Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School

Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary is a small, inclusive village school that is performing to the expected standard overall, with safeguarding met. Pupils achieve well: key stage 2 outcomes are above average, a high proportion reach the higher standard, and reading is a particular strength. Older pupils leave well prepared for secondary school, and disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are generally well supported to achieve from their starting points. Behaviour and personal development are strong. Pupils are kind, courteous and keen to learn, bullying is rare, and the school’s values, wide-ranging clubs, outdoor learning and pastoral care create a genuine sense of belonging. Leadership and governance are effective; leaders know the school well, have managed a significant rise in pupil numbers, and have built positive partnerships with parents and staff. The main areas for improvement are in the early years and attendance. The early years curriculum, especially early writing and independent learning, is not yet strong enough, so some children are not fully prepared for Year 1. Attendance has been below the national average in recent years, including for pupils with SEND, and leaders’ strategic analysis of attendance patterns is still developing. The recently introduced PSHE curriculum also needs more time to embed so pupils develop detailed knowledge across all topics.

Strengths

• Above-average key stage 2 outcomes, including a notably high proportion reaching the higher standard
• Strong reading provision, with effective phonics and well-chosen texts building fluency and vocabulary
• A broad, ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum across subjects
• Knowledgeable staff who explain and model concepts well and address misconceptions
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, including use of EHC plans and tailored adaptations
• A welcoming, inclusive community that helps new pupils settle quickly
• Clear strategic oversight of inclusion and appropriate use of pupil premium funding
• High expectations from leaders and effective management of improvement and staff workload
• Governors fulfil their responsibilities and provide appropriate oversight
• Strong partnerships with parents, who value the school’s family feel
• Pupils behave very well, with positive attitudes to learning and rare bullying
• A rich personal development offer, including clubs, outdoor learning, visits and leadership roles
• Effective pastoral support and a culture of care
• Early years phonics and language development are strong, with warm relationships and good routines

Areas for Improvement

• Early years curriculum needs strengthening, particularly early writing and independent learning activities
• Some younger pupils do not develop key writing skills securely, leaving them less prepared for key stage 1
• Some children are not prepared well enough for Year 1 because of inconsistencies in early years provision
• Attendance has been below the national average in recent years, including for pupils with SEND
• Leaders’ strategic analysis of attendance groups, trends and patterns is still in its early stages
• The newly introduced PSHE curriculum needs further time to embed so pupils develop detailed knowledge of some topics

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 Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.9% 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 Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary 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 Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.2% 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, 23.3% of pupils at Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.0% 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 Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School received £6,858 and spent £7,082 for each of its 86 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £14,000 (£165 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 South Oxfordshire · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in February 2026.

When was Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School have?

Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School has 86 pupils on roll.

What age range does Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School cover?

Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School?

Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School is at Main Street, Checkendon, Oxfordshire, RG8 0SR.