Hermitage & Cold Ash in West Berkshire Early years summary

Local area: Hermitage & Cold Ash

Local authority: West Berkshire

Summary

Hermitage & Cold Ash (E02003373) is part of West Berkshire local authority (view on map). Hermitage & Cold Ash has an approximate population of 8,800 people, of which 5.1% are children 5 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".

Hermitage & Cold Ash neighbours Chieveley, East Isley & Compton, Streatley & Pangbourne, Thatcham South East & Bradfield, Newbury North West, Newbury Clay Hill, Thatcham West, and Thatcham North East.

Headlines for early years in West Berkshire

The data below is shown at local area level

  • 9% of children are living in low-income families, ranking it in the 10% least deprived areas (based on income deprivation among children in England)

The data below is only available at local authority level

  • In West Berkshire, 98% of the funded places for 3-year-olds have been taken up, which is higher than the national at 88%. This places it among the top 10% of areas
  • In West Berkshire, 101% of the funded places for 4-year-olds have been taken up, which is higher than the national at 92%. This places it among the top 10% of areas
  • No data was collected for the oral health measure in West Berkshire
Guidance and data sources

Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.

The data displayed is sourced from:

Deprivation

Hermitage & Cold Ash is the least deprived area in West Berkshire (out of 22) with 9.0% of children living in low-income families, compared to 21% across West Berkshire and 38% nationally.

9% of children are living in low-income families, ranking it in the 10% least deprived areas (based on income deprivation among children in England).

Data source

Provider information

Registered childcare providers

Hermitage & Cold Ash has 9 registered childcare providers.

Type Number in Hermitage & Cold Ash
All childcare providers 9
Childminders 2
Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care 7

There have been no inspections of childcare providers in Hermitage & Cold Ash since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.

Data source

Summary of Ofsted findings

Summary of Ofsted findings

Inspection of West Berkshire’s local authority children’s services

These inspections focus on the effectiveness of local authority services and arrangements:

  • to help and protect children, and enable families to stay together and get the help they need
  • the experiences and progress of children in care wherever they live, including those children who return home
  • the arrangements for permanence for children who are looked after, in stable, loving homes, including adoption
  • the experiences and progress of care leavers.
Inspection type Inspection start date Overall effectiveness Impact of leaders Help and protection Children in care Care leavers
ILACS Short Inspection 15 September 2025 Good Good Good Good Good

Data source

Area SEND inspection of West Berkshire Local Area Partnership

The purpose of an area SEND inspection is to:

  • provide an independent, external evaluation of the effectiveness of the local area partnership’s arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
  • where appropriate, recommend what the local area partnership should do to improve the arrangements.
Inspection outcome

West Berkshire local area partnership has not yet been inspected under the current area SEND framework.

Data source

Joint targeted area inspection of West Berkshire local authority

The agencies for these inspections can include the police, children’s social care, probation services, education and relevant health services. Inspectors will also evaluate how local agencies work with education and childcare providers. The focus of these inspections is how effectively the local safeguarding partners work together at the practice and strategic levels.

Theme Inspection start date Link
There have been no JTAI inspections for this local authority.

Data source

Early years population

Contents

Percentage of Hermitage & Cold Ash population by age group

Table showing percentage of Hermitage & Cold Ash population by age group

% in Hermitage & Cold Ash % in West Berkshire % National
Age 5 and under 5.1% 5.9% 6.4%
Under 1 year 0.7% 0.9% 1.0%
1 year 0.7% 1.0% 1.0%
2 years 0.8% 1.0% 1.1%
3 years 0.9% 1.0% 1.1%
4 years 0.9% 1.1% 1.1%
5 years 1.2% 1.1% 1.1%

Data source

Local authority context

Early years pupil premium

In West Berkshire, 3.5% of children are receiving the early years pupil premium, compared to 5.1% nationally.

Contents

Percentage of children in receipt of early years pupil premium

Table showing the percentage of children in receipt of early years pupil premium

Number in West Berkshire % in West Berkshire % National
Receiving pupil premium 343 3.5% 5.1%

Data source

Children looked after

The percentage of 'children looked after' in West Berkshire is 0.6% for under 1 year olds and 0.3% for 1 to 4 year olds. The national average is 0.6% for under 1 year olds and 0.4% for 1 to 4 year olds.

