Tysoe CofE Primary School Review 2026: Village primary with elite KS2 outcomes and a clear Church ethos

A small, rural Church of England primary where results sit among the highest in England, and where pupils are expected to contribute, lead, and look out for one another. The current headteacher is Ms Paige Allister.

The most recent published Ofsted inspection (23 to 24 January 2024) judged the school Good overall, with Outstanding for Behaviour and attitudes. Alongside this, the school’s Christian vision is not a bolt-on, it shapes daily routines (including daily collective worship) and underpins the way pupils are taught to behave, serve, and take responsibility.

For families looking for a community feel without compromising on academic ambition, the mix is compelling. The trade-off is admissions pressure. Reception demand runs well ahead of places, so planning early matters.

The school presents itself as a place where children are known well and encouraged to show leadership early. That shows up in the responsibilities pupils take on, from structured roles supporting younger readers to committees linked to worship and the environment.

There is also a clear emphasis on inclusion and wellbeing that is more specific than generic “pastoral care” statements. The school uses a nurture offer that families value, and it is practical rather than abstract, with targeted support for pupils and families when circumstances are difficult.

Outdoor play is treated as a serious part of school life, not a break between lessons. The school has been recognised as an OPAL Platinum School, with its own published focus on high-quality play and structured, inclusive lunchtimes. That matters for day-to-day experience, especially in a smaller school where friendships and playground dynamics can have an outsized impact.

Faith is integrated without being narrow. The SIAMS inspection dated 27 March 2025 describes a school “living up to its foundation as a Church school” and highlights strengths in inclusion, justice, and responsibility.

Performance data places the school in rare company for primary outcomes.

Ranked 161st in England and 1st in Warwick for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data)

This sits among the highest-performing schools in England (top 2%).

At Key Stage 2 in 2024:

• 90% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with the England average of 62%.

• At the higher standard, 43.33% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%.

• Scaled scores are also very strong: 112 in reading (England average typically 100), 110 in mathematics, and 112 in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

The implication is not simply “good SATs”. In a small school, consistently high outcomes usually point to two things: clear curriculum sequencing and tight feedback loops on what pupils have learned. The latest Ofsted report supports that picture, noting strong outcomes by the end of Key Stage 2, particularly in reading.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view nearby primaries side-by-side using the Comparison Tool, particularly helpful when small cohort sizes can make year-on-year outcomes look jumpy even when teaching is stable.

Reading is treated as a priority from the start. Children begin phonics soon after joining Reception, teaching is consistent, and pupils who fall behind are supported to catch up quickly. The evidence-based implication is a stronger platform for every other subject by Year 3, because pupils can access the curriculum independently earlier.

Mathematics is framed around problem-solving and explanation, not just method practice. Pupils are encouraged to devise their own questions, and they are expected to recall prior learning even after gaps in subject coverage, an important design feature in a small school where mixed-age classes are unavoidable.

The curriculum is explicitly designed to cope with mixed-age and split-year teaching. Plans are built so that pupils cover the intended content by the end of Years 2 and 6, even when class groupings change year to year. That matters for families considering in-year moves, because continuity is often the concern in a village school.

A fair caveat sits alongside the strengths. Leaders have introduced new subject plans in some areas, and the school is still tightening how it checks the impact of these changes on what pupils remember over time.

As a primary school, the key question is transition.

For most families, the next step will be a Warwickshire secondary school route, with travel time and rural transport becoming practical factors. The school’s location close to the Oxfordshire border is also relevant, and the school explicitly references families coming from nearby villages across county lines.

The strongest indicator here is readiness rather than a named destination list. Pupils leave with high attainment, strong reading fluency, and experience of taking responsibility (school council roles and leadership in worship-related activity). For many children, that combination supports a confident move into larger secondary settings.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. The main “cost” is securing a place in a competitive admissions context, and then planning the practicalities of transport, wraparound care, and uniform.

