St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Chinnor

About St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Chinnor

St Andrew's Church of England Primary School in Chinnor sits noticeably below the Oxfordshire local authority average for Key Stage 2 outcomes. The school's combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score of 45% is 16 percentage points lower than the LA average of 61%. This places the school 183rd out of 242 primary schools in the county, and in the bottom half of schools nationally. Within South Oxfordshire, it ranks 41st out of 48 schools. The picture is more mixed when you look at individual subjects: 79% of pupils reached the expected standard in writing, which is a solid result, and 66% did so in reading. Maths is weaker, with 52% meeting expectations. Only 9% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, though 22% reached that level in reading alone. The school's reading average scaled score of 104 is respectable, while maths sits at 101.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 was a section 8 inspection, meaning overall effectiveness was not formally graded, but the inspectors rated personal development as Outstanding. Quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, early years provision, and leadership and management were all judged Good. This is a change from the school's previous graded inspection in 2013, when it was rated Outstanding across the board. Parent feedback is largely positive: 95% of respondents to the Parent View survey said they would recommend the school. 100% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 97% agreed or strongly agreed that their child feels safe. However, 14% of parents disagreed that concerns are dealt with properly, and 14% disagreed that the school lets them know how their child is doing, suggesting some room for improvement in communication.

The school is heavily oversubscribed, receiving 118 applications for 60 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, with 66 first-preference applications for 53 first-preference offers. Facilities include an outdoor playground, gymnasium, playing fields, art studios, ICT suite and a chapel. Sports provision covers athletics, cricket, netball, gymnastics, football, rounders and swimming, while clubs are limited to science, film and drama. The school has a nursery provision and supports children with a range of special educational needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With a relatively low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 7.7%, this school would suit families who prioritise personal development and a strong sense of community over headline academic metrics, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process in South Oxfordshire.

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