St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot

St Peter’s Church of England School, Alvescot is a small village primary that feels like a family and is part of the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and under the current framework it received no overall effectiveness grade. The school is judged good for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and early years provision, with personal development standing out as outstanding. Pupils feel safe, behave very well and benefit from warm relationships, strong values and an ambitious curriculum that has been refined without adding unnecessary staff workload. Most pupils achieve well, including those with SEND, and reading and phonics are particular strengths. Children in the early years are very well cared for and get strong foundations, while pupils enjoy an exceptional range of extra-curricular activities, trips and leadership roles. Safeguarding is effective, and trustees and governors know the school well and challenge and support leaders appropriately. The main area for improvement is assessment beyond reading, writing and mathematics. Staff do not always check what pupils have remembered securely, which can leave gaps in knowledge or lead to work that is too easy. The report also notes that a small number of Year 6 pupils did not achieve as well as they should in 2024 national curriculum tests, although the school has taken effective action to address this.

Strengths

• Warm, family-like culture where staff know pupils well and pupils feel safe.
• School values are embedded across daily life, supporting very good behaviour and mutual respect.
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that has been refined without overburdening staff.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND, with prompt identification and good access to the curriculum.
• Reading and phonics are central and highly effective, including regular support for those who need extra help.
• Nurturing early years provision with a well-considered curriculum and stimulating indoor and outdoor learning.
• Exceptional personal development provision that is highly inclusive and builds empathy and understanding.
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities, trips and pupil leadership roles.
• Trustees and governors have a detailed understanding of the school and challenge and support leaders well.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment in subjects beyond reading, writing and mathematics is not fully developed, so staff do not always identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge.
• Some pupils are given work that is too easy and does not deepen their understanding.
• A small number of Year 6 pupils underachieved in 2024 national curriculum tests, although effective action is now in place.

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 St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.6% 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, 1.0% of pupils at St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot 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 St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 11.2% of pupils at St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.0% 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 St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot received £7,870 and spent £7,538 for each of its 100 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £119,000 (£1,187 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.

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

St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:

• St Christopher's Church of England School Lechlade
• Brize Norton Primary School Carterton
• Bampton CofE Primary School Bampton
• Burford Primary School Burford
• The Batt Church of England Primary School Witney
• St Mary's Church of England Infant School Witney
• The Blake Church of England Primary School Witney
• Leafield Church of England Primary School Witney
• North Leigh Church of England School Witney
• Grove Church of England School Wantage

What is St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot last inspected by Ofsted?

St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot have?

St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot has 98 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot cover?

St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot?

St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot is at Alvescot, Bampton, Oxfordshire, OX18 2PU.