School Chooser

St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton

Primary · ages 3-11MixedChurch of England190 pupilsNurseryChipping NortonOxfordshire
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 9 to 37
Out of 100. Better than 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2024
Reached the expected level at 1137%England 63%
Attendance95.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families26%About the same as most schools in England
Places155 spare190 pupils, 345 places
Pupils per teacher22.6School workforce census

St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Chipping Norton for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 190 pupils and room for 345. About 26 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 18 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

The Green, Chipping Norton, OX7 5DH01608 642673st-maryscofeoxon.co.ukMrs Christine McQueen headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 25 June 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1137%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score101.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score97.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 57%57%20172018: 35%35%20182019: 57%57%20192023: 41%41%20232024: 50%50%20242025: 37%37%2025
Since 2017: -20%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017OxfordshireEngland
Pupils tested302829303742
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths37%50%41%57%35%57%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%4%3%7%5%12%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score101.0104.0104.0106.0103.0106.0106.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score97.0101.0100.0105.0100.0102.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0106.0103.0109.0103.0105.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard50%68%62%73%68%76%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard40%64%69%83%49%74%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)57%64%59%67%76%71%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.8+0.4-1.3+1.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.3-1.1-3.8-1.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged38%14%25%45%17%29%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged35%62%53%63%44%71%

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
38%35%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
41%31%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
8%7%
Gap 1 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.

Plenty of spare places185 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
59% full

130 places were empty (41% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 8% 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 (13 offers for 45 places). 13 families put it down as their first choice and 13 of them got in (100%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary45132313100%all offeredLA
2025 Primary45172618100%all offeredLA
2024 Primary45163425100%all offeredLA
2023 Primary45193823100%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 roll190Census January 2026
Places34555% full
Pupils from low-income families26%26% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English18%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support30%56 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.07 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)32%£82,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls95 / 95
White British pupils71%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (18), language and communications needs (17), emotional and mental health (15), Specific learning difficulty (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Physical disability (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll190181181195205243
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals26%33%31%33%32%34%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language18%14%17%14%12%10%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support28%21%15%14%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%5%4%3%3%

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 school8.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.12024/25, 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 absence4.4%4.8%6.5%7.3%5.6%3.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.6%4.0%5.4%6.0%4.7%2.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.8%1.1%1.3%1.0%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence8.8%13.8%20.9%24.5%19.6%8.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.13.90.05.46.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers8.4full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher22.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,354
Teachers who left in the year24%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.22023/24

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£7,060England £7,738. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£7,272England £7,697. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,512England £3,480
Money in reserve12%A healthy amount put by: £155k, £855 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£38kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,060spent 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 m27912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate68 per 1,000 people25% lower than the England average
Typical house price£390,000West Oxfordshire
Nearest bus stop160 mChipping Norton School, 15 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
Holy Trinity Catholic School, Chipping NortonAcademy880 m187Outstanding 202385Compare
Chadlington Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.1 miles91Good 202279Compare
Great Rollright Church of England (Aided) Primary SchoolChurch of England3.2 miles112Good 202363Compare
Kingham Primary SchoolCouncil3.5 miles238Good 202494Compare
Acorns Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles97Good 202241Compare
Enstone Primary SchoolCouncil4.2 miles81Good 202225Compare
Bledington Primary SchoolCouncil4.8 miles81Good 202351Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton with the 9 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 9 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats22%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 18 is 9 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 28 · highest 51100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 18 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 18% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 9 to 37. 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%below
-0.25
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.08
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 170 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.17
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 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 Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton a good school?

The figures are weak. St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton scores 18 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 9 to 37, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton good at its last full inspection on 25 June 2024.

How good are St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 37% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton have?

190 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 345 places, so it is 55% full.

Is St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton oversubscribed?

Probably not. 130 places were empty in 2024/25 (41% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton?

Pupils were in school 95.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton?

The average class had 24.0 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
The Green, Chipping Norton, OX7 5DH
Telephone
01608 642673
Website
www.st-maryscofeoxon.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Christine McQueen
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Oxford
Local authority
Oxfordshire
Ward
Chipping Norton
Constituency
Banbury
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
123227 · LAESTAB 9313858 · UKPRN 10076802

Where these figures come from