In the most recent available admissions figures, 45 applications resulted in 18 offers, which equates to about 2.5 applications per place. That aligns with an oversubscribed picture.

For Reception, admissions are run through the Warwickshire coordinated scheme. The school’s published admission number is 20 per year group for the 2026 to 2027 policy.

A key detail for local families is the school’s defined priority area. For 2026 entry, the priority area is stated as the parishes of Tysoe, Oxhill, Radway, Ratley and Whatcote.

Oversubscription criteria include, in order, looked-after and previously looked-after children; specified vulnerable groups; priority-area siblings; other priority-area children; and then wider criteria including certain staff children and out-of-area applicants (with distance as the tie-break within each category).

Open day patterns are unusually clear for a small primary. The school states it hosts open days in October ahead of the January application deadline, and it listed three specific open day sessions for Reception 2026 families: 06 October, 18 October, and 23 October, with set times. (If families miss these, the school indicates alternative visit appointments are possible.)

Families trying to plan realistically should use FindMySchool Map Search to check their home location against the school’s priority area and likely travel routes. Even where priority applies, demand can shift year to year.

Wellbeing here looks operational rather than aspirational. The school runs a nurture provision that parents and carers value, and it is linked to helping families through challenging circumstances.

Two school dogs, Rex and Sadie, are part of the pastoral offer and are explicitly referenced as supporting pupils’ emotional wellbeing. The wider safeguarding culture is described as vigilant, with an emphasis on noticing small details and acting early.

Behaviour standards are a headline strength. Pupils are trained in a restorative approach so they can resolve issues, and the school reports no suspensions or exclusions for many years. The practical implication is a calmer learning climate, particularly important in mixed-age classes where younger pupils take their cues from older peers.

Clubs and enrichment are used to widen experience, not just fill a timetable.

The most distinctive strand is outdoor play and structured lunchtimes. Achieving OPAL Platinum status suggests leadership attention on play quality, inclusion, and supervision routines. In a village primary, that can matter as much as any single after-school club because it shapes the social life of the whole school day.

Community links are also tangible. The choir is referenced as singing at the local dementia café, and pupils are described as contributing to village life through practical service such as litter-picking.

Examples of clubs and activities mentioned in official reports include cooking, gardening, drama, choir, and sports activity including hockey tournaments, alongside pupil leadership roles such as eco and worship committees.

Trips are used to connect curriculum to place. Recent examples include visits to a village orchard and curriculum-linked experiences in Stratford-upon-Avon, including Shakespeare workshops.

The school day is clearly set out. Gates open at 08.45, close at 08.55, registers are taken at 09.00, and the day finishes at 15.25. This meets the Department for Education expectation of 32.5 hours per week.

Wraparound care is available on site through The Hive. It runs 07.45 to 08.45 in the morning, and after school from 15.30 to 17.30 Monday to Thursday, with 15.30 to 17.00 on Fridays.

For transport, Warwickshire publishes school bus route timetables linked to the school, including routes numbered 333 and 344R333. Families should still sanity-check travel time at peak hours, especially in winter, and confirm the current timetable before relying on it.

• Admissions competition. Reception demand significantly exceeds available places in the published figures. For families outside the priority area, the odds can tighten quickly.

• Mixed-age classes. This structure can be a real positive for independence and peer support, but it does not suit every child. Ask how support works when year groups are split across classes.

• Faith is active. Daily collective worship is part of the routine, and the Christian vision is explicit. Families who prefer a more secular setting should weigh this carefully.

• Curriculum change monitoring. Some subject plans are newer, and leaders are still tightening evaluation of impact in a few areas. The direction is positive, but it is a live improvement strand.

Tysoe CofE Primary School combines a small-school feel with results that sit among the strongest in England, and it pairs that with a coherent Church ethos that shows up in daily routines, responsibility, and service. It suits families who want high academic expectations, a values-led approach, and a community-facing village primary, and who can engage early with a competitive admissions process. The limiting factor is usually entry, not the quality of what follows.