Findings where this place differs most from its surroundings, with the evidence behind each one. A difference is not a verdict: it is a prompt to look closer.
Educationhigh confidence
Lower than England: Pupils eligible for free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals is 11.5% in Bracknell Forest (2025/26), compared with 24.8% in England (13.3 percentage points lower; n = 22,104).
11.5% here24.8% England
How do we know this?
- Source
- Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data: Establishment records, pupil numbers, FSM, SEN, absence; Ofsted outcomes (Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool))
- Period
- 2025/26
- Geography
- Council area, compared with England
- Method
- Pupil-weighted school measures. FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.
- Limitations
- Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 46 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.
Neighbourhoodshigh confidence
Lower than England: Share of residents living in the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England (overall)
Share of residents living in the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England (overall) is 0.0% in Bracknell Forest (2025), compared with 20.3% in England (20.3 percentage points lower; n = 130,806).
0% here20.3% England
How do we know this?
- Source
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (LSOA 2021 ranks and deciles) (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- 2025
- Geography
- Council area, compared with England
- Method
- Summarising deprivation for an area. The Indices of Deprivation rank every LSOA in England; decile 1 contains the most deprived 10 per cent of LSOAs nationally. Ranks and deciles are ordinal, so they are never averaged. An area is described by (1) how many of its LSOAs fall in each national decile, (2) how many of its residents live in LSOAs of each decile (mid-2024 population apportioned to output areas, see the area apportioning method), (3) the share of residents in the most deprived 10 and 20 per cent of LSOAs nationally, and (4) the median decile of residents. IoD is a relative measure of small areas, not of individuals: most people in a deprived LSOA are not deprived and many deprived people live elsewhere. England only. Where an area straddles the England-Wales border the figures cover the English part only and are not published unless 90 per cent of residents are covered.
- Limitations
- none recorded
Homesmedium confidence
Lower than similar council areas: Minor and other planning applications decided on time
Minor and other planning applications decided on time is 78.3% in Bracknell Forest (Year to Jun 2026), compared with 91.5% across five council areas with a similar profile (Woking, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere); 13.2 percentage points lower. It lies outside the range of all five (82.2% to 97.3%).
78.3% here91.5% five similar council areas: Woking, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere
How do we know this?
- Source
- Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government): Planning application statistics: live tables PS1 and PS2 (district matters) (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- Year to Jun 2026
- Geography
- Council area, compared with five similar council areas: Woking, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere
- Method
- Planning application decisions. Local planning authorities report to government every quarter how many applications for planning permission (district matters: housing, commercial and other development, excluding minerals and waste) they decided, how many they granted and refused, and how many were decided within the statutory time or an agreed extension. We add the four most recent complete quarters (July 2025 to June 2026) and compare with the four before. Percentage granted is granted divided by all decisions, which includes applications withdrawn only if reported as decided; it is a measure of the mix of applications a council receives, not of how fair or permissive it is, because many applications are refused for good reason or amended before decision. Speed is the share decided in time among decisions not covered by a planning performance agreement, shown separately for major developments (10 or more homes, or sites over 1 hectare) and for minor and other applications. Few major decisions are made each year in most authorities, so major-development figures rest on small numbers. National Park authorities and development corporations are separate planning authorities and are not included in the council totals. Wales (Welsh Government development management survey): major plus minor and householder applications over April 2025 to March 2026, summed from four quarterly returns; other consents, pre-application cases and non-material amendments are excluded. "Decided in time" covers all applications and consents decided within the statutory period or an agreed extension. Denbighshire did not supply data. Scotland (Scottish Government annual planning statistics): all applications decided in the financial year 2024/25 (the 2025/26 annual release is not yet out); the share approved is of all applications decided; "local developments decided within two months" and average weeks are for local developments without a processing agreement. Northern Ireland (Department for Infrastructure): applications received and decided by each council in 2025/26, and the share approved of those decided. Each nation counts and classifies applications differently, so the figures describe each nation's own system and should not be compared across borders.
