Blidworth Oaks Primary School

About Blidworth Oaks Primary School

Blidworth Oaks Primary School sits in the bottom half of Nottinghamshire primary schools when it comes to the key measure of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2. With 44 per cent of its Year 6 pupils hitting that combined benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year, the school is well below the local authority average of 61 per cent. That gap is significant, and it places the school 192nd out of 286 primaries in the county. The picture is similar in individual subjects: 60 per cent reached the expected level in reading, 67 per cent in writing, and 58 per cent in maths. Only 7 per cent of pupils scored at the higher standard across all three subjects. The school’s ranking within the Newark and Sherwood borough is 23rd out of 32, putting it in the bottom 50 per cent nationally. These are the headline numbers, and they suggest a school where academic outcomes are a real area of focus for improvement.

That said, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in April 2025, rated it Good across every category that was judged: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all received a Grade 2. This is a consistent improvement from its previous inspection in 2013, which also rated the school Good overall but did not assess every area. The inspectors clearly saw strengths that the raw exam data doesn’t fully capture. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive, too. In the Parent View survey covering September 2024 to September 2025, 96 per cent of the 55 respondents would recommend the school. Strong majorities agreed that their child is happy (95 per cent strongly agree or agree), feels safe (93 per cent), and does well (96 per cent). The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds relative to its intake, but the Ofsted judgement and parent satisfaction suggest a school that is well-regarded on the ground.

Blidworth Oaks is a larger-than-average primary, with 363 pupils against a capacity of 315, and it is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 89 applications for 45 places, with all 44 first-preference applicants offered a spot. The school has a nursery provision for children from age two, and it serves a community where 29.4 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, above the national average. Facilities include an ICT suite, sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, and even a chapel. The school offers a range of clubs including drama, chess and film club, and sports such as football, cricket, swimming and athletics. Its SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families who value a strong sense of community and a Good Ofsted rating, this school clearly has a lot going for it, though the academic results are something to weigh carefully.

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