Find the best primary schools in West Oxfordshire. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
West Oxfordshire has 49 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 49, 32 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 West Oxfordshire 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Finstock Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 5.0 / 5 |
| St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Cassington | Church of England | 4.9 / 5 |
| Chadlington Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| Stanton Harcourt CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| Eynsham Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| Leafield Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.6 / 5 |
| Aston and Cote Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.5 / 5 |
There are 49 primary schools in West Oxfordshire.
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 West Oxfordshire, that council is Oxfordshire. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 49 primary schools in West Oxfordshire, 32 have a religious character: 29 Church of England and 3 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 Finstock Church of England Primary School (5.0), St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Cassington (4.9), Chadlington Church of England Primary School (4.8), Stanton Harcourt CofE Primary School (4.8) and Eynsham Community Primary School (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 49 schools here, 48 have enough published data for a rating.
| Combe CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.5 / 5 |
| Kingham Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Witney Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Great Tew County Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Woodstock Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Enstone Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Hailey Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| Windrush Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| Holy Trinity Catholic School, Chipping Norton | Roman Catholic | 4.0 / 5 |
| Freeland Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| North Leigh Church of England School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| Great Rollright Church of England (Aided) Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| Gateway Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Charlbury Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Bladon Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Hanborough Manor CofE School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Standlake Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| The Batt Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Burford Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| St Mary's Church of England Infant School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| St John the Evangelist CofE VA Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Tackley Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Wychwood Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Ducklington Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Brize Norton Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Madley Brook Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Middle Barton Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| The Blake Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| St Christopher's Church of England School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney | Roman Catholic | 3.2 / 5 |
| St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Chipping Norton | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Bampton CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Clanfield CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Edith Moorhouse Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Queen Emma's Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton | Roman Catholic | 3.0 / 5 |
| Stonesfield Primary School | Mixed | 2.7 / 5 |
| Tower Hill Community Primary School | Mixed | 2.6 / 5 |
| Carterton Primary School | Mixed | 1.9 / 5 |
| West Witney Primary School & Nursery | Mixed | 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.