William Morris Primary School, Banbury

Outstanding
Primary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~448m)Possible (~640m)Unlikely (~832m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Alastair Johns
Pupils:240 / 175 capacity
LA:Oxfordshire
Phone:01295258224
Address:Bretch Hill, Banbury, OX16 0UZ
Trust:GLF SCHOOLS
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 February 2016

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Inspected 1 July 2025View full report
URN:142409
UKPRN:10054165
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Banbury
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school creates an amazing community where pupils thrive academically and socially. Teachers bring expert subject knowledge to engaging lessons, and the school has a strong focus on reading, helping pupils become confident and fluent readers. Pupils are polite, respectful, and passionate about learning, with excellent attendance rates and high expectations from both staff and leaders.

Key Strengths

  • Engaging and well-planned curriculum with clear progression of essential knowledge across all subjects
  • Excellent teaching of reading with strong phonics support, helping pupils become fluent and confident readers
  • High expectations, caring relationships, and excellent pupil behaviour and attendance
  • Teachers have expert subject knowledge and effectively adapt learning for pupils with SEND and those learning English as an additional language
  • Rich understanding of the wider world, including learning about different faiths, relationships, and environmental responsibility

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching of early handwriting skills is inconsistent - some pupils are not securing foundational skills in pencil grip, letter formation and joining techniques effectively enough
  • The school should implement a more consistent and rigorous approach to teaching handwriting across the school, particularly in the early years

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Dance, singing, pottery, cricket clubs, gardening club, educational visits to Oxford and beyond, work with professionals including scientists, artists, musicians, engineers and athletes

William Morris Primary School has successfully maintained the high standards from its previous outstanding inspection. The school is a welcoming community where pupils are polite, proud of their school, and demonstrate a genuine love of learning with positive attitudes to their education.

At a Glance

21.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

40 responses
Would recommend95%
Child is happy98%
Well taught98%
Good progress93%
Feels safe95%
Well behaved80%
Bullying dealt with28%
Kept informed95%
Handles concerns55%
Wider development93%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-1ppMaths+9ppWriting+4pp

Reading has remained stable at around 71%. Maths has improved from 66% to 75%. Writing has improved from 79% to 83%.

Class Sizes

30.0

Avg class size

30.0

Infant (KS1)

30.0

KS2

6

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Appleby Close (o/s 459)
134m · 2 min walk
Edinburgh Way (adj)
182m · 3 min walk
Hastings Road (W-bound)
189m · 3 min walk
Sandford Green (adj)
233m · 4 min walk
Ferndale Road (adj)
297m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

137%

Over capacity

240 pupils

175 capacity

65 places over capacity

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 - Oxfordshire

Low demand0.80x oversubscription

Places available

8,555

Applications

6,831

Got 1st preference

94.0%

Got preferred school

99.1%

Primary admissions across Oxfordshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(2)

1 July 2025
11 September 2018
OutstandingReport
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding

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

5.85532%

Overall absence

16.48352%

Persistent absence

182

Enrolments

Authorised4.6778%
Unauthorised1.17752%
Persistent (10%+)16.48352%
Severe (50%+)1.0989%

Absence trend

4.99429%
18/19
6.67611%
20/21
7.33011%
21/22
6.92142%
22/23
5.89901%
23/24
5.85532%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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