Watlington Primary School, Watlington
Watlington Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Watlington, part of Acer Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 175th-highest of the 228 schools in Oxfordshire with published results, and 10,901st of 14,452 across England. It was 64% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Watlington Primary School in detail
Watlington Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Coming up: an open evening on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Oxfordshire
Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at Watlington Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Oxfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 65% in reading and 65% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Watlington Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Watlington Primary School as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Watlington Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Watlington Primary School are Lewknor Church of England Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 90% maths); Chalgrove Community Primary School (3.4 miles, Good, 63% reading, 53% maths); Ewelme CofE Primary School (3.4 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths); and Aston Rowant Church of England Primary School (3.8 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths).
Watlington Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Lewknor Church of England Primary SchoolChalgrove Community Primary SchoolEwelme CofE Primary SchoolAston Rowant Church of England Primary School
The trust
Watlington Primary School is one of 9 schools run by Acer Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
85 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Watlington Primary School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 81% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (81%).
Who goes there
14.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (9%).
Watlington Primary School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Watlington Primary School.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Icknield Community College (outside), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 12 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
In 2024/25, Watlington Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 1.3 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 2013, 13 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are happy to attend this school. They describe school as fun and full of kindness. They feel safe and are taught to keep themselves safe. Pupils are reassured by the school's strong safeguarding culture. Pupils across the school have a strong understanding of how to keep both physically and mentally healthy. The school's ample and well-equipped outdoor space provides opportunities to run, climb and play at breaktime and lunchtime.
The school has a thoughtful and consistent way of helping pupils meet its very high expectations of learning and behaviour. As a result, lessons are vibrant and focused, and pupils achieve well. Pupils develop a broad intellectual curiosity to learn more and are encouraged to learn together. If any pupils find managing their behaviour more difficult, staff sensitively help. Pupils are taught about their emotions. They know that their worries are reduced when they are shared, and trust adults to help if they have concerns.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has high ambition for all pupils. Staff have a detailed understanding of how to develop every pupil to be successful in their education.
Teaching reading is a strength of the school. In nursery and early years, children enjoy plentiful stories and start to use letter sounds. In key stage 1, pupils receive accurate and precise phonics lessons. The school makes sure that parents know how to support their children when reading at home. Where pupils need extra help, intervention sessions help them to quickly catch up. Reading remains a priority for older pupils. Their daily reading practice is further strengthened by teachers' careful checking of progress. Pupils value the school's library and appreciate its quiet and welcoming atmosphere.
From Ofsted's October 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 Outstanding at its June 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
14.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism, SEMH +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
85 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 65% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.3
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
28.8
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Watlington Primary School
From Watlington Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Watlington Primary School
Term dates
Watlington Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Oxfordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Watlington Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Watlington 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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 Watlington Primary School
Will you get a place at Watlington Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Watlington Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Watlington Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Watlington 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 Watlington Primary School for 2020 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
64%
Available places
203 pupils
315 places
112 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Watlington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Watlington
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
27
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
15.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Watlington Primary School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
227
Total Pupils
122
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
18.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,038
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,308
Per pupil
£1178k
Total funding
£44k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
8.0%
Persistent absence
176
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
Watlington Primary School
Questions parents ask about Watlington Primary School
What are SATs results like at Watlington Primary School?
Of the pupils at Watlington Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Watlington Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Watlington Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Watlington Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Watlington 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 Watlington Primary School?
Watlington Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 64% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Watlington Primary School?
Classes at Watlington Primary School average 25.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Watlington Primary School?
Watlington Primary School has around 227 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Watlington Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Watlington Primary School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Watlington Primary School?
4% of sessions were missed at Watlington Primary School in 2024/25. 8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Watlington Primary School?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Watlington 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.
How many road collisions happen near Watlington Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Watlington Primary School?
Watlington Primary School is at Love Lane, Watlington, Oxfordshire, OX49 5RB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)