North Leigh Church of England School
Park Road, North Leigh, Witney, OX29 6SS
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- OXFORD DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Ben McPherson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oxford
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Oxford
- Constituency
- Bicester and Woodstock
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 154
- URN
- 142152
- Local authority
- Oxfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01993881525
About this school
North Leigh Church of England School is a Church of England primary academy in Witney. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 154 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 29 | 29 | 19 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 76% | 76% | 79% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 10% | 17% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 97% | 97% | 95% |
| Expected standard in maths | 93% | 86% | 95% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 79% | 69% | 79% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 108.0 | 108.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 108.0 | 108.0 | 107.0 |
| Reading progress | +3.00 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -0.10 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +3.70 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How North Leigh Church of England School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Oxfordshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 76% | 58.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 76% | 59.6% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 79% | 60.8% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 181 |
| 2023/24 | 169 |
| 2024/25 | 162 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How North Leigh Church of England School compares
North Leigh Church of England School ranked 34th of 228 primary schools in Oxfordshire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 86% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 76% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 79% | 4.4% | 17.9% | 154 | — |
| Freeland Church of England Primary School | 83% | 4.6% | 1.8% | 131 | 1.4 miles |
| Madley Brook Community Primary School | 65% | 3.4% | 9.3% | 221 | 1.9 miles |
| Hanborough Manor CofE School | 58% | 6.7% | 15% | 180 | 2.1 miles |
| Hailey Church of England Primary School | 71% | 4.4% | 7% | 89 | 2.1 miles |
| Witney Community Primary School | 83% | 5.3% | 21.1% | 232 | 2.2 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 17.9%
- English as an additional language
- 3.1%
- Overall absence
- 4.35%
- Persistent absence
- 8.39%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Freeland Church of England Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · Witney
-
Madley Brook Community Primary School1.9 miles
Primary · Witney
-
Hanborough Manor CofE School2.1 miles
Primary · Witney
-
Hailey Church of England Primary School2.1 miles
Primary · Witney
-
Witney Community Primary School2.2 miles
Primary · Witney
Other schools in Witney
North Leigh Church of England School ranks 8th of the 19 ranked primary schools in Witney.
- Combe CofE Primary School Primary
- Ducklington Primary School Primary
- Eynsham Community Primary School Primary
- Freeland Church of England Primary School Primary
- Hailey Church of England Primary School Primary
- Hanborough Manor CofE School Primary
- Leafield Church of England Primary School Primary
- Madley Brook Community Primary School Primary
- Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney Primary
- Queen Emma's Primary School Primary
- St Kenelm's Church of England (VC) School Primary
- St Mary's Church of England Infant School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does North Leigh Church of England School teach?
- North Leigh Church of England School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Witney.
- Who is the headteacher of North Leigh Church of England School?
- The headteacher of North Leigh Church of England School is Mr Ben McPherson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was North Leigh Church of England School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected North Leigh Church of England School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is North Leigh Church of England School?
- North Leigh Church of England School has 154 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is North Leigh Church of England School full?
- North Leigh Church of England School has capacity for 210 pupils and 154 on roll (73%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is North Leigh Church of England School a faith school?
- Yes. North Leigh Church of England School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Oxford.
- Does North Leigh Church of England School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records North Leigh Church of England School as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs North Leigh Church of England School?
- North Leigh Church of England School is part of OXFORD DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have North Leigh Church of England School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 76% in 2022/23 and 79% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does North Leigh Church of England School rank locally?
- North Leigh Church of England School ranked 34th of 228 primary schools in Oxfordshire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 86% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 76% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is North Leigh Church of England School's absence rate?
- North Leigh Church of England School's overall absence rate is 4.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are North Leigh Church of England School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, North Leigh Church of England School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 2 July 2026.