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Schools across Oxfordshire

Local authority · 370 schools across 42 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Oxfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Oxfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Oxfordshire →

Schools in Oxfordshire (370)

Showing 20 of 370 schools

Total Schools

370

242 primary · 41 secondary

Total Pupils

117,587

85% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

94

9 outstanding · 85 good

Capacity

137,786

20,199 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

85
271
Outstanding: 9
Good: 85
Requires Improvement: 5
Not inspected: 271

Best Schools in Oxfordshire

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

38.1

GCSE Eng+Maths

31.9%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

85% full
54,426 pupils64,074 capacity

9,648 spare places

Secondary Schools

88% full
42,573 pupils48,168 capacity

5,595 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.0%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

14.3%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

295

2024/25

Absence trend across Oxfordshire schools

4.2%
18/19
3.9%
20/21
7%
21/22
6.4%
22/23
6.2%
23/24
6%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

38%

Plans Issued

1,411

Assessment Requests

1,801

Tribunal Cases

68

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

50%
2019
56%
2020
31%
2021
4%
2022
54%
2023
39%
2024
38%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

8,474 admissions

125

Lodged

(1.5%)

79

Heard

21

Successful

(27%)

Primary (infant classes)

7,558 admissions

87

Lodged

(1.2%)

55

Heard

6

Successful

(11%)

Secondary

8,512 admissions

303

Lodged

(3.6%)

184

Heard

78

Successful

(42%)

Total

16,986 admissions

428

Lodged

(2.5%)

263

Heard

99

Successful

(38%)

Total appeals lodged per year

809
2019
1120
2020
893
2021
657
2022
1038
2023
986
2024
791
2025
943
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Oxfordshire

Oxford

96 schools

Banbury

38 schools

Abingdon

31 schools

Witney

28 schools

Bicester

22 schools

Didcot

19 schools

Wantage

15 schools

Wallingford

15 schools

Henley-on-Thames

12 schools

Chipping Norton

12 schools

Reading

11 schools

Kidlington

9 schools

Faringdon

8 schools

Carterton

7 schools

Thame

5 schools

Watlington

4 schools

Bampton

4 schools

Oxfordshire

3 schools

Woodstock

3 schools

Swindon

3 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Oxfordshire

How many schools are there in Oxfordshire?

Oxfordshire has 370 open schools: 242 state primary, 45 state secondary or all-through, 42 independent, 26 special and 15 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Oxfordshire are rated Outstanding?

29 schools in Oxfordshire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Northern House Academy, Bartholomew School, Finstock Church of England Primary School, Chilworth House School, Gillotts School and 24 more. Counting Good as well, 95% of the 291 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.

Northern House AcademyBartholomew SchoolFinstock Church of England Primary SchoolChilworth House SchoolGillotts School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Oxfordshire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 43 schools in Oxfordshire with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Gillotts School, with an Attainment 8 score of 60.2 and 74% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Swan School, with an Attainment 8 score of 60.1 and 73% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Didcot Girls' School, with an Attainment 8 score of 59.6 and 71% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Gillotts SchoolThe Swan SchoolDidcot Girls' School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Oxfordshire have the best SATs results?

7 of the 228 primary schools in Oxfordshire with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths, among them Dr South's Church of England Primary School, Fritwell Church of England Primary School and Nettlebed Community School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Dr South's Church of England Primary SchoolFritwell Church of England Primary SchoolNettlebed Community School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Oxfordshire?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Oxfordshire have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Oxfordshire have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Oxfordshire 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 Oxfordshire?

Apply to Oxfordshire 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables