School Chooser

Frieth Church of England Combined School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England185 pupilsBuckinghamshire
School Chooser Score
92
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 75 to 98, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 85% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, June 2026
Reached the expected level at 1180%England 63%
Attendance96.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families4%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull185 pupils, 148 places
Pupils per teacher23.4School workforce census

Frieth Church of England Combined School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Henley-on-Thames for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 185 pupils, 37 more than it has places for. About 4 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 92 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in June 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Frieth Church of England Combined School, Frieth, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 6PR01494 881554friethschool.co.ukMr Martin Gosling headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 2 June 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
Strong
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
6 April 2022UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

10 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1180%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 73%73%20172018: 61%61%20182019: 94%94%20192023: 69%69%20232024: 94%94%20242025: 80%80%2025
Since 2017: +7%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017BuckinghamshireEngland
Pupils tested101713182315
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths80%94%69%94%61%73%67%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%24%23%6%13%13%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0107.0108.0110.0108.0108.0107.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0110.0106.0106.0102.0104.0105.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0112.0107.0106.0105.0108.0106.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard90%94%85%94%78%87%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard90%100%77%100%61%73%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%100%92%100%87%93%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.2+2.7+1.5+4.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.5-1.7-2.1+0.5
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged73%

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.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full154 pupils for 158 places, 2024/25
98% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 33% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

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. Every child who applied got a place.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary28all offeredLA
2025 Primary301.5 milesLA
2024 Primary30542.9 milesLA
2023 Primaryall offeredLA
2022 Primaryall offeredLA

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 1.5 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.5 miles of the school£421,334half sold for £370k to £660k
Homes sold61December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-7%a typical home in the district sells for £455,000

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 roll185Census January 2026
Places148125% full
Pupils from low-income families4%4% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support5%10 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size28.25 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils20%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)5%£15,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls78 / 107
White British pupils90%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (3), language and communications needs (3), Specific learning difficulty (2), Hearing impairment (1), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll185157143120116117
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals4%5%8%8%8%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%3%6%8%4%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support7%2%1%1%1%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%3%4%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school4.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.7%5.1%5.2%6.4%2.7%3.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.4%4.4%5.6%2.5%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.7%0.8%0.7%0.2%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence4.7%10.3%12.6%15.5%3.0%3.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.9full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher23.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,690
Teachers who left in the year15%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.82024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,173England £7,738. Total £963k
Income per pupil£6,335England £7,697. Total £988k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,069England £3,480
Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £141k, £903 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£25kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,173spent 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 m712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate36 per 1,000 people61% lower than the England average
Typical house price£455,000Buckinghamshire
Nearest bus stop140 mHayles Field, 4 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
The Orchard Way AcademyAcademy1.3 milesNot inspectedCompare
Cadmore End CofE SchoolChurch of England1.8 miles82Good 202419Compare
Ibstone CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.9 miles101Not inspected49Compare
Booker Hill Primary School & NurseryCouncil3.0 miles235Good 202341Compare
Burford SchoolAcademy3.2 milesNo overall grade 2024Compare
Castlefield SchoolFoundation3.3 miles446Good 202490Compare
Chepping View Primary AcademyAcademy3.4 miles422Outstanding 202494Compare
Spinfield SchoolAcademy3.5 milesGood 2019Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Frieth Church of England Combined School 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.

Beats85%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 92 is 7 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 30 · middle 85 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 92 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 92% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 75 to 98. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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%well above
+0.27
2024 and 2023 results; 17 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.14
DfE progress measure; 17 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.11
2024/25; 127 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.17
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 17 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 Frieth Church of England Combined School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Frieth Church of England Combined School scores 92 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 75 to 98, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Frieth Church of England Combined School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 2 June 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as strong, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Frieth Church of England Combined School'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%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Frieth Church of England Combined School have?

185 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 148 places, so it is 125% full.

Is Frieth Church of England Combined School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Frieth Church of England Combined School?

Pupils were in school 96.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Frieth Church of England Combined School?

The average class had 28.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 20% 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
Frieth Church of England Combined School, Frieth, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 6PR
Telephone
01494 881554
Website
www.friethschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Martin Gosling
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Oxford
Local authority
Buckinghamshire
Ward
Chiltern Villages
Constituency
Wycombe
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
110461 · LAESTAB 8253330 · UKPRN 10075706

Where these figures come from