School Chooser

St Amand's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedRoman Catholic90 pupilsWantageOxfordshire
School Chooser Score
75
Above
similar schools
Likely range 42 to 92, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 78% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, September 2019
Reached the expected level at 1167%England 63%
Attendance95.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
Places60 spare90 pupils, 150 places
Pupils per teacher17.1School workforce census

St Amand's Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Wantage for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 90 pupils and room for 150. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 75 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 78% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2019.

St Mary's Road, East Hendred, St Amand's Catholic Primary School, Wantage, OX12 8LF01235 833342st-amands.oxon.sch.ukMrs Helen Ellery headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 September 2019, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 17 December 2024 said: “Standards maintained”.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 7 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
17 December 2024UngradedStandards maintained

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

18 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 1167%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level11%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 53%53%20172018: 69%69%20182019: 75%75%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 75%75%20242025: 67%67%2025
Since 2017: +14%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017OxfordshireEngland
Pupils tested182818201319
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%75%67%75%69%53%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths11%11%17%10%0%11%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0108.0109.0106.0106.0104.0106.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0108.0107.0106.0102.0103.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0107.0110.0105.0103.0102.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard89%93%94%80%85%63%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard83%86%89%90%77%63%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)72%79%72%90%85%74%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.8-1.0-2.1-2.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.8-1.5-5.8-2.1

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 11Boys vs girls
40%100%
Gap 60 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

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

Plenty of spare places92 pupils for 150 places, 2024/25
61% full

58 places were empty (39% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 23% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 (19 offers for 28 places). 17 families put it down as their first choice and 17 of them got in (100%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary28173919100%all offeredLA
2025 Primary28133313100%all offeredLA
2024 Primary288188100%all offeredLA
2023 Primary284264100%all offeredLA

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 roll90Census January 2026
Places15060% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English12%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support11%10 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.54 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)14%£18,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls43 / 47
White British pupils61%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (7), emotional and mental health (3), Specific learning difficulty (2), language and communications needs (2), Other difficulty or disability (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll9092113115118125
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%14%11%11%9%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language12%16%10%7%4%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%20%18%13%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%2%2%3%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.9%4.5%3.8%5.5%2.4%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.1%3.7%3.2%4.7%2.0%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.8%0.6%0.8%0.5%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.8%7.9%5.8%12.0%4.5%5.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.46.20.90.92.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.3full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher17.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£54,531
Teachers who left in the year3%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.12024/25

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£8,798England £7,738. Total £801k
Income per pupil£9,080England £7,697. Total £826k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,617England £3,480
Money in reserve3%Not much put by: £27k, £301 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£26kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,798spent 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 m1212 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 stop610 mThe Plough, 0 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 Hendreds Church of England SchoolAcademy510 m126Good 202344Compare
Harwell Primary SchoolCouncil1.8 miles210Good 202256Compare
Chilton County Primary SchoolCouncil2.1 miles310Good 202459Compare
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Steventon VillageAcademy2.2 miles207Not inspectedCompare
St Blaise CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.2 miles169Good 202433Compare
Wantage Primary AcademyFree school3.0 miles322Outstanding 202379Compare
Didcot Primary AcademyAcademy3.1 miles451Not inspected91Compare
Aureus Primary SchoolAcademy3.2 miles450Outstanding 202298Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Amand's Catholic Primary 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.

Beats78%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 75 is 25 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 51 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Amand's Catholic Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
South Moreton Primary SchoolAcademy6.2 miles115Report card 202684Compare
St Laurence Church of England SchoolAcademy9.1 miles89Report card 202689Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 75 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 75% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 42 to 92. 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%above
+0.11
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 18 pupils
Ofsted inspection10% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 7.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.11
DfE progress measure; 18 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.04
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 87 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 18 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 St Amand's Catholic Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Amand's Catholic Primary School scores 75 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 78% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 42 to 92, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is St Amand's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Amand's Catholic Primary School good at its last full inspection on 24 September 2019. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are St Amand's Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 67% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 11% 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 St Amand's Catholic Primary School have?

90 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 150 places, so it is 60% full.

Is St Amand's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 58 places were empty in 2024/25 (39% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Amand's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Amand's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 22.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
St Mary's Road, East Hendred, St Amand's Catholic Primary School, Wantage, OX12 8LF
Telephone
01235 833342
Website
www.st-amands.oxon.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Helen Ellery
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Portsmouth (rc)
Local authority
Oxfordshire
Ward
Hendreds
Constituency
Didcot and Wantage
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
123224 · LAESTAB 9313855 · UKPRN 10080294

Where these figures come from