Sunningwell Church of England Primary School, Oxon
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Oxon. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 228 schools in Oxfordshire with published results, and 1st of 14,452 across England. It was 68% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- 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
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at Sunningwell Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 100% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Oxfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 90% 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 Sunningwell Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Sunningwell Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 43 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Sunningwell Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sunningwell Church of England Primary School are Long Furlong Primary School (1 mile, Requires improvement, 67% reading, 73% maths); Wootton St Peter's Church of England Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); Dry Sandford Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 88% reading, 75% maths); and Dunmore Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 75% reading, 75% maths).
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Long Furlong Primary SchoolWootton St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolDry Sandford Primary SchoolDunmore Primary School
Who goes there
15.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School had 6 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
The nearest railway station is Radley Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dark Lane (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sunningwell Church of England Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 10 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52).
Suspensions and exclusions
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Sunningwell Church of England Primary School are Fitzharrys School (1.4 miles), John Mason School (1.7 miles) and Larkmead School (1.7 miles).
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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are happy and know the importance of behaving well. They enjoy being part of the school, which they say 'feels like a family'. Pupils appreciate the rich opportunities the school provides beyond their small community. School visits are varied and frequent. They include visits to Windsor Castle and local visits to a residential care home for older people. Pupils value these visits.
Pupils feel safe. They trust adults to help them if they are worried. Pupils are kind and courteous to one another. Routines and expectations are well established so pupils work attentively in lessons and the school is calm. The youngest children quickly learn to share and take turns. They play and learn together well. Older pupils enjoy their role as reading buddies, sharing their favourite stories with younger pupils.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is broad and aims to help all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn and achieve. This is especially so in reading and mathematics. The curriculum has been planned in small steps for these subjects. Pupils build on previous learning successfully by practising important skills at the start of each lesson. They make good progress and master mathematical knowledge quickly. The work pupils produce shows they are gaining knowledge and skills over time.
In these subjects, staff use their training and expertise to design learning that is memorable. For example, pupils with SEND use a range of visual aids to recognise numbers and patterns. This helps pupils solve harder problems. Teachers also use questions skilfully to deepen pupils' understanding.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
15.4%
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 90% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 70% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 90% to 100% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.5
Avg class size
18.0
Infant (KS1)
21.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Sunningwell Church of England Primary School
Term dates
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 Sunningwell Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sunningwell Church of England 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 Sunningwell Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Sunningwell Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sunningwell Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sunningwell Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sunningwell Church of England 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 Sunningwell Church of England 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
68%
Available places
71 pupils
105 places
34 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Oxon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Oxon
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
9
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
15.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
78
Total Pupils
44
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
13.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,520
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,293
Per pupil
£582k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.1%
Overall absence
14.1%
Persistent absence
71
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
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Sunningwell Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Sunningwell Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Sunningwell Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 100% did so in maths.
What is Sunningwell Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sunningwell Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Sunningwell Church of England 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 Sunningwell Church of England Primary School?
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 68% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Sunningwell Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Sunningwell Church of England Primary School average 19.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sunningwell Church of England Primary School?
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School has around 78 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sunningwell Church of England Primary School?
6.1% of sessions were missed at Sunningwell Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 14.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sunningwell Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Sunningwell Church of England 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 Sunningwell Church of England Primary School's term dates?
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 Sunningwell Church of England 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 Sunningwell Church of England Primary School?
Sunningwell Church of England Primary School is at Dark Lane, Sunningwell, Oxon, Oxfordshire, OX13 6RE.
Sources: Oxfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)