St Oswald's CofE Academy

About St Oswald's CofE Academy

Parents at St Oswald's CofE Academy are overwhelmingly positive, with 78% of respondents to the most recent Parent View survey saying they would recommend the school. That survey, covering September 2024 to September 2025, drew 46 responses and showed particularly strong feelings around happiness and safety: 48% strongly agreed their child is happy, and 59% strongly agreed their child feels safe. The school is clearly popular locally too — for the 2025/26 admissions cycle it received 36 applications for 26 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.38, with all 25 first-preference applicants offered a place. Parents also felt the school offers a good range of subjects (48% agreed, 43% strongly agreed) and that their child can take part in clubs and activities (46% agreed, 48% strongly agreed). There were some areas of concern, though: 17% strongly disagreed that concerns are dealt with properly, and 13% strongly disagreed that the school supports wider personal development, so it's worth probing those points on a visit.

Academically, St Oswald's is a strong performer. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well above the Doncaster local authority average of 61%. That result places the school 2nd out of 87 primary schools in the borough, and in the top 10% nationally. Individual subject scores are solid too: a reading average score of 108, maths average of 107, and 97% of pupils reaching the expected standard in maths specifically. At the higher standard, 19% achieved the top marks across all three subjects. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, rated it Good across all areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management. That's a change from its previous Outstanding rating in 2014, but the report is still fresh and the school remains well-regarded.

The school is a Church of England primary for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It has 226 pupils against a capacity of 240, so there is a little room but it is oversubscribed. Facilities include an ICT suite, a forest school area, a gymnasium, an outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports on offer include rounders, swimming, cricket and football, while clubs range from choir and art to gardening, science, film and drama. The school lists SEND support for specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment and physical disability — though the Parent View data on SEND support had no responses, so it's worth asking about this directly. With a low free school meals rate of 6.4%, the school serves a relatively advantaged intake. It's a good fit for families who want a church school with strong academic results and a clear sense of community, but who are prepared for a competitive application process.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Oswald's CofE Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents