to 2023 · ONS
- Life expectancy (female)
- 83.2 years2021 to 2023 · ONS
Schools
61 open state schools with 24,689 pupils, Ofsted snapshot as at 31 March 2026
Report cards (inspections since 10 November 2025)
1 school has a report card. Safeguarding: 1 met.
| Area | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Curriculum and teaching | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Achievement | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Attendance and behaviour | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Personal development and wellbeing | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Leadership and governance | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Early years | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Earlier inspections (schools without a report card yet)
| Outstanding | 2 |
| Good | 22 |
| Requires improvement | 1 |
| Inadequate | 1 |
| Not judged (no overall grade given) | 10 |
| School remains Good | 13 |
| Standards maintained | 5 |
| School remains Outstanding | 4 |
| Some aspects not as strong | 1 |
1 school has no inspection on record yet (for example, newly opened schools).
Schools in a category of concern
- Hartland High School (Secondary): Serious weaknesses
All 61 schools
| School | Phase | Latest inspection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Sutton Primary School | Primary | 18 October 2023 | School remains Good |
| All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School | Primary | 8 March 2022 | School remains Good |
| All Saints Junior School | Primary | 8 October 2024 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| Battle Primary Academy | Primary | 19 November 2024 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| Blagdon Nursery School | Nursery | 2 May 2024 | School remains Outstanding |
| Blagrave Nursery School | Nursery | 14 November 2023 | Good |
| Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School | Secondary | 14 September 2023 | School remains Good |
| Caversham Nursery School | Nursery | 21 September 2022 | School remains Outstanding |
| Caversham Park Primary School | Primary | 20 September 2023 | School remains Good |
| Caversham Primary School | Primary | 21 June 2023 | Good |
| Christ The King Catholic Primary School | Primary | 11 May 2022 | Good |
| Churchend Primary Academy | Primary | 6 December 2022 | Good |
| Civitas Academy | Primary | 7 February 2024 | School remains Good |
| Coley Primary School | Primary | 31 January 2024 | School remains Good |
| Cranbury College | Alternative provision | 8 January 2025 | Standards maintained |
| E P Collier Primary School | Primary | 7 February 2023 | Good |
| Emmer Green Primary School | Primary | 22 October 2024 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School | Primary | 24 January 2024 | School remains Good |
| Geoffrey Field Infant School | Primary | 10 December 2024 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| Geoffrey Field Junior School | Primary | 27 March 2024 | School remains Good |
| Green Park Village Primary Academy | Primary | 20 June 2023 | Good |
| Hamilton School | Special | 21 May 2024 | Good |
| Hartland High School | Secondary | 10 October 2023 | Inadequate * |
| Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre | Secondary | 27 March 2024 | School remains Good |
| Katesgrove Primary School | Primary | 4 October 2023 | School remains Good |
| Kendrick School | Secondary | 8 November 2022 | Outstanding |
| King's Academy Prospect | Secondary | 4 October 2022 | Good |
| Maiden Erlegh School in Reading | Secondary | 21 September 2023 | School remains Good |
| Manor Primary School | Primary | 28 February 2023 | Good |
| Meadow Park Academy | Primary | 7 November 2023 | Good |
| Micklands Primary School | Primary | 1 October 2024 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| Moorlands Primary School | Primary | 11 June 2025 | Standards maintained |
| New Bridge Nursery School | Nursery | 18 October 2023 | School remains Outstanding |
| New Christ Church Church of England Primary School | Primary | 21 September 2022 | Good |
| New Town Primary School | Primary | 14 January 2025 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| Norcot Early Years Centre | Nursery | 14 May 2024 | School remains Outstanding |
| Oxford Road Community School | Primary | 20 November 2024 | Standards maintained |
| Park Lane Primary School | Primary | 31 October 2023 | Good |
| Ranikhet Academy | Primary | 12 May 2021 | Good |
| Reading Girls' School | Secondary | 24 November 2021 | Good |
| Reading School | Secondary | 21 November 2023 | Outstanding |
| Redlands Primary School | Primary | 1 July 2025 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| River Academy | Secondary | n/a | Not yet inspected |
| Southcote Primary School | Primary | 7 March 2023 | Good |
| St Anne's Catholic Primary School | Primary | 27 November 2024 | Standards maintained |
| St John's Church of England Primary School | Primary | 13 September 2022 | Good |
| St Martin's Catholic Primary School | Primary | 13 January 2026 | Report card |
| St Mary & All Saints Church of England Primary School | Primary | 17 June 2025 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| St Michael's Primary School | Primary | 4 October 2023 | School remains Good |
| Thames Valley School | Special | 16 April 2024 | Good |
| Thameside Primary School | Primary | 24 April 2025 | Standards maintained |
| The Avenue Special School | Special | 16 May 2023 | Good |
| The Heights Primary School | Primary | 16 October 2024 | Standards maintained |
| The Hill Primary School | Primary | 1 November 2023 | School remains Good |
| The Holy Brook School | Special | 8 May 2025 | Some aspects not as strong |
| The Palmer Primary Academy | Primary | 22 November 2022 | Good |
| The Ridgeway Primary School | Primary | 7 January 2025 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| The WREN School | Secondary | 23 January 2024 | Requires improvement |
| UTC Reading | Secondary | 4 February 2025 | Not judged (no overall grade given) |
| Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School | Primary | 7 December 2021 | Good |
| Wilson Primary School | Primary | 29 March 2022 | Good |
* Inspection of a predecessor school (for example, before it became an academy).
Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted inspects schools under a renewed framework and publishes a report card grading up to eight areas on a scale of five points, plus whether safeguarding standards are met. Ofsted says these grades cannot be compared with grades from the previous framework, so they are shown separately. Graded inspections between 1 September 2024 and 9 November 2025 gave no overall grade (“Not judged”). Ungraded inspections check whether a school is still at its previous grade; the “Earlier inspections” figures use the last graded inspection.
Source: Ofsted, State-funded schools inspections and outcomes as at 31 March 2026 (official statistics). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Broadband and mobile
96.4% of 79,541 homes and businesses can get gigabit-capable broadband, January 2026
0 premises can't get decent broadband · 40% of premises use full fibre
| Superfast (30 Mbit/s or more) | 99.7% |
| Ultrafast (100 Mbit/s or more) | 97.8% |
| Ultrafast (300 Mbit/s or more) | 97.3% |
| Gigabit-capable (1,000 Mbit/s) | 96.4% |
| Full fibre to the premises | 95.6% |
| Can’t get 10 Mbit/s | 0.0% |
| Can’t get decent broadbandfrom a fixed line or fixed wireless | 0.0% |
| 4G indoors from at least one networkshare of premises | 100.0% |
| 4G indoors from all four networksshare of premises | 99.0% |
| 4G outdoors from at least one networkshare of premises | 100.0% |
| 5G outdoors from at least one networkshare of premises | 100.0% |
| Indoor phone calls from at least one networkshare of premises | 100.0% |
| Land with no outdoor 4G from any networkshare of the area | 0.0% |
These figures show what is available, not what people buy. “Decent” broadband means 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload, the standard set by the broadband Universal Service Obligation. Full-fibre use is the share of all premises with a full-fibre connection in use. Mobile figures count the four networks Ofcom reports (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) and are modelled predictions of signal strength; 5G figures use Ofcom’s high-confidence measure.
Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations (January 2026 data). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sewage spills
169 hours of sewage spills from 2 storm overflows in 2025
14 spills counted · 1 of 2 overflows with figures spilled at least once · 245th most spill hours of 288 council areas in England with storm overflows
Storm overflows are run by water companies, not by the council. The company responsible here is Thames Water.
Every overflow in this area
| Overflow | Company | Spills | Hours | Monitor working |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| READING SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKSinto FOUDRY BROOK | Thames Water | 14 | 169 | 99% |
| Reading, Blakes Lockinto Holly Brook | Thames Water | 0 | 0 | 89% |
A storm overflow releases diluted sewage into a river or the sea when sewers are overloaded, usually in heavy rain. Hours are the total time all spills lasted. Spills are counted the Environment Agency’s way: any discharge in the first 12 hours counts as one spill, and each further 24-hour block counts as another. Compare every council, constituency and water company.
Source: Environment Agency, Event Duration Monitoring storm overflow annual return 2025. Locations placed in council areas using Office for National Statistics boundaries. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.