Contents

Table showing percentage of children looked after in West Berkshire

Number in West Berkshire % in West Berkshire % National
Children looked after (under 1 year) 9 0.6% 0.6%
Children looked after (aged 1 to 4 years) 23 0.3% 0.4%

Percentage of children looked after in West Berkshire

Data source

Special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded schools

This data is taken from the school census data for children aged 5 and under with special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded settings.

In West Berkshire, 4.0% of children aged 5 and under receive SEN support in state-funded settings and 1.3% have an EHC plan, compared to 4.5% and 1.4% nationally.

Contents

Percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group

Table showing percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group

Number in West Berkshire % in West Berkshire % National
Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) 396 4.0% 4.5%
Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (under 2 years) 30 0.6% 0.3%
Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (3 years) 37 2.2% 3.7%
Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (4 years) 121 6.8% 9.2%
Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (5 years) 208 12% 12%
Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) 131 1.3% 1.4%
Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (under 2 years) 0 0% 0%
Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (3 years) 5 0.3% 0.3%
Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (4 years) 46 2.6% 3.1%
Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (5 years) 80 4.6% 4.8%

Data source

Education, health and care plans

This data is taken from the local authority level data for children aged 5 and under issued with an education, health and care (EHC) plan in West Berkshire.

In West Berkshire, 1.4% of children aged 5 and under have an EHC plan, compared to 1.6% nationally.

Contents

Percentage of children with an EHCP in West Berkshire by age group

Table showing percentage of children with an EHCP in West Berkshire by age group

Number in West Berkshire % in West Berkshire % National
Total: Children with an EHCP (age 5 and under) 142 1.4% 1.6%
Total: Children with an EHCP (under 2 years) 0 0% 0%
Total: Children with an EHCP (3 years) 17 1.0% 0.8%
Total: Children with an EHCP (4 years) 44 2.5% 3.4%
Total: Children with an EHCP (5 years) 81 4.6% 5.0%

Data source

Early years funded takeup

In West Berkshire, take-up of funded early years places is 64% for 2-year-olds, 98% for 3-year-olds, and 101% for 4-year-olds, compared to 72%, 88%, and 93% nationally.

In West Berkshire, 98% of the funded places for 3-year-olds have been taken up, which is higher than the national at 88%. This places it among the top 10% of areas. In West Berkshire, 101% of the funded places for 4-year-olds have been taken up, which is higher than the national at 92%. This places it among the top 10% of areas.

Contents

Percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places

Table showing percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places

Funded early years places for 2-year-olds Number of eligible 2-year-olds % of population aged 2 % take-up of funded places
West Berkshire 223 14% 64%
National 119,598 19% 72%
Funded early years places for 3-year-olds Number of eligible 3-year-olds % of population aged 3 % take-up of funded places
West Berkshire All 3-year olds are eligible 98%
National 88%
Funded early years places for 4-year-olds Number of eligible 4-year-olds % of population aged 4 % take-up of funded places
West Berkshire All 4-year olds are eligible 101%
National 93%
The 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old funded places tables look different because they measure different things; funded places for 2-year-olds are only for children considered to be disadvantaged, while for 3- and 4-year-olds everyone is entitled to a funded place.
Why these numbers might look odd for the 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old funded take-up charts and tables

All 3- and 4-year-olds are eligible for funded places. Values over 100% are due to falling birth rates, which reduced the overall population more than the number registered for a place. A percentage above 100% shows very high take-up. In other words, more children are registered than the population estimate suggests exist.

Data source

Children's overweight and obesity

In West Berkshire, 23% of reception-age children are overweight or obese, compared to 24% nationally.

Contents

Percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese

Table showing percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese

Number in West Berkshire % in West Berkshire % National
Children's overweight and obesity (reception-age children) 365 23% 24%

Data source

Oral health

The percentage of children aged 5 with visible tooth decay (oral health issues) is not available for West Berkshire. However, the national average is 22%.

No data was collected for the oral health measure in West Berkshire.

Contents

Percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay

Table showing percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay

Number examined in West Berkshire % examined in West Berkshire % in West Berkshire % National
Oral health (visible tooth decay in 5-year-olds) – – – 22%

Data source