Burnham Copse takes its name from Burnham Copse Plantation, a copse on the Aldermaston Estate that was behind The Falcon public house.  Much of it was destroyed when Aldermaston Airfield was built in the 1940s – runways, hangars and taxiing areas were constructed on it.  Today it is part of AWE, but the name is kept alive with both a road and our new school named after it.

Burnham Copse Infant and Junior schools were both founded in the late 1950s for the children of workers at the then Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE). 

The official opening of both Infant and Junior schools took place in The Royal cinema on 15 November 1956 by J F Wolfenden, Vice Chancellor of The University of Reading. 

The Infant school, originally part of the annex of Tadley School, was held in The Den in the 1950s, and then moved to the southern side of Newchurch Road, and was actually sited in buildings vacated by AWRE workmen.  This collection of portacabins and terrapin huts remained until 1985.  By this time they leaked in heavy rain, and buckets had to be placed everywhere to catch the drips!

In 1985 the new Infant school building (known locally as ‘The Wigwam’!), was opened by Kathy Cook (née Smallwood), an ex pupil of the school and athlete, winner of Olympic, European and Commonwealth medals.  The new school won a design award, and the architect was Ian Templeton. 

The Junior school building was originally intended as the secondary school for Tadley and Baughurst, but increased numbers meant that a larger building was deemed necessary, and the Hurst School was built to cater for these.  The Junior school opened on 5 September 1955 with 155 children, in part of Chivers Hostel, opposite the Community Centre.  Roger Searing was headmaster for the next 24 years.  In 1960 the Junior school moved onto the site to be used for the new primary school, leaving the old buildings in Newchurch Road for the Infant school.