St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

About St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School sits within the York local authority, a competitive primary landscape where 4 out of 50 schools hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The school itself ranks 26th out of 47 primaries in York on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it in the bottom half of the LA table. Its closest Outstanding-rated neighbour is Knavesmire Primary School, just 1.5 km away, which also tops the local rankings with a score of 92. Other high-performing peers include Lord Deramore's Primary School (score 91) and Ralph Butterfield Primary School (score 85). St Oswald's is a Church of England voluntary controlled school for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11, with 312 pupils on roll against a capacity of 315. Headteacher Jemma Dunne leads a school where 14.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, slightly above the national average for primary schools.

In its most recent graded inspection in March 2019, Ofsted rated the school Good overall, with Good for leadership and management, early years provision, and quality of education. A subsequent ungraded inspection in April 2024 confirmed the school remains Good. At key stage 2 in 2023/24, 63% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, just above the York LA average of 62%. However, only 4% achieved the higher standard in all three subjects. Reading scores were a relative strength: the average scaled score was 106, with 72% reaching the expected standard and 33% reaching the higher standard. In maths, the average scaled score was 104, with 74% at the expected level and 26% at the higher level. Writing saw 72% at the expected standard and 22% at the higher standard. Progress scores for all three subjects were not available in the data.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, gymnasium, forest school, art studios, ICT suite, and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cricket, netball, dance, gymnastics, tennis, and athletics, while clubs include chess, choir, and science club. SEND provision is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 89 applications for 43 places, with 39 of 51 first-preference applicants offered a place, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.07. This is a school that suits families seeking a Church of England primary with solid but not outstanding academic outcomes, strong SEND support, and a wide range of extracurricular activities within York.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents