Shenington Church of England Primary School

About Shenington Church of England Primary School

Shenington Church of England Primary School is a small village primary in the Cherwell district, with 94 pupils on roll against a capacity of 108, leaving a little breathing room but not much. The school is clearly popular locally: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 39 applications for just 16 places, with 14 of those going to first-preference families and 16 first-preference applications in total, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.44. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 3.2%, well below the national average, which suggests the school draws from a relatively affluent catchment. As a Church of England school, it has a religious character that may appeal to families seeking a faith-based setting, though the data doesn't specify any admissions criteria tied to faith. The headteacher is Sarah Reynolds, and the school is state-funded and mixed, taking children from age 4 to 11.

Academically, Shenington performs solidly. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 69% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is above the Oxfordshire local authority average of 61%. The school ranks 12th out of 45 primary schools in Cherwell, placing it in the top third locally, and 633rd out of 2,034 in the South East region. Subject-level scores are strong: the average reading score was 106, maths 104, and writing saw 92% of pupils reaching the expected standard, with 31% achieving a higher standard. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2025, the school was rated Good across all areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The early years provision was also rated Good. The previous inspection in 2011 had also rated the school Good overall, so the standard has been maintained over time.

The school offers a good range of facilities for its size, including a library, music rooms, art studios, a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, a sensory room, and a chapel. Clubs include coding, chess, eco club, science club, choir and book club, while sports on offer are cross country, football, netball and cricket. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. Parent View responses from 2024/25 show 67% of respondents would recommend the school, with strong majorities agreeing their child is happy (86% strongly agree or agree) and feels safe (89%). However, 21% disagreed that the school supports wider personal development, and 16% strongly disagreed that concerns are dealt with properly, so it's worth probing those areas on a visit. This is a small, oversubscribed village school that suits families who value a close-knit, Church of England setting and are comfortable with its size and local reputation.

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