The Blake Church of England Primary School

The Blake Church of England Primary School has shown significant improvement since its previous inspection, moving from a grade of Requires Improvement to Good. The school successfully fosters a happy and supportive environment where pupils feel proud and valued. Effective leadership is key to the school’s achievements, establishing a broad curriculum that balances academic and pastoral learning, with updated teaching methods leading to improved student outcomes in core subjects like phonics, reading, writing, and mathematics, which now align with national averages. Parents appreciate the school’s familial atmosphere and the individual care provided to each child.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum.
• The quality of education has significantly improved in recent years.
• Staff are supportive and responsive to pupils' needs.
• Pupils demonstrate a love of reading and confidence in their abilities.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Strong partnerships with parents contribute to a supportive school community.

Areas for Improvement

• Some school leaders lack essential skills and experience needed for effective subject leadership.
• Occasional gaps in teachers' subject knowledge affect the quality of learning in foundation 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 The Blake Church of England Primary School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.8% 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, 3.0% of pupils at The Blake Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 The Blake Church of England Primary School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.5% 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, 15.5% of pupils at The Blake Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.3% 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 The Blake Church of England Primary School received £6,461 and spent £6,500 for each of its 366 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £92,000 (£253 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 Witney · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

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

• St Mary's Church of England Infant School Witney
• The Batt Church of England Primary School Witney
• North Leigh Church of England School Witney
• Brize Norton Primary School Carterton
• Bampton CofE Primary School Bampton
• Leafield Church of England Primary School Witney
• St Peter's Church of England School, Alvescot Bampton
• Burford Primary School Burford
• North Hinksey Church of England Primary School Oxford
• St Christopher's Church of England School Lechlade

What is The Blake Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Blake Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was The Blake Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Blake Church of England Primary School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does The Blake Church of England Primary School have?

The Blake Church of England Primary School has 367 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Blake Church of England Primary School cover?

The Blake Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are The Blake Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Blake Church of England Primary School?

The Blake Church of England Primary School is at Cogges Hill Road, Cogges, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 3FR.