Middleton Cheney Primary Academy, Banbury

Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.6km)Possible (~2.3km)Unlikely (~3.0km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Theresa Hillier
Pupils:322 / 420 capacity
LA:West Northamptonshire
Phone:01295710218
Address:Main Road, Middleton Cheney, Banbury, OX17 2PD
Trust:PRIME7 MAT
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2013

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 6 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Strong Standard
Inspected 10 March 2026View full report
URN:139866
UKPRN:10042598
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:South Northamptonshire
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Middleton Cheney Primary Academy excels at creating a warm, inclusive community where every child feels valued and cared for. The school has strong teaching in reading, writing and mathematics with pupils achieving well, and the early years provision is particularly impressive with children excited and eager to learn. Staff build excellent relationships with families and provide tailored support to help all pupils succeed.

Key Strengths

  • Early years provision is lively and purposeful with well-established routines that prepare children effectively for Year 1
  • Pupils achieve well, with outcomes at key stage 2 often above national averages
  • Behaviour is very good with a consistent behaviour policy celebrated through house points
  • Strong focus on communication and vocabulary development underpins the curriculum
  • Safeguarding culture is open and positive with all legal requirements met

Areas for Improvement

  • Reading outcomes at key stage 2 and phonics in 2025 dipped below expected levels
  • Attendance for pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils is still too low
  • Teaching adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not consistent across all curriculum subjects
  • Pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values is not as strong as their understanding of the school's other values

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Sports clubs, musical instrument tuition, drama club, trips, residential activities, sports leader programme, school council

Middleton Cheney Primary Academy is a strong school where pupils are valued, cared for and achieve well from their starting points. The school creates an inclusive, calm environment where pupils feel safe and proud to be part of the community.

At a Glance

9.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-13ppMaths-5ppWriting-7pp

Reading has declined from 81% to 68%. Maths has declined from 87% to 82%. Writing has declined from 74% to 67%.

Class Sizes

26.8

Avg class size

25.4

Infant (KS1)

27.6

KS2

13

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Red Lion PH (opp)
58m · 1 min walk
Library (o/s)
59m · 1 min walk
Rectory Lane (opp)
289m · 5 min walk
The Green (opp)
417m · 7 min walk
Stanwell Drive (near)
541m · 9 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

77%

Available places

322 pupils

420 capacity

98 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Banbury

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,794
Projected new pupils:449

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Banbury

Admissions Demand - West Northamptonshire

Low demand0.76x oversubscription

Places available

5,771

Applications

4,413

Got 1st preference

94.5%

Got preferred school

99.0%

Primary admissions across West Northamptonshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(5)

10 March 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
30 November 2021
9 February 2016

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

5.46679%

Overall absence

11.67192%

Persistent absence

317

Enrolments

Authorised4.49314%
Unauthorised0.97366%
Persistent (10%+)11.67192%
Severe (50%+)0.63091%

Absence trend

2.82599%
18/19
2.0308%
20/21
5.67815%
21/22
4.56292%
22/23
5.35061%
23/24
5.46679%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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