Longworth Primary School

About Longworth Primary School

Longworth Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families, with 58 applications for just 15 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.87. Seventeen families put it as their first preference, and all 15 of those offers went to first-preference applicants, which tells you how sought-after it is. The school is a small, state-funded Christian primary for mixed genders aged 5 to 11, tucked away in the Vale of White Horse. With only 79 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, it’s not at full stretch, yet the demand still far outstrips supply. That kind of competition usually signals strong word-of-mouth, and the data backs that up: in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, the school was rated Good across the board, including for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. That’s a solid improvement from its previous Outstanding rating in 2010, but the current Good is still a strong endorsement for parents looking for a well-run, orderly environment.

Academically, Longworth punches well above its weight. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, every single pupil met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined — a perfect 100 per cent. That’s far higher than the Oxfordshire local authority average of 61 per cent for the same measure. Seventeen per cent of pupils reached the higher standard in each of reading, writing, and maths, and the average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 107 in maths, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. The school ranks first in the Vale of White Horse out of 47 primary schools, and 22nd nationally out of 13,686 — putting it in the top 0.16 per cent of all primaries in the country. There’s no progress score data available, so you can’t see how much value the school adds from starting points, but the raw outcomes are exceptional. For a small village school with just over a fifth of pupils eligible for free school meals, these results are striking.

The school offers a decent range of facilities for its size, including a library, ICT suite, gymnasium, playing fields, and even a sensory room and chapel. Sports on offer include football, tennis, cricket, gymnastics, and cross country, while clubs run the gamut from science and coding to chess, choir, and art. The SEND provision covers moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and multi-sensory impairment, so it’s equipped to support a range of additional needs. There’s no nursery or sixth form, and it’s not a boarding school. This is a school that will particularly suit families who value strong academic outcomes in a small, community-focused setting, and who are prepared to navigate a competitive admissions process. The Christian character is present but not overbearing — there’s a chapel on site, but the school is open to all. If you live within the catchment and can get a first-preference application in, it’s well worth a look.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Longworth Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents