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Schools in Banbury

A town in Oxfordshire

  • Town
  • 34 schools and nurseries
  • 7,583 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Banbury at a glance

Behind England on attendance

How Banbury's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries3414 primary · 4 secondary · 14 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1162%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths42%Attainment 8 44.7, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary23%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school20%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Banbury

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All Banbury primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Banbury

14 mainstream schools in Banbury, best first

William Morris Primary School

Banbury, OX16 0UZ · Academy · Primary · Ages 2 to 11

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

39 first choices, 30 offers made

Met the standard at 1171%

England 62%

Days missed
5.9%
Pupils
240
Pupils per teacher
24.4
View school William Morris Primary School

Orchard Fields Community School

Banbury, OX16 0QT · State · Primary · Ages 2 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

40 first choices, 41 offers made

Met the standard at 1182%

England 62%

Days missed
6.3%
Pupils
415
Pupils per teacher
20.1
View school Orchard Fields Community School

Top Secondary Schools in Banbury

4 mainstream schools in Banbury, best first

North Oxfordshire Academy

Banbury, OX16 0UD · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • Ofsted:Good

Results close to the England average.

219 first choices, 171 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1647.7

England 46.2

Days missed
8.8%
Pupils
1,004
Pupils per teacher
20.6
View school North Oxfordshire Academy

Futures Institute Banbury

Banbury, OX16 9HY · Studio School · Secondary · Ages 14 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good

Results close to the England average.

Attainment 8 at 1644.5

England 46.2

Days missed
7.4%
Pupils
116
Pupils per teacher
38.7
View school Futures Institute Banbury

Nurseries in Banbury

14 in Banbury, highest Ofsted grade first

Sixth Forms in Banbury

5 in Banbury, by the school's Eduscope score

North Oxfordshire Academy

Banbury, OX16 0UD · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • Ofsted:Good

Results close to the England average.

219 first choices, 171 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1647.7

England 46.2

Days missed
8.8%
Pupils
1,004
Pupils per teacher
20.6
View school North Oxfordshire Academy

Futures Institute Banbury

Banbury, OX16 9HY · Studio School · Secondary · Ages 14 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good

Results close to the England average.

Attainment 8 at 1644.5

England 46.2

Days missed
7.4%
Pupils
116
Pupils per teacher
38.7
View school Futures Institute Banbury

Special Schools in Banbury

1 in Banbury. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Frank Wise School

Banbury, OX16 9RL · Special · All-through · Ages 2 to 19

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
10.3%
Pupils
119
Pupils per teacher
5.8
View school Frank Wise School

Private Schools in Banbury

1 in Banbury. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

St John's Priory School

Banbury, OX16 5HX · Independent · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

  • ISI:Inspected

Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
55
Pupils per teacher
–
View school St John's Priory School
The map

Every school in Banbury, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
Orchard Fields Community School, GoodQueensway School, GoodThe Grange Community Primary School, GoodSt Leonard's Church of England Primary School, Needs attention in 1 areaSt John's Priory School, InspectedFrank Wise School, OutstandingNorth Oxfordshire Academy, GoodHanwell Fields Community School, Good or betterWykham Park, GoodDashwood Banbury Academy, GoodHarriers Banbury Academy, GoodFutures Institute Banbury, GoodBlessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth Form, GoodSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Banbury, Good in every areaWilliam Morris Primary School, OutstandingSt Mary's Church of England Primary School, Banbury, GoodHill View Primary School, Expected standard or betterHardwick Primary School and Nursery, Good or betterSt John's Catholic Primary School, GoodCherry Fields Primary School, OutstandingHobby Horse Children's Centre, GoodGrow Learn Play Project, GoodBanbury School Day Nursery Ltd, GoodSmart Tots Day Nursery, GoodNära Horton, GoodGrimsbury Manor Nursery School, GoodQuackers Day Nursery, GoodChild First Banbury Nursery, Expected standard in every areaNOA's Ark Nursery, GoodThe Sunshine Centre, GoodThe Close Day Nursery School, GoodLittle Dorothys ChildcareSt Mary's Playgroup, GoodChasewell Playgroup, Good
  • Outstanding3
  • Good23
  • Not graded yet8
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

Postcodes

Browse Banbury by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Banbury vs England

How good are Banbury's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Banbury

BanburyEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 9 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    4 of the 4 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    62%

    England 62%

    Close to England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    42%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    20%

    England 18%

    Worse than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    23%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 14 schools that have one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding3
  • Good11
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Banbury in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%60%70%20182019202320242025
62% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap30%40%50%2018201920222023202420252026
42% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
20% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Banbury has 34 schools and nurseries.

There are 8% more pupils than in 2018, but numbers have fallen since 2025.

23% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Banbury's state schools each January.

Up 8% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

Banbury23%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Banbury

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Questions

Questions parents ask about Banbury

How many schools are in Banbury?

Banbury has 34 schools, including 16 primary schools, 5 secondary schools, 14 nurseries, 1 independent school, 1 special school. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Banbury?

The highest-ranked schools in Banbury on Eduscope are The Grange Community Primary School, Blessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth Form, William Morris Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in Banbury are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Banbury hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 3 schools rated Outstanding and 11 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Banbury perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Banbury, 62% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Banbury?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Banbury is 18.5:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in Banbury schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Banbury is 19.8%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in Banbury?

There are 7,583 pupils enrolled across schools in Banbury, with 4,601 in primary and 2,982 in secondary. 23.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How many private schools are in Banbury?

There is 1 independent school in Banbury. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare it on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.

How do I choose the right school in Banbury?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 34 schools in Banbury by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

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