Bure Park Primary School

About Bure Park Primary School

Bure Park Primary School, a state primary in Cherwell, Oxfordshire, holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. The most telling academic metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, where 55% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. This figure sits below the Oxfordshire local authority average of 61%, placing the school in the bottom half of primary schools nationally. In the Cherwell district, it ranks 34th out of 45 schools on this measure. While the combined headline is modest, individual subject scores tell a more nuanced story: 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in maths, and 69% did so in reading, both respectable figures. However, only 7% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, suggesting the school is stronger at moving children to the expected level than pushing them into the top tier.

Looking deeper at the 2023/24 SATs data, the average scaled scores in reading and maths both sit at 105, exactly the national benchmark. This consistency is reassuring, though progress scores are not available in the data, making it difficult to judge how much value the school adds from pupils’ starting points. In writing, 62% of pupils met the expected standard, and 13% reached the higher standard. The Ofsted inspection from November 2022 rated every category as Good, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. The previous inspection in 2013 also awarded Good overall, so the school has a stable track record. With 402 pupils on roll against a capacity of 480, there is some headroom, but the school is clearly popular: for 2025/26 admissions, it received 132 applications for 56 places, with 55 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.36.

The school offers a nursery provision and a range of facilities including a library, playing fields, music rooms and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, tennis, cross country and cricket, while clubs cover book, science and art. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a practical choice for families whose children need additional support within a mainstream setting. The school is mixed, non-religious, and has no sixth form. For parents prioritising a stable Good school with strong SEND support and a wide range of activities, Bure Park is a solid option, though those seeking top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing peers in the Cherwell area.

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