Dr South's Church of England Primary School, Kidlington
Dr South's Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Kidlington, part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 7 schools in Kidlington with published results, and 1st of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Dr South's Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at Dr South's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 100% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Oxfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 93% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Dr South's Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Dr South's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 32 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Dr South's Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dr South's Church of England Primary School are Edward Feild Primary School (1.7 miles); St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington (2 miles, Good, 92% reading, 92% maths); West Kidlington Primary and Nursery School (2 miles, Good, 85% reading, 85% maths); and North Kidlington Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 76% reading, 83% maths).
Dr South's Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Edward Feild Primary SchoolSt Thomas More Catholic Primary School, KidlingtonWest Kidlington Primary and Nursery SchoolNorth Kidlington Primary School
The trust
Dr South's Church of England Primary School is one of 46 schools run by Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
51 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Dr South's Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (82%).
Who goes there
10.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 11.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 29 pupils (29.9%) received SEN support and 4 (4.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Dr South's Church of England Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Islip Rail Station, about 50 metres away (roughly a 1-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High Street (n-bound), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Dr South's Church of England Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 13 crimes within a mile of the school, most often criminal damage and arson, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52).
Suspensions and exclusions
Dr South's Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school is a strong, nurturing and supportive community where pupils flourish. Its joyful ethos permeates throughout, fostering collaboration and respect among pupils. Staff demonstrate care and understanding, ensuring a positive environment for everyone. This enables pupils to feel safe, happy and respected.
The school sets high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils rise to these expectations and achieve well. Staff encourage pupils to explore and be inquisitive learners. Routines for strong behaviour are embedded in the early years, and these high expectations continue throughout the school. Consequently, pupils' behaviour is impressive, and they have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils feel confident speaking with adults if they have any concerns or worries.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is ambitious and sequenced carefully, starting from Nursery. It is designed to meet pupils' needs and maps out the key knowledge pupils should learn. Teachers select well-chosen activities tailored to pupils' needs. Pupils are motivated and eager to participate in lessons to achieve their best.
Staff have secure subject knowledge. They use it to present information clearly so pupils can relate new learning to what they already know. Pupils revisit key knowledge in lessons. For example, 'flashbacks' help them recall previous learning and understand how it links to new knowledge. Occasionally, teachers do not check thoroughly pupils' knowledge during lessons to identify gaps in their learning. The school is working on refining how teachers check what pupils have learned so gaps in knowledge can be identified and addressed quickly. The school acts decisively to identify pupils with SEND. Staff are skilful at adapting how the curriculum is delivered in a way that meets pupils' diverse needs. This helps pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their classmates.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
10.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
51 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 improved from 93% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 73% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.8
Avg class size
17.0
Infant (KS1)
26.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Dr South's Church of England Primary School
Term dates
Dr South's Church of England Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Oxfordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dr South's Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dr South's Church of England 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Dr South's Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Dr South's Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Dr South's Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Dr South's Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Dr South's Church of England 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 Dr South's Church of England Primary School for 2017 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
81%
Available places
85 pupils
105 places
20 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Kidlington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Kidlington
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
29
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
34.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
97
Total Pupils
54
Boys
43
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
13.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,465
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,741
Per pupil
£628k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
4.0%
Persistent absence
75
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
Dr South's Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Dr South's Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Dr South's Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Dr South's Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 100% did so in maths.
What is Dr South's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Dr South's Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Dr South's Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Dr South's Church of England 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 Dr South's Church of England Primary School?
Dr South's Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Dr South's Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Dr South's Church of England Primary School average 19.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Dr South's Church of England Primary School?
Dr South's Church of England Primary School has around 97 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dr South's Church of England Primary School?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Dr South's Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dr South's Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Dr South's Church of England 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.
How many road collisions happen near Dr South's Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Dr South's Church of England Primary School?
Dr South's Church of England Primary School is at Bletchingdon Road, Islip, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 2TQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)