Fritwell Church of England Primary School

Fritwell Church of England Primary School is a small, recently academised primary in the Eynsham Partnership Trust. This was its first section 5 inspection, and under the current framework no overall effectiveness grade was given. Inspectors found a happy, safe school where behaviour and attitudes are outstanding and pupils are respectful, responsible and focused on learning. The quality of education, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision were all judged good, and safeguarding is effective. The school has a broad, logically sequenced curriculum adapted for mixed-age classes, and pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported. Early reading is a strength: phonics is taught consistently, children start letter sounds promptly, and pupils at risk of falling behind catch up quickly. Pupils benefit from well-considered personal development, including debate, vocabulary and understanding of difference, and they take on leadership roles that teach them about democracy. Staff are positive about workload and well-being. The main areas for improvement are that the curriculum is not yet fully embedded after academisation; only the first year of the two-year cycle has been taught, and expectations for precise year-group content in mixed-age classes, including early years, need refinement. Strategic oversight is also still developing: trust support is not yet coordinated and systematic enough, leaders do not always see the big picture, and monitoring of behaviour, attendance and the curriculum should be sharper.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, feel safe and trust staff to help with worries.
• Behaviour and attitudes are outstanding, with calm and respectful classrooms.
• Pupils are responsible, respectful and show high self-control.
• The curriculum is broad and logically sequenced for mixed-age classes.
• Early reading is strong, with consistent phonics and rapid catch-up support.
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and receive tailored support.
• Personal development is well considered and broadens pupils' understanding of the wider world.
• Pupils take on leadership roles and learn about democracy.
• Staff feel well supported with workload and well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum is still embedding after academisation; only the first year of the two-year cycle has been delivered.
• Expectations for precise year-group content in mixed-age classes, including early years, need further refinement.
• Strategic oversight is still developing, so leaders do not always see the big picture.
• Trust support is not yet coordinated and systematic enough.
• Leaders should track and monitor behaviour, attendance and the curriculum more strategically.
• School leaders have not always been able to maintain their timetable of priorities.

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 Fritwell Church of England Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.2% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Fritwell Church of England Primary 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 Fritwell Church of England Primary School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.3% 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, 14.9% of pupils at Fritwell Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Fritwell Church of England Primary School received £7,260 and spent £7,590 for each of its 127 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £20,000 (-£155 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Epa Trust, income was £6,488 and spending £6,675 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 Bicester · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

Fritwell Church of England Primary School is part of Epa Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Heyford Park School Bicester
• Cropredy Church of England Primary School Banbury
• Hanborough Manor CofE School Witney
• Freeland Church of England Primary School Witney
• St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Cassington Witney
• Eynsham Community Primary School Witney
• Bartholomew School Witney
• Stanton Harcourt CofE Primary School Witney
• West Witney Primary School & Nursery Witney
• Standlake Church of England Primary School Standlake

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Fritwell Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

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

Fritwell Church of England Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Fritwell Church of England Primary School have?

Fritwell Church of England Primary School has 154 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fritwell Church of England Primary School cover?

Fritwell Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Fritwell Church of England Primary School?

Fritwell Church of England Primary School is at East Street, Fritwell, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX27 7PX.