Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney continues to perform well as a good school, with a strong sense of community and high expectations among pupils. The school fosters an environment where students feel safe and valued, and they actively engage in their learning. Staff members are well-trained, particularly in teaching reading, with pupils showing commendable progress in fluency and comprehension. The curriculum is broad and carefully structured, allowing pupils to build on their prior knowledge, especially in successful areas like mathematics. However, there are concerns regarding the consistency of learning in some foundation subjects. The leadership has recognized that not all teachers have clear guidance on essential knowledge and skills for these subjects, which may hinder students' depth of understanding. Overall, while the school shows many strengths in personal development and safeguarding, further refinement in curriculum delivery is necessary to ensure uniform educational outcomes across all subjects.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and high expectations for pupils
• Pupils feel safe, listened to, and well cared for
• Effective teaching in reading and mathematics
• Support for pupils with SEND is well implemented
• Pupils engage actively in a broad curriculum
• Pupils demonstrate good personal development and respect for diversity
• Strong safeguarding culture with effective practices

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent learning in some foundation subjects
• Lack of precise guidance for teachers in certain subjects

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 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.4% 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 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney 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 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney had 26.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.5% 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, 17.8% of pupils at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 2024–25 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney received £6,654 and spent £6,641 for each of its 187 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £121,000 (£648 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, income was £7,222 and spending £7,198 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Witney · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney is part of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton Carterton
• St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington Kidlington
• Holy Trinity Catholic School, Chipping Norton Chipping Norton
• Greyfriars Catholic School Oxford
• Our Lady's Roman Catholic Primary School Oxford
• St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore Oxford
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bicester Bicester
• Blessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth Form Banbury
• St John's Catholic Primary School Banbury
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Banbury Banbury

What is Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney last inspected by Ofsted?

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney have?

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney has 247 pupils on roll.

What age range does Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney cover?

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney?

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney is at Curbridge Road, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 5JZ.