Best Schools in Banbury

How many schools are there in Banbury?

Banbury has 47 open schools: 33 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 4 independent, 3 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Banbury are rated Outstanding?

5 schools in Banbury were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Cherry Fields Primary School, Longford Park Primary School, William Morris Primary School, Swalcliffe Park School CIO and Frank Wise School. Counting Good as well, 92% of the 38 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Cherry Fields Primary SchoolLongford Park Primary SchoolWilliam Morris Primary SchoolSwalcliffe Park School CIOFrank Wise School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Banbury get the best GCSE results?

Of the 7 schools in Banbury with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Chenderit School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.2 and 54% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Blessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth Form, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.1 and 45% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and North Oxfordshire Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.7 and 49% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Chenderit SchoolBlessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth FormNorth Oxfordshire Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Banbury have the best SATs results?

Of the 32 primary schools in Banbury with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Greatworth Primary School (100% in reading, 89% in maths); Brailes Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 88% in maths); and Cropredy Church of England Primary School (91% in reading, 96% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Greatworth Primary SchoolBrailes Church of England Primary SchoolCropredy Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Banbury?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Banbury selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Banbury have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Banbury have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Banbury?

Apply to your council - Oxfordshire, West Northamptonshire or Warwickshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.