Wantage Primary Academy Review 2026: A new-build primary with an Outstanding Ofsted judgement

Curriculum intent is text-led, with high-quality texts described as a central driver for topic engagement and vocabulary development.

In music, the school uses the Charanga Musical School programme to structure weekly lessons around listening and appraisal, practical musical activity, and performance. The implication for pupils is consistency, progression, and a shared musical language across year groups, rather than one-off “topic music” that varies widely by class.

Humanities is framed through a history and geography base, with explicit attention to local context as well as substantive knowledge. For children, that typically shows up as stronger recall, clearer sequencing, and an easier bridge from “topic work” to disciplined subject thinking by Key Stage 2.

The school day is also structured to protect curriculum breadth. The published timetable information sets compulsory hours at 8:40am to 3:30pm, presented as a deliberate choice to avoid trimming foundation subjects.

As a primary, the key transition question is Year 6 to Year 7. Wantage sits within Oxfordshire’s secondary landscape, where options can include local comprehensive schools and, depending on family preference and child profile, selective routes in some parts of the county. The school does not publish a definitive “destination list” for Year 7, and in practice secondary transfer is shaped primarily by home address, admissions criteria, and family choice within the local authority process.

A practical indicator worth noting from the inspection evidence is that personal development and pupil leadership are taken seriously at primary stage. Roles such as school councillors and eco-council membership give pupils repeated experience of responsibility and speaking up, which tends to support confidence in the Year 7 transition.

Reception admissions are coordinated through Oxfordshire County Council rather than directly by the school. For September 2026 entry, the published timeline shows applications opening on 4 November 2025 and the deadline for on-time applications as 15 January 2026. Oxfordshire also lists National Offer Day for primary places as 16 April 2026.

Demand already looks meaningful. The available admissions figures indicate 135 applications for 56 offers for the relevant Reception admissions cycle captured with the school described as oversubscribed.

Nursery admissions are a separate pathway. The school is explicit that a nursery place does not guarantee admission to Reception, and families still need to apply through the coordinated Reception route at the appropriate time.

Given the school’s growth story and its location within a major housing development, families should treat admissions as a planning exercise, not a last-minute decision. The most useful practical step is to read the school’s admissions arrangements alongside the local authority timeline for the relevant intake year.

The school presents personal development as a structured curriculum strand, not an add-on, and links it to Belong, Believe, Achieve. For parents, that signals an emphasis on relationships, pupil voice, and safeguarding culture, rather than purely academic throughput.

Safeguarding is a core parental concern, particularly in a growing school where staffing expands quickly. Here, the most recent graded inspection states safeguarding arrangements are effective, and the report describes a strong safeguarding culture and attention to training and recruitment checks.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is also referenced in the inspection evidence, including early identification and precise support planning. The practical implication is that, for many children with mild to moderate needs, the school aims to intervene early and keep support integrated into daily classroom routines.

The school’s public information confirms breakfast club and after-school provision, and it also points parents toward enrichment clubs delivered through an external provider, with a stated intention to add more staff-led clubs over time.

For a newer primary, the distinctive enrichment often shows up less as long-standing “traditional clubs” and more as programmed experiences and roles that build quickly. The inspection evidence highlights pupil leadership structures, including eco-council and friendship ambassadors, plus a breadth of clubs. That matters because it creates multiple routes for children to feel known and valued, not only those who shine academically.

The same report references a cultural and community-facing programme that included collaboration with local artists and participation in larger-scale performances. Even allowing for the fact that individual opportunities vary by year group and cohort, it suggests the school is not operating as a narrow “core-only” curriculum model.

The published school day is: gates open at 8:30am, compulsory start at 8:40am, and finish at 3:30pm.

Breakfast club runs from 7:40am until the start of the school day at 8:40am.

After-school wraparound is offered in blocks from 3:30pm, including options that extend to 6:00pm, with booking handled through the external provider referenced on the school site.

Transport-wise, the school is positioned for local families in Wantage, particularly around the Kingsgrove development, so the practical reality for many households will be walking, scooters, and short car journeys at peak times rather than a rail commute.

• A newer school means a shorter track record. Opened in September 2020, the school has established strong inspection evidence early on, but longer-run attainment and cohort trend data will naturally take time to build.

• Reception places already look competitive. Available figures indicate oversubscription, so families should treat application deadlines seriously and read the admissions arrangements carefully.

• Nursery does not feed automatically into Reception. A nursery place does not guarantee a main school place, which matters for childcare planning and expectations.

• Wraparound depends on provider availability. Breakfast club is clearly described, and after-school care is offered via an external provider; parents who need specific days and times should confirm spaces early.

Wantage Primary Academy has achieved something that many new schools struggle to do: it has put down a clear culture quickly, backed by an Outstanding inspection profile and a curriculum narrative that protects breadth as well as core skills.

It suits families who want a modern, growing primary with nursery on site, a longer core day, and structured personal development through pupil leadership and community-facing opportunities. The main challenge is admissions, particularly for Reception, where demand already appears strong.