Culworth Church of England Primary Academy

Culworth Church of England Primary Academy is performing well overall, with inspectors finding strong provision across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years. Pupils are happy, feel safe and behave well, lessons are calm, and parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Since the previous inspection, the school has improved its curriculum, introduced a structured phonics programme and ensured that most pupils achieve well. The school provides accurate support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and these pupils access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Early years gives children a positive start, attendance is strong, personal development broadens pupils’ horizons, governance is effective and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school is part of Evolve Church Academy Trust, the headteacher was appointed since the previous inspection, and this was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. Two main areas need improvement. Checking of pupils’ learning is not consistently rigorous across all subjects, so gaps are sometimes not identified and pupils’ knowledge in some subjects is not secure. Pupils also lack a secure, age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values, particularly democracy, which means they are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Strengths

• High expectations and a happy, safe school culture built on respect, believe, succeed.
• Pupils behave well and lessons are calm, allowing learning to proceed without disruption.
• A broad, ambitious curriculum has been improved since the previous inspection.
• Staff are well equipped to deliver the curriculum, and most pupils achieve well.
• A structured phonics programme starts in Reception and is delivered consistently.
• Reading books match pupils’ phonics knowledge, and targeted support helps those who fall behind.
• Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and supported to access the full ambitious curriculum.
• Early years provides a strong start through well-planned activities and a focus on independence and books.
• Attendance is strong because effective systems ensure pupils attend often and on time.
• Personal development broadens pupils’ horizons through world religions, diverse books and community activities.
• Governors are ambitious, understand the school’s strengths and areas for improvement, and hold leaders to account.
• Staff feel proud to work at the school and value leaders’ consideration of well-being and workload.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment and checking of learning are not consistently rigorous across all subjects.
• In some subjects, teachers do not accurately identify gaps or design appropriate next steps.
• Pupils’ knowledge in subjects outside early reading, English and mathematics is not always secure.
• Pupils lack a secure, age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values, especially democracy.
• Pupils are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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 Culworth Church of England Primary Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.0% 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 Culworth Church of England Primary Academy 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 Culworth Church of England Primary Academy had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.9% 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, 11.0% of pupils at Culworth Church of England Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Culworth Church of England Primary Academy received £8,213 and spent £8,176 for each of its 98 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £92,000 (£944 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of East Midlands Academy Trust, income was £7,645 and spending £7,616 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 Banbury · West Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Culworth Church of England Primary Academy is part of East Midlands Academy Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Chacombe CEVA Primary Academy Banbury
• Boddington Church of England Primary Academy Daventry
• Hardingstone Academy Northampton
• Castle Academy Northampton
• Northampton International Academy Northampton
• Stimpson Avenue Academy Northampton
• Orchard Academy Milton Keynes
• Shepherdswell Academy Milton Keynes
• Naseby Church of England Primary Academy Northampton
• Wilbarston Church of England Primary School Market Harborough

What is Culworth Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Culworth Church of England Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Culworth Church of England Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Culworth Church of England Primary Academy was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Culworth Church of England Primary Academy have?

Culworth Church of England Primary Academy has 109 pupils on roll.

What age range does Culworth Church of England Primary Academy cover?

Culworth Church of England Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Culworth Church of England Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Culworth Church of England Primary Academy?

Culworth Church of England Primary Academy is at Culworth, The Green, Culworth C of E School, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX17 2BB.