Living and Working in West Berkshire

About West Berkshire

When you think of Berkshire, the name might conjure a few different images - Windsor and its castle, Ascot and its races, the metropolitan hub of Reading, or the suburban environments of Bracknell and Maidenhead - but start to move west and you start to find the true heart of the county.

Picture postcard villages and market towns nestle among areas of outstanding natural beauty. Leafy commons, footpaths, waterways and parks open up our green spaces to everyone (and their dog!).  

A vibrant cultural, shopping and entertainment hub prospers in Newbury. A thriving economy welcomes major businesses from all over the world as well as supporting small and medium-sized enterprises of our own.  We've got a balance that's the envy of many - a rural lifestyle with opportunities.

Why live in West Berkshire?

Our location gives West Berkshire a unique vantage point; West Berkshire covers an area of approximately 70,484 hectares (272 square miles) and has a population of around 145,000 people.

West Berkshire is well located in relation to the rest of the country with easy access by road and rail.

The district lies at the convergence of two key road arteries in the south - the M4 and the A34. Both provide direct road links in all directions, with all of the key urban centres in southern England (London, Reading, Southampton, Portsmouth, Bristol, Oxford, and Swindon) within an hour's drive.

The district has good rail links, with London less than an hour by train and further connections, via Reading, to all the mainline routes throughout the country. The area also has very good links to international transport hubs: Heathrow and Southampton airport are 40 miles away, as are the ferry terminals in Southampton and Portsmouth, providing links with the Isle of Wight and the continent.
 

Benefits of working in West Berkshire

West Berkshire is a small local authority where schools work closely together to support each other. There is also a more formalised brokering arrangement offered by the LA.

We have a dedicated team of School Improvement Advisers who work alongside schools offering advice, support and challenge for leaders, teachers and governors.

Within West Berkshire we have a successful Teaching School Alliance which offers support for schools, working in partnership with the LA.  

http://downlandalliance.org.uk/

There are two local authority maintained nursery schools both of which participate in the Berkshire Early Years Alliance.

http://www.foundationsforlearning.org.uk/

Our Service Level Agreements offer bespoke support according to individual schools' needs.  For more information click on the documents below about services provided by the School Improvement Team

https://www.westberks.gov.uk/school-improvement

There is a range traded services offered by the local authority, many of which offer both CPD opportunities and/or bespoke support - the full range of services can be seen here:

http://www.westberkseducation.co.uk/Services

As part of the service we offer a funded, dedicated School Improvement Adviser to each school who visits the school a minimum of three times per year.

In addition we run an 'Improving Schools Programme' for schools that are vulnerable to an RI judgement at the next Ofsted inspection.

Our Governor Services Team offers a comprehensive programme of training for both new and more experienced governors and for clerks. At the termly Leadership Forum the headteacher, chair of governors and clerk to governors can attend together to discuss relevant topics and receive updated guidance and advice.   Ongoing support is offered by phone and email.