St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Oxford Review 2026: High attainment, strong reading culture, and a confident local identity

At drop-off, the defining impression is purposeful calm, children arriving ready to get started and a staff team that knows families well. This is a Church of England primary with an explicitly inclusive message, welcoming families of all faiths and none, and it backs that up with strong academic outcomes and a distinctive emphasis on reading and music.

History runs deep here too. The school’s own timeline traces its roots on London Road to the opening of the National School in 1847 to 1848, designed by Thomas Grimsley on land granted by Charles Tawney.

Today, performance places it above England average, and demand for places is high. For families who value clear expectations, strong attainment, and a school culture built around community and contribution, this is a compelling shortlist school.

The school’s Church of England character is present as values and language rather than as a barrier to belonging. The headteacher’s welcome makes the point directly: families of all faiths and none are part of the community, with Christian values such as hope, friendship, justice, forgiveness and trust used as shared reference points for daily life.

Leadership is settled and clearly signposted. Mrs Jo Holmes is named as headteacher on the school website, and the most recent inspection documentation notes that the headteacher (and deputy headteacher) took up post in September 2022, which matters because it frames recent strategic choices and consistency of approach.

Pupil voice is not treated as a token. The school describes three structured leadership groups, School Council, Green Team, and Wellbeing Team, each linked to tangible responsibilities, from democracy and representation to environmental initiatives and emotional wellbeing.

Outcomes at Key Stage 2 are strong and sit clearly above England averages. In 2024, 75.7% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 33.7% reached greater depth across reading, writing and mathematics, compared with 8% across England.

Scaled scores reinforce the picture, with reading and mathematics both at 107, and grammar, punctuation and spelling at 109. Science is also a strength in headline terms, with 92% reaching the expected standard, compared with an England average of 82%.

The FindMySchool ranking context is equally helpful for parents comparing across Oxford: ranked 2,528th in England and 12th in Oxford for primary outcomes (a proprietary FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places the school above England average, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

A final note on external validation: the most recent Ofsted inspection (February 2023, published March 2023) judged the school Good and confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

The outcomes suggest a curriculum that is systematic, well-sequenced, and revisited often enough for pupils to remember more over time. The English profile in particular suggests strong foundations, with a high combined expected standard and strong high-score indicators across reading and spelling. That tends to show up in classrooms as structured early reading, frequent practice, and careful attention to vocabulary and writing stamina, particularly as pupils approach Year 6.

Music is treated as a real curricular pillar, not an occasional enrichment day. The school sets out a progressive model: weekly singing assemblies, a published curriculum scheme (Charanga), and whole-class instrumental tuition by year group, with violins in Year 3, gamelan in Year 4, and brass in Year 5. This matters because whole-class tuition removes the “only if your family can arrange it” barrier, and it also strengthens ensemble confidence, which is then built through the school orchestra.

Reading is also framed as culture, not just a subject. Library sessions are weekly for every class, the library is open at lunchtime Monday to Thursday, and children are actively encouraged into discussion, recommendation, and book community.

As a primary, the next step is Year 7, and the school’s admissions information is careful not to funnel families into one single route. It notes that pupils move on to a range of different secondary schools, and that Years 5 and 6 include opportunities to get to know some local secondaries, with additional transition support for children who may find the move harder.

For parents, the practical implication is that you should treat Year 6 transition as a supported process rather than a cliff edge. If your child benefits from extra preparation for change, the school’s stated focus on additional support is reassuring, but you should still ask how that looks for your child, for example extra visits, social stories, or paired transition work.

This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Entry for Reception is coordinated through Oxfordshire County Council rather than direct contracting with the school.

Demand is the headline. The most recent published admissions figures show 182 applications for 29 offers, and the entry route is recorded as oversubscribed, which equates to roughly 6.3 applications per place. For families planning a move, that level of competition is the key planning constraint.

For September 2026 entry, Oxfordshire’s published timetable states that applications opened on 4 November 2025 and closed on 15 January 2026, with offers released on 16 April 2026. Families who want precision should set reminders early and use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check practical travel options alongside likely allocation rules, especially if you are balancing several schools across Oxford.

Pastoral culture here is framed around inclusion and contribution, with pupils expected to take responsibility, speak up, and support others. The existence of a Wellbeing Team within pupil leadership is a useful indicator, it suggests the school wants wellbeing to be normalised and visible rather than a hidden referral process.

There are also identifiable adult roles that support day-to-day care beyond the classroom, including a named librarian, a Home School Link role, and a wraparound care team. For parents, that can translate into smoother communication, and earlier help if attendance, friendships, or routines begin to wobble.

Safeguarding is explicitly emphasised in school communications, and the latest inspection documentation confirms that safeguarding arrangements are effective, which parents should still pair with their own questions about online safety, reporting systems, and how concerns are handled in practice.

This is a school with several clear “identity threads”, reading, music, sport, and pupil leadership, rather than a scatter of unrelated clubs.

Reading culture with real-world links

Book activity is not limited to World Book Day. The school describes pupil-led book club leadership in upper Key Stage 2, which is a strong signal that reading is treated as social as well as academic. Participation in programmes such as the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize connects reading with science and non-fiction quality, which can be especially motivating for pupils who prefer facts, systems, and discovery to fiction alone.

Special events add extra texture. The site references author and poet engagement (including Kate Wakeling) and links reading to wider Oxford cultural moments, which helps children connect books to living ideas rather than isolated classroom tasks.

Music with a planned pathway

Whole-class instrumental tuition by year group, weekly singing assemblies, and a school orchestra combine into a coherent journey from “everyone participates” to “some specialise”. For pupils, the implication is confidence: performing becomes normal, and ensemble work supports listening, timing, and collaboration.

Sport as participation plus leadership

The sport offer is structured across the week, with lunchtime opportunities set up by a PE assistant, clubs led by older pupils as sports leaders, and after-school options that can include judo, football and hockey. Swimming is timetabled in Year 4, with additional support in the summer term for Years 4 to 6 pupils who have not yet met requirements.

The school day structure is clearly set out in school documentation: doors open at 08:40, morning registration starts at 08:50, and the school day ends at 15:20 (15:15 for Reception).

Wraparound care is a practical strength. Breakfast Club runs 07:45 to 08:45 and is priced at £4 per session, including breakfast. After School Club runs 15:20 to 18:00 on weekdays in term time, and the school notes a capacity of 40 spaces.

Transport and travel will vary widely across Oxford, so families should test a real commute at the times that matter most, morning drop-off and end-of-day collection, before assuming it will be manageable long-term.

• Competition for places. With 182 applications for 29 offers in the latest published figures, admission is highly competitive. Families should plan with at least one realistic alternative school in mind.

• Values-led culture. Christian values are woven through the school’s stated identity, even while welcoming families of all faiths and none. If you want a fully secular approach, this may not be your preference.

• Extra costs still exist. There are no tuition fees, but wraparound care is a paid service and can become a significant ongoing cost for working families, for example £4 per Breakfast Club session.

• High attainment can bring pressure. Strong results often correlate with high expectations. That suits many pupils, but families should ask how support is provided for children who develop anxiety around tests or who need learning broken down into smaller steps.

This is a high-performing, oversubscribed Oxford primary with a clear identity: inclusive values, strong academic outcomes, and a reading and music culture that is unusually deliberate for a state primary. It will suit families who want clear routines, high expectations, and a school that encourages pupils to take responsibility through leadership roles and community contribution. The biggest constraint is entry, so planning early, and planning realistically, matters.