School Chooser

St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England131 pupilsWitneyOxfordshire
School Chooser Score
56
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 27 to 80, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 70% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, November 2023
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance95.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families21%A bit fewer than most schools
Places9 spare131 pupils, 140 places
Pupils per teacher18.2School workforce census

St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Witney for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 131 pupils and room for 140. About 21 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 56 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 70% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Wenrisc Drive, Minster Lovell, Witney, OX29 0SP01993 775394st-kenelms.oxon.sch.ukMrs Hannah Staniford headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 1 November 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1157%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 71%71%20172018: 85%85%20182019: 87%87%20192023: 63%63%20232024: 65%65%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: -14%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017OxfordshireEngland
Pupils tested231719151514
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%65%63%87%85%71%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%18%11%20%15%21%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0108.0107.0106.0108.0109.0106.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0105.0104.0106.0106.0107.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0109.0105.0109.0106.0106.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard78%76%79%93%87%71%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard70%82%74%87%80%86%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)83%76%79%93%92%79%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.8+2.1+2.5+1.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.2+1.4-0.3+0.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged43%14%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged63%92%

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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
43%63%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
54%60%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%4%
Gap 4 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 Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full137 pupils for 140 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 5% 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 6.3 miles away in 2026, 2.2 miles away in 2025, 2.5 miles away in 2024. Those cut-offs are for children living outside the catchment area; every child inside it got a place. Brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups are placed first. 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. Every child in the catchment area who applied got a place. Outside the catchment, the last place went to a child living 6.3 miles away. 18 families put it down as their first choice and 18 of them got in (100%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary20183220100%6.3 miles (distance, outside the catchment area)LA
2025 Primary2021502091%2.2 miles (distance, outside the catchment area)LA
2024 Primary2019382095%2.5 miles (distance, outside the catchment area)LA
2023 Primary2018412094%2.2 miles (distance, outside the catchment area)LA

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.

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 roll131Census January 2026
Places14094% full
Pupils from low-income families21%21% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%23 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.86 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)23%£46,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls66 / 65
White British pupils81%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 20.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 23.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (10), emotional and mental health (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Specific learning difficulty (4), Moderate learning difficulty (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll131137132141128112
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals21%23%24%27%23%18%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%3%2%2%3%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support19%17%25%23%24%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.8%
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 absence4.4%4.1%6.0%4.7%2.1%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.7%3.2%4.4%3.8%1.7%2.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.9%1.5%0.9%0.4%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.8%4.3%15.9%7.6%1.0%4.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.03.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.2full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher18.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,518
Teachers who left in the year4%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.62024/25

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£7,173England £7,738. Total £983k
Income per pupil£7,000England £7,697. Total £959k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,466England £3,480
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £140k, £1,019 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£24kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,173spent 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 m7612 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate42 per 1,000 people54% lower than the England average
Typical house price£390,000West Oxfordshire
Nearest bus stop120 mCharterville Close, 8 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
Windrush Church of England Primary SchoolFree school1.4 miles188Good 202486Compare
West Witney Primary School & NurseryAcademy1.8 miles434Good 2024Compare
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, WitneyAcademy2.1 miles247Good 202340Compare
Brize Norton Primary SchoolAcademy2.2 miles132Good 202445Compare
St John the Evangelist CofE VA Primary SchoolChurch of England2.3 miles452Outstanding 202074Compare
Tower Hill Community Primary SchoolAcademy2.4 miles174Good 20225Compare
Queen Emma's Primary SchoolAcademy2.4 miles179Good 20246Compare
The Batt Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.7 miles289Good 202335Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats70%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 56 is 15 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 41 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 56 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 56% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 27 to 80. 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%in line
-0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 23 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.06
DfE progress measure; 23 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.09
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.07
2024/25; 121 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 23 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 Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School a good school?

It is about average. St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School scores 56 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 70% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 27 to 80, 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 Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School good at its last full inspection on 1 November 2023.

How good are St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 57% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School have?

131 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 140 places, so it is 94% full.

Is St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 6.3 miles away. 18 families put it down as their first choice and 18 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 St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School?

Pupils were in school 95.6% 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 St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School?

The average class had 21.8 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
Wenrisc Drive, Minster Lovell, Witney, OX29 0SP
Telephone
01993 775394
Website
www.st-kenelms.oxon.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Hannah Staniford
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Oxford
Local authority
Oxfordshire
Ward
Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield
Constituency
Witney
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
123110 · LAESTAB 9313125 · UKPRN 10077925

Where these figures come from