St Philip and James' Church of England Aided Primary School Oxford

About St Philip and James' Church of England Aided Primary School Oxford

If you are a parent weighing up St Philip and James' Church of England Aided Primary School in Oxford, the numbers suggest it is a popular choice that inspires confidence. In its most recent admissions round for 2025/26, the school received 115 applications for just 45 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.56, meaning more than two families applied for every spot. Of those, 43 first-preference families were offered a place, indicating strong local demand. Parent satisfaction is also high: the school's most recent Ofsted ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed it remains Good, and the previous graded inspection in 2012 also rated it Good across leadership, management and overall effectiveness. With 393 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, the school is running close to full, and its Church of England character adds a layer of community identity that many families in Oxfordshire find appealing.

Academically, St Philip and James performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Oxfordshire average of 61%. The school ranks 6th out of 31 primary schools in Oxford and sits in the top 25% nationally. Subject-level results are strong: 85% met the expected standard in both reading and maths, with average scaled scores of 109 and 108 respectively. At the higher standard, 55% of pupils achieved above the expected level in reading, 48% in maths and 25% in writing. Progress scores are not available in the data, but the attainment figures alone place this school comfortably ahead of many peers in the local area, including the top-performing Longworth and Hornton primary schools.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, sports hall, playing fields and a Forest School, plus a chapel reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports provision covers tennis, swimming, rounders, netball and cross country, while clubs include book club, film club, gardening, science club, art club and coding. SEND support is in place for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With no nursery or sixth form, this is a straight-through primary for ages 4 to 11. Given its oversubscription rate and strong local ranking, this school will suit families who value academic attainment within a faith-based community setting and who are prepared to apply early to secure a place.

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