Oakley Church of England Combined School

Oakley Church of England Combined School is a small village primary that was inspected in November 2024, its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors found the school well led and accurately self-aware after recent staff changes and a new headteacher, with good behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management. Safeguarding is effective, pupils are happy and polite, attendance is strong, and reading and support for pupils with SEND are particular strengths. The main concern is the quality of education, which requires improvement. Published results show academic achievement has been declining, and pupils have not consistently learned the key knowledge and skills across the curriculum. The recently transformed curriculum is clear on what should be taught, but implementation is uneven, especially in mixed-age classes, where tasks can be too hard or too easy. Assessment of learning is secure in English and mathematics but underdeveloped in science and foundation subjects, so gaps are not always identified or addressed. Leaders are taking appropriate action and have a sound understanding of priorities, but further work is needed to ensure the curriculum is delivered effectively in all subjects and that teachers check what pupils have learned. Parents are largely positive, and the school’s caring, inclusive ethos and strong values are evident.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate the school’s values of love, honesty and respect and are thoughtful and polite.
• Pupils are happy, positive learners who feel cared for and have trusted adults to turn to.
• Behaviour and attitudes are good, with pupils meeting high expectations and getting along well at playtimes.
• Personal development is well planned, including a wide range of clubs, trips and leadership roles.
• Children in Reception get a strong start, with well-designed early years provision and readiness for Year 1.
• Reading is prioritised; phonics teaching is precise and books are well matched to pupils’ reading ability.
• Pupils with SEND are identified well and typically receive clear targets and careful support.
• Attendance is strong, and the school works effectively with families where support is needed.
• Leadership and management are good; staff value consideration of workload and governors fulfil duties effectively.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• The quality of education requires improvement, with academic achievement declining in recent years.
• Pupils have not consistently learned the key knowledge and skills across the curriculum.
• Implementation of the new curriculum is uneven in many subjects, including English and mathematics.
• Learning tasks in mixed-age classes sometimes do not meet pupils’ needs, being too challenging for some and too simple for others.
• Assessment of curriculum impact is underdeveloped in science and foundation subjects, so teachers do not always know what pupils have learned or which gaps exist.
• Some gaps in pupils’ learning remain and are not always addressed effectively.
• Teachers’ expectations have sometimes not been high enough.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Oakley Church of England Combined School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Oakley Church of England Combined School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Oakley Church of England Combined School had 13.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.3% of pupils at Oakley Church of England Combined School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Oakley Church of England Combined School received £9,160 and spent £9,340 for each of its 91 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £120,000 (£1,317 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Aylesbury · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

What is Oakley Church of England Combined School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oakley Church of England Combined School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Oakley Church of England Combined School last inspected by Ofsted?

Oakley Church of England Combined School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Oakley Church of England Combined School have?

Oakley Church of England Combined School has 91 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oakley Church of England Combined School cover?

Oakley Church of England Combined School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Oakley Church of England Combined School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Oakley Church of England Combined School?

Oakley Church of England Combined School is at Worminghall Road, Oakley, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP18 9QY.