Dorchester St Birinus Church of England School, Wallingford

Good
Primary
Voluntary controlled school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.5km)Possible (~2.1km)Unlikely (~2.7km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Joanna Staples
Pupils:76 / 105 capacity
LA:Oxfordshire
Phone:01865340081
Address:Queen Street, Dorchester, Wallingford, OX10 7HR
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Inspected 1 April 2025View full report
URN:123129
UKPRN:10077923
Diocese:Diocese of Oxford
Constituency:Henley and Thame
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Your child will be part of a nurturing community where they feel valued, safe and well cared for. The school has successfully built a positive culture where pupils behave well, attend regularly and take pride in their learning. The school excels at supporting children who need extra help, including those with special educational needs.

Key Strengths

  • Strong phonics teaching with pupils learning to read fluently from Reception onwards
  • Excellent provision for pupils with SEND who are quickly identified and receive effective support
  • Positive school culture with high expectations for behavior and attendance has improved significantly
  • Warm relationships between staff and pupils create a safe, caring environment
  • Pupils engage in meaningful community activities and develop into considerate young people

Areas for Improvement

  • Not all subjects have clearly identified the essential knowledge pupils need to learn, leading to inconsistent teaching
  • Tasks given to pupils do not consistently reinforce the precise knowledge they have been taught
  • Staff do not always identify pupils' misconceptions and errors quickly enough to address them
  • Mathematics outcomes are below national averages and pupils' knowledge is less secure
  • Some teaching does not adapt to address gaps in pupil understanding

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular Activities

Leaving books around the village, raising money for local charities, singing in the nearby Abbey

Dorchester St Birinus Church of England School is a nurturing primary school where pupils are valued and included, with strong pastoral care and behavior. However, some pupils are not achieving as well as they should, particularly in mathematics where outcomes are below national averages.

At a Glance

6.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

22 responses
Would recommend77%
Child is happy86%
Well taught82%
Good progress77%
Feels safe96%
Well behaved96%
Bullying dealt with32%
Kept informed91%
Handles concerns68%
Wider development82%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+1ppMaths+7ppWriting+13pp

Reading has remained stable at around 63%. Maths has improved from 31% to 38%. Writing has improved from 62% to 75%.

Class Sizes

25.0

Avg class size

31.0

KS2

3

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Malthouse Lane (opp)
126m · 2 min walk
Memorial (o/s)
200m · 3 min walk
The Abbey (opp)
227m · 4 min walk
Dorchester Bypass (NW-bound)
541m · 9 min walk
Dorchester Bridge (SE-bound)
581m · 9 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

72%

Available places

76 pupils

105 capacity

29 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Wallingford

Medium pressure
New homes approved:865
Projected new pupils:216

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Wallingford

Admissions Demand - Oxfordshire

Low demand0.80x oversubscription

Places available

8,555

Applications

6,831

Got 1st preference

94.0%

Got preferred school

99.1%

Primary admissions across Oxfordshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(11)

1 April 2025
11 June 2019
2 December 2015
Leadership & ManagementGood

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.42436%

Overall absence

11.11111%

Persistent absence

63

Enrolments

Authorised3.72283%
Unauthorised0.70153%
Persistent (10%+)11.11111%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

4.58568%
18/19
4.25239%
20/21
8.78948%
21/22
5.25092%
22/23
4.56201%
23/24
4.42436%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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