Dry Sandford Primary School, Abingdon
Dry Sandford Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Abingdon. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 21 schools in Abingdon with published results, and 5,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 69% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Dry Sandford Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Dry Sandford 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 rose from 75% in reading and 50% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Dry Sandford Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 7 families put Dry Sandford Primary School as their first choice and 28 named it as one of their preferences, for 7 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Dry Sandford Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dry Sandford Primary School are Wootton St Peter's Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); Sunningwell Church of England Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 100% reading, 100% maths); Appleton Church of England (A) Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 85% reading, 80% maths); and Long Furlong Primary School (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, 67% reading, 73% maths).
Dry Sandford Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Wootton St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolSunningwell Church of England Primary SchoolAppleton Church of England (A) Primary SchoolLong Furlong Primary School
Who goes there
9.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Dry Sandford Primary School had 8 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
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Dry Sandford Primary School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Helen's Church (opposite), 270 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Dry Sandford Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 18 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, burglary and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Dry Sandford Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 11.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from January 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 75% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 50% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 75% to 100% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
20.5
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Dry Sandford Primary School
Term dates
Dry Sandford 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dry Sandford Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dry Sandford 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Dry Sandford Primary School
Will you get a place at Dry Sandford Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Dry Sandford Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Dry Sandford Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Dry Sandford 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 Dry Sandford 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
69%
Available places
97 pupils
140 places
43 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Abingdon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Abingdon
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
16
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
20.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
98
Total Pupils
43
Boys
55
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
12.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,585
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,212
Per pupil
£672k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
8.0%
Persistent absence
88
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Dry Sandford Primary School
What are SATs results like at Dry Sandford Primary School?
Of the pupils at Dry Sandford Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Dry Sandford Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Dry Sandford Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Dry Sandford Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Dry Sandford 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 Dry Sandford Primary School?
Dry Sandford Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 69% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at Dry Sandford Primary School?
Classes at Dry Sandford Primary School average 24.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Dry Sandford Primary School?
Dry Sandford Primary School has around 98 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dry Sandford Primary School?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Dry Sandford Primary School in 2024/25. 8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dry Sandford Primary School?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Dry Sandford 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.
What are Dry Sandford Primary School's term dates?
Dry Sandford 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 Dry Sandford Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Dry Sandford Primary School?
Dry Sandford Primary School is at Lashford Lane, Dry Sandford, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 6EE.
Sources: Oxfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)