- Limitations
- Planning performance agreements excluded.
- Coverage: England: local planning authorities (district matters), councils only here. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own sources.
- Covers the 12-month window Year to Jun 2026 only.
- Similar areas are the five council areas closest on population size, share aged 65 and over, share aged under 16, share of neighbourhoods in the most deprived 20%, median house price (standardised); this is a convenience comparison, not a like-for-like guarantee.
Economymedium confidence
Higher than similar council areas: Change in jobs located in the area over five years
Change in jobs located in the area over five years is 9.8% in Bracknell Forest (2019..2024), compared with -2.0% across five council areas with a similar profile (Woking, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere); 11.8 percentage points higher. It lies outside the range of all five (-14.6% to 5.4%).
9.8% here-2% five similar council areas: Woking, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere
How do we know this?
- Source
- Office for National Statistics: Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), open access, via Nomis (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- 2019..2024
- Geography
- Council area, compared with five similar council areas: Woking, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere
- Method
- Employment by industry (BRES). BRES is the official source of employee and employment estimates by detailed industry and area. Employment is employees plus working owners, counted at the place of work and in the survey week in September. It covers all sectors except small farm agriculture, and the self-employed who are not registered for PAYE or VAT. ONS rounds BRES employment and suppresses small cells, so industry sums may not add to the total. Jobs here are not residents: people may live elsewhere. Part-time and full-time jobs count equally (they are not full-time equivalents).
- Limitations
- Rounded inputs; the 2020 to 2021 pandemic years lie inside this window.
- Similar areas are the five council areas closest on population size, share aged 65 and over, share aged under 16, share of neighbourhoods in the most deprived 20%, median house price (standardised); this is a convenience comparison, not a like-for-like guarantee.
Educationhigh confidence
Lower than similar council areas: GCSE results (Attainment 8 score)
GCSE results (Attainment 8 score) is 41.5 in Bracknell Forest (2024/25), compared with 48 across five council areas with a similar profile (Woking, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere); 6.5 points lower. It lies outside the range of all five (45.8 to 50).
41.5 here48 five similar council areas: Woking, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere
How do we know this?
- Source
- Department for Education (compare school performance): Key stage 2 and key stage 4 school-level performance tables extract (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- 2024/25
- Geography
- Council area, compared with five similar council areas: Woking, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere
- Method
- Pupil-weighted school measures. FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.
- Limitations
- Cohort-weighted mean of school Attainment 8 scores. From 12 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.
- Similar areas are the five council areas closest on population size, share aged 65 and over, share aged under 16, share of neighbourhoods in the most deprived 20%, median house price (standardised); this is a convenience comparison, not a like-for-like guarantee.
Homesmedium confidence
Wide range between wards in Bracknell Forest: Households that own their home
Households that own their home (2021) varies within Bracknell Forest: from 38.6% in Town Centre & The Parks to 81.5% in Whitegrove, across 15 wards. The upper tenth of wards is 27.2 percentage points above the lower tenth.
Whitegrove figure
81.5% Whitegrove38.6% Town Centre & The Parks
How do we know this?
- Source
- Office for National Statistics (Census 2021): Census 2021 housing and household summary by Output Area (tenure, accommodation type, cars, overcrowding, household size, general health) (Open Government Licence v3.0)
- Period
- 2021
- Geography
- Ward, compared with lowest-value ward (Town Centre & The Parks)
- Method
- Census 2021 housing summary. Percentages by output area are converted back to counts using the OA household total (or usual residents for health) and rolled up as in the area apportioning method, so area figures are household-weighted. England only: Welsh OAs are not in the loaded table, so Welsh and Scottish places have no value. Labelled 2021.
- Limitations
- This figure is an estimate; see the methodology.
- Census 2021 is a snapshot taken in March 2021 and may have changed since.
- Ward and neighbourhood boundaries differ in size; the range shows variation within the area, not a ranking of places.