Mill Lane Community Primary School, Chinnor
Mill Lane Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Chinnor. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 25th-highest of the 228 schools in Oxfordshire with published results, and 1,534th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Mill Lane Community Primary School in detail
Mill Lane Community Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Mill Lane School aims to provide an outstanding education through positive experiences in which all children grow in knowledge, skill and confidence. Each child's journey through the school is planned to be purposeful, challenging and fun by providing educational excellence in teaching and learning."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Mill Lane Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Oxfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 80% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Mill Lane Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Mill Lane Community Primary School as their first choice and 96 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Mill Lane Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Mill Lane Community Primary School are St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Chinnor (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 70% reading, 75% maths); Aston Rowant Church of England Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); Lewknor Church of England Primary School (2.9 miles, Good, 80% reading, 90% maths); and Stokenchurch Primary School (3.2 miles, Outstanding, 71% reading, 68% maths).
Mill Lane Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, ChinnorAston Rowant Church of England Primary SchoolLewknor Church of England Primary SchoolStokenchurch Primary School
What parents say
95 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Mill Lane Community Primary School (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 77% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (76%).
Who goes there
8.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Princes Risborough Rail Station, about 3.3 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Estover Way (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Mill Lane Community 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 29 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52).
Suspensions and exclusions
Mill Lane Community 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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from September 2011, 15 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 May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Mill Lane is a happy, caring school where children thrive through a well-organised curriculum and excellent phonics teaching. The school supports all learners exceptionally well, including those with additional needs, and enriches their education through hands-on experiences like caring for school animals and taking part in community activities. Pupils develop strong values, excellent behaviour, and are well prepared for their next stage of learning.
Key Strengths
- Effective phonics teaching and reading support that motivates pupils to become confident readers
- Well-structured curriculum with clear sequencing of knowledge and expert subject teaching
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, with quick identification of needs and purposeful strategies
- High attendance rates through positive work with families to address barriers
- Rich wider experiences including clubs, visits to local places of interest, and care for school animals
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent use of assessment and checks on learning in some subjects
- Teachers not identifying pupils' misconceptions effectively enough in some areas
- Need for more consistent approaches to checking pupils' understanding across the curriculum
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils trusting adults to keep them safe and knowing who to speak to about concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports events, clubs during and after school, visits to local places of interest, school council, library ambassadors, play leaders, care home visits
Mill Lane Community Primary School is a vibrant, welcoming primary school where pupils enjoy learning and are proud to be part of a caring community. The school has implemented a well-planned curriculum across all subjects and has high aspirations for all pupils to achieve well.
At a Glance
8.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
95 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 80% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 70% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 70% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Mill Lane Community Primary School
From Mill Lane Community Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Mill Lane Community Primary School
Term dates
Mill Lane Community 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 Mill Lane Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Mill Lane Community 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
- 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.
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 Mill Lane Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Mill Lane Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Mill Lane Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Mill Lane Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Mill Lane Community 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 Mill Lane Community 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
98%
Near capacity
205 pupils
210 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chinnor
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chinnor
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
19.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
231
Total Pupils
119
Boys
112
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
23.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,226
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,348
Per pupil
£1192k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
7.3%
Persistent absence
178
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Mill Lane Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Mill Lane Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Mill Lane Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is Mill Lane Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Mill Lane Community Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Mill Lane Community Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Mill Lane Community 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 Mill Lane Community Primary School?
Mill Lane Community Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Mill Lane Community Primary School?
Classes at Mill Lane Community Primary School average 28.9 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Mill Lane Community Primary School?
Mill Lane Community Primary School has around 231 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Mill Lane Community Primary School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Mill Lane Community Primary School in 2024/25. 7.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Mill Lane Community Primary School?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Mill Lane Community 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 Mill Lane Community Primary School's term dates?
Mill Lane Community 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 Mill Lane Community 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. 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 Mill Lane Community Primary School?
Mill Lane Community Primary School is at Mill Lane, Chinnor, Oxfordshire, OX39 4RF.
Sources: Oxfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)