Appleton Church of England (A) Primary School

About Appleton Church of England (A) Primary School

Appleton Church of England (A) Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families, with 71 applications chasing just 17 places for the 2025/26 academic year, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.18. Of those 71 applicants, 16 put the school as their first preference, and 16 first-preference offers were made, meaning almost every family who wanted it most got a spot. The school’s Good Ofsted rating from 2022 reflects consistent quality across all areas, with behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership, and early years provision all graded Good. That said, the school has slipped from its previous Outstanding rating in 2008, when leadership and management and early years provision were both rated 1. For parents weighing up options, the high demand suggests a strong local reputation, but the oversubscription means securing a place is competitive.

Academically, Appleton’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 58%, which sits just below the Oxfordshire local authority average of 61%. In reading, 81% met the expected standard and 38% achieved a higher score, while in maths, 73% met the expected standard and 27% reached the higher threshold. Writing lagged behind, with 69% at expected and none at the higher level. The school’s average reading score of 109 and maths score of 105 are solid, though progress measures are not available in the data. Nationally, Appleton ranks in the bottom 50% of primary schools on the combined expected standard metric, sitting at the 62nd percentile. Within the Vale of White Horse, it ranks 25th out of 47 primary schools, placing it in the middle of the pack locally.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, forest school, playing fields, art studios, a sensory room, sports hall, ICT suite, gymnasium and chapel. Sports provision covers netball, gymnastics, cross country, rounders, cricket, dance and football, while clubs include science, book and art clubs. SEND support is well-developed, with provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication issues, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. With 168 pupils against a capacity of 196, the school is not at full capacity, and 7.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Appleton is best suited to families who value a Church of England ethos, a strong community feel, and a school that is oversubscribed but still has room to grow, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing peers in the area.

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