Bishop Carpenter Church of England Primary School

About Bishop Carpenter Church of England Primary School

Bishop Carpenter Church of England Primary School, a small state primary in Cherwell, Oxfordshire, presents a mixed picture when its headline metrics are set against the local authority average. For the 2023/24 academic year, just 33% of its pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, compared with an Oxfordshire LA average of 61%. That places the school in the bottom 50 nationally for this metric, ranking 44th out of 45 schools in Cherwell. However, the story is not uniformly low. In reading, 78% of pupils reached the expected standard, and in writing that figure rose to 89%, both well above the combined average. Maths was the weaker subject, with only 56% at the expected level. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good overall, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2009. Leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all scored Good, suggesting solid foundations despite the mixed academic outcomes.

Digging deeper into the exam results, the school’s strengths and weaknesses become clearer. While the combined expected standard figure is low, the average scaled scores tell a more nuanced story: reading averaged 104 and maths 100, both in line with national benchmarks. At the higher standard, 11% of pupils achieved in reading and the same in maths, though no pupils reached the higher threshold in writing. Progress scores were not published for the school, so it is difficult to assess how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The school’s ranking in the South East region places it in the 96th percentile, meaning it sits near the bottom of the regional table. For parents focused on headline attainment, this school may not be the strongest choice in Cherwell, but the individual subject breakdowns show that reading and writing outcomes are respectable, and the school’s Good Ofsted rating reflects a positive learning environment.

Bishop Carpenter is a small, oversubscribed school with 99 pupils on roll against a capacity of 112, and for the 2025/26 intake it received 42 applications for just 11 places, with 9 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 3.82, so securing a place is competitive. The school offers a range of facilities including a sensory room, forest school, chapel, and library, alongside clubs such as art, eco, choir, and film club. Sports include tennis, gymnastics, and cross country. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest outstanding-rated school is William Morris Primary School, 2.2 km away. This school will suit families who value a Church of England ethos, a small community feel, and strong early years and leadership, but who are comfortable with below-average KS2 combined attainment and are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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