Brookside Primary School, Bicester
Brookside Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bicester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2010. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 17 schools in Bicester with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2010)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Oxfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Brookside Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Brookside Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 75% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Oxfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (75% in reading, 75% in maths).
Getting a place at Brookside Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 27 families put Brookside Primary School as their first choice and 102 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Brookside Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Brookside Primary School are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bicester (under 0.1 miles); Longfields Primary and Nursery School (0.5 miles, Good, 69% reading, 60% maths); Bure Park Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 82% maths); and King's Meadow Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 84% maths).
Brookside Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, BicesterLongfields Primary and Nursery SchoolBure Park Primary SchoolKing's Meadow Primary School
What parents say
36 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Brookside Primary School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 78% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (78%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 36 pupils (11.8%) received SEN support and 24 (7.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bicester North Rail Station, about 540 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Brookside School (outside), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 270 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Brookside Primary School issued 39 suspensions, 12.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Brookside Primary School are The Bicester School (0.2 miles), The Cooper School (0.7 miles) and Whitelands Academy (1 mile).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2010, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Brookside is a welcoming school where children thrive academically and socially. Teachers have high expectations and provide excellent support, especially for pupils with additional needs. Your child will develop strong reading skills from the start and enjoy a rich curriculum with plenty of opportunities to explore subjects deeply.
Key Strengths
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND, helping them achieve well alongside their peers
- Strong focus on reading with high-quality phonics teaching and a love of reading developed from Reception
- Well-planned, broad curriculum across all subjects with pupils building knowledge over time
- Warm, respectful relationships between staff and pupils with rare low-level disruption
- Wide range of extra-curricular clubs and trips that support pupils' wider development
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers occasionally do not ensure that planned activities match the intended learning well enough, meaning some pupils do not learn as much as they could
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, board games club, mindfulness club, school council, sports leaders, science council leaders, playground leaders, trips to botanical gardens, residential trips to New Forest (Year 4) and Wales (Year 6)
Brookside Primary School is a Good school where pupils are proud, respectful and enjoy learning. The school has an ambitious, well-planned curriculum with strong achievement across subjects, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.
At a Glance
20.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
36 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 75% to 65% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.0
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
28.2
KS2
12
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Brookside Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Brookside Primary School.
- High Flyers St Mary's Bicester160m away · Not yet graded
- Elite Camps Bicester240m away · Not yet graded
- Bicester Kumon Centre560m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Brookside Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Oxfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Brookside Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Brookside Primary School is in Oxfordshire; for families living there:
- Oxfordshire's school travel policy: Free home to school travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Brookside Primary School
Will you get a place at Brookside Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Brookside Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Brookside Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Brookside Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Oxfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Brookside Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Oxfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
297 pupils
315 places
18 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bicester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bicester
Across Oxfordshire council
Places available
8,615
Applications
6,903
Got 1st preference
94.0%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Oxfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
24
EHC Plans
19.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
306
Total Pupils
149
Boys
157
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
19.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,510
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,532
Per pupil
£1832k
Total funding
£109k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
10.6%
Persistent absence
264
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Brookside Primary School
Questions parents ask about Brookside Primary School
What are SATs results like at Brookside Primary School?
Of the pupils at Brookside Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Brookside Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Brookside Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2010, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Brookside Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Brookside Primary School is oversubscribed, Oxfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Brookside Primary School?
Brookside Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Brookside Primary School?
Classes at Brookside Primary School average 25 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Brookside Primary School?
Brookside Primary School has around 306 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Brookside Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Brookside Primary School in 2024/25. 10.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Brookside Primary School?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Brookside Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Brookside Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Brookside Primary School: High Flyers St Mary's Bicester (160m away, registered, not yet graded), Elite Camps Bicester (240m away, registered, not yet graded) and Bicester Kumon Centre (560m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Brookside Primary School's term dates?
Brookside Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Oxfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Brookside Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 11 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Brookside Primary School?
Brookside Primary School is at Bucknell Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 2DB.
Sources: Oxfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)