Grove Church of England School

Grove Church of England School is a friendly, welcoming primary where pupils are proud to attend and behave considerately. The school's Christian values and strong pastoral relationships create a close community, and pupils benefit from good behaviour, personal development, enrichment and a strong early years curriculum. Reading and phonics are particular strengths, attendance is prioritised, and safeguarding is effective. Leadership is taking effective action, with close support from the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust and robust governor challenge. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. The main concern is the quality of education in some subjects. The curriculum does not always sequence important knowledge well enough for pupils to build and retain understanding, and teaching varies in how well it develops and checks pupils' understanding. When teachers identify gaps or misconceptions, these are not consistently corrected, and pupils with SEND do not always receive the further adaptation they need. Currently, pupils are not achieving as well as they could, although the school is acting rapidly and impactfully to address this. Overall, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision are good, while the quality of education requires improvement. The school is well placed to improve if it sharpens curriculum sequencing, embeds consistent teaching approaches and ensures gaps in pupils' knowledge are addressed.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud to attend a friendly, welcoming school with a strong sense of community.
• Christian values of love, respect and resilience are evident in pupils' considerate conduct.
• Pupils behave well, with calm and orderly lessons and positive playtime interactions.
• Reading has a sharp focus, and phonics is taught from the start of Reception with prompt targeted support.
• The early years curriculum is strong and prepares children well for key stage 1.
• Attendance is a high priority, with robust action reducing regular absence.
• Personal development is strong, preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils benefit from a broad range of enrichment activities, trips and clubs.
• Leadership is taking effective action, supported closely by the multi-academy trust and challenged by governors.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, the curriculum does not sequence important knowledge well enough for pupils to build secure understanding over time.
• Teaching varies across subjects in how well it develops pupils' understanding and helps them retain knowledge.
• In some foundation subjects, explanations do not always focus on important knowledge and checks on understanding are sometimes ineffective.
• When teachers identify weaker knowledge or misconceptions, these are not consistently addressed, leaving gaps in pupils' understanding.
• Teachers do not always adapt explanations or learning activities sufficiently for pupils with SEND.

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 Grove Church of England School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.2% 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, 3.2% of pupils at Grove Church of England 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 Grove Church of England School had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.5% 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, 25.3% of pupils at Grove Church of England School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.0% 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 2024–25 Grove Church of England School received £7,141 and spent £6,823 for each of its 189 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £117,000 (£621 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, income was £7,225 and spending £7,175 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 Wantage · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

Grove Church of England School is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:

• The Hendreds Church of England School Wantage
• Northbourne Church of England Primary School Didcot
• Blewbury Church of England Primary School Didcot
• South Moreton Primary School Didcot
• Bampton CofE Primary School Bampton
• North Hinksey Church of England Primary School Oxford
• John Henry Newman Academy Oxford
• St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot Bampton
• St Nicholas CofE Primary School , Wallingford Wallingford
• St Frideswide Church of England Primary School Oxford

What is Grove Church of England School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Grove Church of England School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Grove Church of England School last inspected by Ofsted?

Grove Church of England School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Grove Church of England School have?

Grove Church of England School has 182 pupils on roll.

What age range does Grove Church of England School cover?

Grove Church of England School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

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

Where is Grove Church of England School?

Grove Church of England School is at North Drive, Grove, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 7PW.