Wheatley Church of England Primary School

About Wheatley Church of England Primary School

Parent opinion at Wheatley Church of England Primary School is notably divided. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering September 2024 to September 2025, 77% of the 74 respondents said they would recommend the school to other parents. That leaves a significant 23% who would not. The school is clearly popular in terms of demand: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 62 applications for just 31 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2:1. All 30 first-preference applicants were offered a place, meaning the school is oversubscribed but still accessible to those who put it first. However, the parent feedback reveals some sharp contrasts. While 80% of parents strongly agreed or agreed that their child is happy, and 81% felt their child is safe, only 52% felt concerns are dealt with properly. The most striking split concerns SEND support: just 39% of parents agreed the school gives SEND children the support they need, while 61% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Academically, Wheatley Church of England Primary School is performing well below the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, only 40% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Oxfordshire local authority average of 61%. That places the school 191st out of 242 primary schools in the county, and in the bottom 50% nationally. Individual subject scores tell a mixed story: 80% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, with an average score of 105, but just 48% did so in maths (average score 102) and 65% in writing. No pupils achieved the higher standard in writing, and only 20% did so in reading and maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, rated it Requires Improvement overall, with leadership and management and quality of education both requiring improvement. However, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and early years provision were all judged Good.

The school offers a range of facilities including a Forest School, sports hall, sensory room, playing fields, ICT suite and a chapel, plus clubs such as coding, science club, drama, eco club and choir. Sports on offer include rounders, tennis, cross country and swimming. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. With a capacity of 420 but only 282 pupils on roll, there is room for growth. The school has a nursery provision for children aged 2 and is a Church of England primary. Given the mixed parent feedback and the Requires Improvement rating, this school may suit families who are able to be closely involved in their child's education and who value the strong community feel and range of activities, but who are aware of the academic challenges and the concerns raised by a significant minority of parents.

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