Windrush Church of England Primary School Review 2026: A newer Witney primary with a calm start and a clear values spine

Because the school opened in 2021 and is still building year groups, there is not yet a long run of end of key stage outcomes to use as a stable trend line. That makes the quality of curriculum foundations more important than headline statistics at this stage.

The strongest academic signals in the most recent official evidence sit in early reading. Phonics is described as a structured programme that equips pupils with secure decoding, and almost all pupils met the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2023. A well embedded phonics approach matters disproportionately in a growing school, because it creates a consistent baseline for reading fluency as cohorts move into Key Stage 2 content.

Leaders have focused heavily on getting reading, writing, and mathematics established across the school since opening, and these subjects are described as securely embedded and effectively taught. The improvement priority is also clear: a small number of foundation subjects were at an earlier stage of development at the time of inspection, and the expectation is that curriculum depth becomes more consistent across every subject as staffing and subject leadership capacity expand.

For parents, the practical implication is that this is a school where the core is already in place, while breadth and subject specific refinement are still being developed in the way most new schools experience. If you are choosing on the basis of long proven external outcomes, you may feel you are taking a more forward looking view. If you are choosing on the basis of strong routines and an organised start to learning, the evidence supports that direction.

Teaching is presented as structured and deliberate. Reading is promoted actively through careful book choices and expressive read aloud, which tends to create a shared reading culture rather than leaving reading to individual classrooms or individual teachers. In early years and Key Stage 1, that kind of coherence is usually what parents notice first, children talk about books, vocabulary sticks, and home reading becomes more predictable rather than a daily negotiation.

Mathematics and writing are described as priorities since opening, with the work now embedded through the school. For a growing primary, that “since opening” detail is important, because it suggests leaders have made sensible sequencing choices, getting the fundamentals right before widening the curriculum offer.

The inspection deep dives included reading, mathematics, and art, which gives a clue about where leaders were confident enough to invite detailed scrutiny. Art being in that mix is noteworthy for parents who want a primary that values more than SATs preparation, even if the broader curriculum is still uneven in places as the school expands.

As a primary school with a young cohort profile, the school is still building towards the point where Year 6 destinations become a stable annual pattern. In Witney, most families will look first at the local non selective secondary options, then at faith based routes where relevant, and for a smaller subset, selective routes further afield.

What matters most at this stage is transition readiness. With reading fluency prioritised early and routines described as well established, pupils should be well placed for the learning demands of secondary school once the older year groups are in place. For families who are thinking long term, it is still sensible to keep an eye on how the curriculum develops across the foundation subjects over the next few years, because that breadth is what often differentiates “good core” from “strong all round”.

Reception entry is coordinated through Oxfordshire’s admissions process rather than handled solely by the school. For September 2026 entry, applications open on 04 November 2025, the deadline is 15 January 2026, and National Offer Day is 16 April 2026.

Demand already looks strong. With 91 applications for 38 offers in the latest available results, the school is oversubscribed, and families should plan on the assumption that not everyone who applies will secure a place. The simplest implication is tactical rather than emotional: use all available preferences when applying, and do not leave the application until close to the deadline.

Nursery entry is a separate consideration. The nursery admits children from age two to four, which will appeal to families seeking continuity into Reception, but parents should treat nursery attendance as helpful rather than automatically guaranteeing a Reception place unless the published admissions arrangements explicitly say so.

Pastoral strength here is tightly linked to routines. Calm classrooms, clear expectations, and adults who build warm relationships with pupils tend to be the core ingredients of day to day wellbeing in a primary setting. Pupils are described as feeling valued and secure, which is what parents are usually hoping to hear, especially for younger children who are still building confidence outside the home.

Attendance has been a leadership focus, with partnership work with parents linked to significant improvement over the previous year. That is an unglamorous but important signal of operational maturity in a new school, because improving attendance depends on consistent communication, firm routines, and families buying into expectations.

Ofsted confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular detail is not comprehensively published in the sources accessible for this review, but there are some useful, concrete indicators of what families can expect around wraparound and enrichment.

First, the school’s citizenship approach is a clear “beyond lessons” feature, encouraging personal responsibility and participation, and it has already translated into pupil led activity connected to caring for the local environment. That may suit children who respond well to having real responsibilities rather than abstract rules.

Second, on site wraparound and holiday activity appears to be supported through external providers operating at the same postcode, including named sports and performance themed clubs. For working families, that matters as much as traditional lunchtime clubs, because it determines whether the school can support a full working day without complicated logistics.

As the school grows into older year groups, expect the enrichment offer to expand, and consider asking specifically about after school activities by year group, how often they run, and whether places are guaranteed or allocated on a first come basis.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Expect the normal costs associated with primary education, uniform, trips, and optional extras such as clubs or music, which vary by year group.

Wraparound care is available via an on site provider, with breakfast club beginning at 7.45am and after school options running after the end of the school day. Parents should confirm current sessions, availability, and booking terms directly with the provider and the school, as these can change across the year.

For day to day travel, the school sits within the Deer Park area of Witney, which will suit families who can walk or cycle from nearby housing, and will be simplest for parents who can combine drop off with local commuting routes.

• Growing school reality. Opened in September 2021, the school is still building year groups, staffing depth, and subject leadership. That can be exciting, but families wanting a long, stable track record may prefer an older, more established setting.

• Curriculum breadth still developing. Reading, writing, and mathematics are embedded; a small number of other subjects were less developed at the time of the latest inspection. If breadth matters to your child, ask how subject plans have progressed since February 2024.

• Oversubscription is already a factor. With 91 applications for 38 offers in the latest available data, admission is competitive. Families should apply on time and use preferences strategically.

• Faith ethos should feel comfortable. The Church of England character is part of the school’s identity. Most families will experience this as an ethos and values frame, but those seeking a strictly non faith setting should check how worship and religious education work in practice.

Windrush Church of England Primary School looks like a young school that has achieved the hard part early: calm routines, an established approach to early reading, and a coherent values driven culture. The February 2024 inspection outcome supports that steady foundation, while also making clear that curriculum depth across every subject is still a work in progress as the school grows.

Best suited to families in the Deer Park and wider Witney area who want a newer setting with a clear ethos, strong early years care, and an organised start to learning, and who are comfortable choosing on the basis of trajectory rather than decades of outcomes. The main limiting factor is admission, competition for places is already significant.