School Chooser

Didcot Primary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy451 pupilsNurseryDidcotOxfordshire
School Chooser Score
91
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 83 to 96
Out of 100. Better than 63% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1180%England 63%
Attendance96.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families9%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull451 pupils, 446 places
Pupils per teacher23.4School workforce census
Pupils on roll451Census January 2026

Didcot Primary Academy is a sponsored academy in Didcot for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 451 pupils, 5 more than it has places for. About 9 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 91 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it.

Chestnut Drive, Great Western Park, Didcot, OX11 6DP01235 606012didcotprimaryacademy.org.ukPrincipal Alison Ashcroft principalAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

60 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1180%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level20%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score110.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2023 to 2025
2023: 53%53%20232024: 79%79%20242025: 80%80%2025
Since 2023: +27%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023OxfordshireEngland
Pupils tested606159
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths80%79%53%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths20%2%8%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0108.0105.0106.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score110.0107.0105.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0108.0105.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard88%89%69%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard90%87%75%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)82%82%69%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged38%57%41%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged87%85%57%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
38%87%
Gap 49 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
73%87%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
93%80%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%20%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Full421 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
100% full

The school is full, with 1 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have grown by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 600 m away in 2026, 450 m away in 2025, 450 m away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 600 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year. 85 families put it down as their first choice and 58 of them got in (68%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60852316068%600 mLA
2025 Primary60782366068%450 mLA
2024 Primary60822286073%450 mLA
2023 Primary60722236079%820 mLA
2022 Primary601002356059%410 mLA
2021 Primary601032206056%430 mLA
2020 Primary601222796046%280 mLA
2019 Primary60751596076%600 mLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 450 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 450 m of the school£365,000half sold for £265k to £426k
Homes sold89December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-9%a typical home in the district sells for £400,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll451Census January 2026
Places446101% full
Pupils from low-income families9%9% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English32%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%67 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%20 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.815 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils33%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)10%£66,650 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls224 / 227
White British pupils55%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.1 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (32), emotional and mental health (22), Moderate learning difficulty (18), Autistic spectrum disorder (10), Physical disability (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll451456451455423396
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals9%11%12%15%18%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language32%34%34%24%23%24%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%15%17%16%19%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%2%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils4.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.9%4.5%5.0%6.0%2.3%3.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.5%4.3%5.2%2.0%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%1.0%0.7%0.9%0.3%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.5%9.9%10.4%16.9%2.6%4.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate4.04.41.31.92.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers19.1full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher23.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants22.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,951
Teachers who left in the year18%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.52024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£5,796England £7,128. Total £2.6m
Income per pupil£6,219England £7,587. Total £2.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,649England £3,405
Money in reserve28%A lot put by: £764k, £1,708 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£189kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,796spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m34412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate56 per 1,000 people38% lower than the England average
Typical house price£400,000Vale of White Horse
Nearest bus stop200 mASDA, 13 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Aureus Primary SchoolAcademy570 m450Outstanding 202298Compare
Stephen Freeman Primary SchoolAcademy720 m450Not inspectedCompare
Manor Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles318Good 202321Compare
Northbourne Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles343Good 202259Compare
Willowcroft Community SchoolAcademy1.2 miles481Good 202472Compare
Harwell Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles210Good 202256Compare
Ladygrove Park Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles423Good 202377Compare
Hagbourne Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles205Not inspected88Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Didcot Primary Academy with the 46 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats63%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 91 is 6 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 10 · middle 86 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 91 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 91% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 83 to 96. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%above
+0.29
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.01
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.28
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.12
2024/25; 370 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Didcot Primary Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Didcot Primary Academy scores 91 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 83 to 96, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

How good are Didcot Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 80% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 20% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Didcot Primary Academy have?

451 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 446 places, so it is 101% full.

Is Didcot Primary Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 600 m away. 85 families put it down as their first choice and 58 of them got in. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Didcot Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 96.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Didcot Primary Academy?

The average class had 29.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 33% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Chestnut Drive, Great Western Park, Didcot, OX11 6DP
Telephone
01235 606012
Website
www.didcotprimaryacademy.org.uk
Principal
Principal Alison Ashcroft
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Omnia Learning Trust (4 schools)
Local authority
Oxfordshire
Ward
Blewbury & Harwell
Constituency
Didcot and Wantage
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2016 (new provision)
URN
140688 · LAESTAB 9312012 · UKPRN 10057801

Where these figures come from