St Oswald's CofE Academy, Doncaster
St Oswald's CofE Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Doncaster, part of The Diocese of Sheffield Academies Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 14th-highest of the 96 schools in Doncaster with published results, and 2,822nd of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- 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 Doncaster (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Oswald's CofE Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at St Oswald's CofE Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 77% in Doncaster and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 94% in reading and 97% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Oswald's CofE Academy
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put St Oswald's CofE Academy as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 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 St Oswald's CofE Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Oswald's CofE Academy are Hayfield Lane Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 83% reading, 85% maths); Auckley Primary Academy (1.7 miles, Good, 79% reading, 91% maths); Branton St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 83% reading, 77% maths); and Misson Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 78% reading, 100% maths).
St Oswald's CofE Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Hayfield Lane Primary SchoolAuckley Primary AcademyBranton St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary SchoolMisson Primary School
The trust
St Oswald's CofE Academy is one of 20 schools run by The Diocese of Sheffield Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
46 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Oswald's CofE Academy (as of September 2025): 78% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (89%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (64%).
Who goes there
7.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 19 pupils (8.4%) received SEN support and 7 (3.1%) 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.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Oswald's CofE Academy.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wroot Road/Elm Drive (adjacent), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 11 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Doncaster (131).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Oswald's CofE Academy issued 1 suspension, 0.4 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 multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2014, 12 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 February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Oswald's creates a caring, welcoming environment where children thrive. The school has excellent phonics and reading teaching that helps all children become confident readers, including those who need extra support. Teachers are skilled at explaining learning clearly and helping children remember what they have learned.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics teaching with strong support for early readers and those needing extra help
- Well-sequenced, ambitious curriculum that is clearly planned with identified knowledge and skills
- Warm, nurturing relationships throughout the school where pupils feel safe and cared for
- Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
- Strong behaviour and positive attitudes among pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistency in how teachers implement the ambitious curriculum, with some teaching activities not matching intended learning goals
- Some pupils not securing the depth of knowledge and understanding they are capable of
- Need for staff to have consistent knowledge and skills to deliver the curriculum effectively
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders prioritising pupil safety and wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Football, rugby, taekwondo, cooking, art ambassadors programme, pupil parliament, Modeshift STARS walking and biking badges
St Oswald's CofE Academy is a primary school with a strong ethos that encourages kindness and consideration. The school has developed an ambitious, carefully sequenced curriculum with effective teaching in reading and phonics.
At a Glance
7.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
46 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 declined from 94% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 97% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 87% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.4
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
29.7
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Oswald's CofE Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Oswald's CofE Academy.
- Premier Education WAC @ St Oswald's C of E AcademyAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Oswald's CofE Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Oswald's CofE Academy is in Doncaster; for families living there:
Apply to Doncaster for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 0 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 Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 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 St Oswald's CofE Academy
Will you get a place at St Oswald's CofE Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Oswald's CofE Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Oswald's CofE Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Oswald's CofE Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Doncaster, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Oswald's CofE Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Doncaster 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
95%
Near capacity
200 pupils
210 places
10 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Doncaster
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Doncaster
Across Doncaster council
Places available
4,235
Applications
3,089
Got 1st preference
96.5%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Doncaster council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
11.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
226
Total Pupils
105
Boys
121
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
18.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,595
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,996
Per pupil
£1066k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
5.8%
Persistent absence
173
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
St Oswald's CofE Academy
Questions parents ask about St Oswald's CofE Academy
What are SATs results like at St Oswald's CofE Academy?
Of the pupils at St Oswald's CofE Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is St Oswald's CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Oswald's CofE Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Oswald's CofE Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Oswald's CofE Academy is oversubscribed, Doncaster allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Oswald's CofE Academy?
St Oswald's CofE Academy was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Oswald's CofE Academy?
Classes at St Oswald's CofE Academy average 27.4 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 St Oswald's CofE Academy?
St Oswald's CofE Academy has around 226 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Oswald's CofE Academy?
3.9% of sessions were missed at St Oswald's CofE Academy in 2024/25. 5.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Oswald's CofE Academy?
Apply through Doncaster's coordinated admissions process, naming St Oswald's CofE Academy 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 St Oswald's CofE Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Premier Education WAC @ St Oswald's C of E Academy (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 St Oswald's CofE Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 0 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 Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Oswald's CofE Academy?
St Oswald's CofE Academy is at Silver Birch Grove, Finningley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN9 3EQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)