Find the best primary schools in Cherwell. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Cherwell has 54 primary schools, all in Oxfordshire council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 54, 26 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Cherwell primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry Fields Primary School | Mixed | 5.0 / 5 |
| Dr South's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.9 / 5 |
| Finmere Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| Cropredy Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington | Roman Catholic | 4.7 / 5 |
| The Grange Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| Dr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.4 / 5 |
| Fritwell Church of England Primary School |
There are 54 primary schools in Cherwell. Of those, 1 is an all-through school, teaching both primary and secondary years.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Cherwell, that council is Oxfordshire. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 54 primary schools in Cherwell, 26 have a religious character: 22 Church of England and 4 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Cherry Fields Primary School (5.0), Dr South's Church of England Primary School (4.9), Finmere Church of England Primary School (4.8), Cropredy Church of England Primary School (4.8) and St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington (4.7). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 54 schools here, 51 have enough published data for a rating.
| Church of England |
| 4.4 / 5 |
| Kirtlington Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| Orchard Fields Community School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Launton Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Shenington Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| West Kidlington Primary and Nursery School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Queensway School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Hornton Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Hook Norton Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| William Fletcher Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Dashwood Banbury Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Longford Park Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Chesterton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Deddington Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| William Morris Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Brookside Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| King's Meadow Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| North Kidlington Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Bure Park Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Bishop Loveday Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Harriers Banbury Academy | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Christopher Rawlins Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Southwold Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Bletchingdon Parochial Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Hardwick Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Heyford Park School | all-through | 3.4 / 5 |
| Glory Farm Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| St John's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.4 / 5 |
| Hill View Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| St Edburg's Church of England (VA) School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Banbury | Roman Catholic | 3.3 / 5 |
| Wroxton Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Gagle Brook Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Hanwell Fields Community School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Banbury | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Bloxham Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Bishop Carpenter Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Langford Village Community Primary School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Fringford Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.9 / 5 |
| Longfields Primary and Nursery School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| St Leonard's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.8 / 5 |
| Five Acres Primary School | Mixed | 2.1 / 5 |
| Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.0 / 5 |
| Edward Feild Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Graven Hill Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bicester | Roman Catholic | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.