Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School, Bicester
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Bicester. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 17 schools in Bicester with published results, and 5,291st of 14,452 across England. It was 74% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Buckinghamshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School in detail
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 77% in Buckinghamshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 95% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School as their first choice and 63 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 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 Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School are Twyford C of E School (2.3 miles, Good, 73% reading, 67% maths); Grendon Underwood School (2.5 miles, 94% reading, 94% maths); Launton Church of England Primary School (2.6 miles, Requires improvement, 92% reading, 92% maths); and Five Acres Primary School (3.4 miles, Good, 58% reading, 78% maths).
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Twyford C of E SchoolGrendon Underwood SchoolLaunton Church of England Primary SchoolFive Acres Primary School
What parents say
60 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School (as of September 2025): 78% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 43% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (43%).
Who goes there
12% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (85%) and Mixed (9%).
Staffing
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School had 10 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 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 Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Castle Street (eastbound), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 4 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft, criminal damage and arson and other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Buckinghamshire (44).
Suspensions and exclusions
Marsh Gibbon CofE 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; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from June 2018, 8 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 July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Pupils at Marsh Gibbon thrive in a nurturing environment where behaviour is exemplary and relationships are strong. The school offers a broad, well-planned curriculum with engaging trips and visitors that bring learning to life, supported by strong early reading teaching where pupils who need extra help receive excellent support. Parents appreciate the inclusive ethos where every child is celebrated as an individual.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and strong, respectful relationships between pupils and staff
- Well-planned curriculum with clear sequencing of essential knowledge and skills
- Effective early reading programme with well-trained staff and strong support for pupils needing extra help
- Rich enrichment programme including trips, visitors, and after-school clubs
- Multiple leadership opportunities for pupils including Eco Council and Junior Leadership Team
Areas for Improvement
- Recent curriculum refinements not yet fully embedded across all subjects, leading to uneven learning progress
- Inconsistency in teachers' subject knowledge and teaching strategies between different subjects
- Need to maintain focus on strengthening teaching quality across all curriculum areas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong policies and an open, positive culture that prioritises pupils' interests.
Extracurricular Activities
After-school clubs, Eco Council, Junior Leadership Team, trips to places of worship, interactive workshops with local police officers
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School is a joyful and nurturing school where pupils feel safe and celebrated. The school has made clear improvements since the last inspection with strong behaviour, effective curriculum refinements, and excellent leadership.
At a Glance
12.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
60 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 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 95% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 85% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.4
Avg class size
20.3
Infant (KS1)
22.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School.
- S4A Group Ltd@Marsh Gibbon Church Of England SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Buckinghamshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School is in Buckinghamshire; for families living there:
- Buckinghamshire's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy (0 to 25 Year Olds)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 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 Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School.
- Buckinghamshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Buckinghamshire 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
74%
Available places
155 pupils
210 places
55 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 Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,722
Applications
5,630
Got 1st preference
91.6%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
16.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
150
Total Pupils
88
Boys
62
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,187
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,571
Per pupil
£913k
Total funding
£27k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
6.3%
Persistent absence
126
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Buckinghamshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School?
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 74% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School?
Classes at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School average 21.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School?
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School has around 150 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 6.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School?
Apply through Buckinghamshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Marsh Gibbon CofE 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 Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: S4A Group Ltd@Marsh Gibbon Church Of England School (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School?
Marsh Gibbon CofE Primary School is at Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX27 0HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)