Dashwood Banbury Academy

Cherwell · OX16 4RX

General information Primary School · 2-11 years Who goes here 456 pupils, 22.3% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 11.8% on SEN support Behaviour 6.7% absence rate Staff 14.7% turnover Financials £5,483 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Dashwood Banbury Academy

General Information

Address: Merton Street, Banbury, OX16 4RX – View on map
Phone: 01295263240
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Sarah Gordon-Weeks
Age range: 2-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 50 families put it first for 54 places – 9 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 9
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: None
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

456 pupils out of 466 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 92
% eligible for free school meals: 22.3%
Pupil mix: 8 in 10 (more mixed than the Cherwell average)
English as an additional language: 39% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 14.7% a year (Cherwell 14.8%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 38% moved to another school, 62% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Oxfordshire: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 9 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 18 (0.3 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 2 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Oxfordshire (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 6.7%
Persistently absent pupils: 21.1%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 11.8%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 3.5%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 16 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 13 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 11 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 4 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 3 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Autistic spectrum disorder: 8 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 4 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 2 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 2 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 68% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 9% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 6 percentage points above the Cherwell average (62%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (3-year average 69% against an expected 66%)
3-year average (expected standard): 69%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 74% · Writing 79% · Maths 74% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 72%
Average test scores: reading 104, maths 104
Based on: 57 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolCherwell averageEngland↗ Improving Up 7 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 6 percentage points above the Cherwell average (62%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 19th of 49 junior and primary schools in the area

=16Hornton Primary School69%
=16Wroxton Church of England Primary School69%
=19Dashwood Banbury Academy68%
=19Heyford Park School68%
=21Fringford Church of England Primary School67%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Cropredy Church of England Primary School91%
#2The Grange Community Primary School89%
#3Finmere Church of England Primary School88%
#4Fritwell Church of England Primary School86%
#5Dr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary School83%
=6Dr South's Church of England Primary School82%
=6Orchard Fields Community School82%
#8St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington81%
#9West Kidlington Primary and Nursery School76%
=10Deddington Church of England Primary School75%
=10Launton Church of England Primary School75%
#12Queensway School74%
=13Hook Norton Church of England Primary School71%
=13William Morris Primary School71%
#15Hardwick Primary School and Nursery70%
=16Bure Park Primary School69%
=16Hornton Primary School69%
=16Wroxton Church of England Primary School69%
=19Dashwood Banbury Academy68%
=19Heyford Park School68%
=21Fringford Church of England Primary School67%
=21Shenington Church of England Primary School67%
=21Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School67%
#24Longford Park Primary School65%
#25St Edburg's Church of England (VA) School64%
#26Chesterton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School63%
=27Harriers Banbury Academy60%
=27King's Meadow Primary School60%
=27Southwold Primary School60%
=30Brookside Primary School58%
=30Christopher Rawlins Church of England Primary School58%
=30William Fletcher Primary School58%
=33Bletchingdon Parochial Church of England Primary School56%
=33Hill View Primary School56%
#35Glory Farm Primary School55%
#36North Kidlington Primary School54%
#37Langford Village Community Primary School52%
#38Bishop Loveday Church of England Primary School51%
=39Bloxham Church of England Primary School50%
=39Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School50%
=39St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Banbury50%
#42Hanwell Fields Community School48%
=43Gagle Brook Primary School47%
=43Longfields Primary and Nursery School47%
=43St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Banbury47%
#46Five Acres Primary School45%
#47St Leonard's Church of England Primary School44%
=48Bishop Carpenter Church of England Primary School43%
=48St John's Catholic Primary School43%

View full Ofsted inspection report

10th of 45 primary schools in Cherwell for Ofsted rating

#8Chesterton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#9Christopher Rawlins Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#10Dashwood Banbury AcademyGood
#11Dr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#12Dr South's Church of England Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Cherry Fields Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2William Morris Primary SchoolOutstanding
#3Bishop Carpenter Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#4Bletchingdon Parochial Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#5Brookside Primary SchoolGood
#6Bure Park Primary SchoolGood
#7Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#8Chesterton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#9Christopher Rawlins Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#10Dashwood Banbury AcademyGood
#11Dr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#12Dr South's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#13Edward Feild Primary SchoolGood
#14Finmere Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#15Five Acres Primary SchoolGood
#16Fringford Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#17Fritwell Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#18Gagle Brook Primary SchoolGood
#19Glory Farm Primary SchoolGood
#20Hardwick Primary School and NurseryGood
#21Harriers Banbury AcademyGood
#22Hill View Primary SchoolGood
#23Hook Norton Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#24Hornton Primary SchoolGood
#25King's Meadow Primary SchoolGood
#26Kirtlington Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#27Langford Village Community Primary SchoolGood
#28Longfields Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#29North Kidlington Primary SchoolGood
#30Orchard Fields Community SchoolGood
#31Queensway SchoolGood
#32Shenington Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#33Sibford Gower Endowed Primary SchoolGood
#34Southwold Primary SchoolGood
#35St Edburg's Church of England (VA) SchoolGood
#36St John's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#37St Mary's Catholic Primary School, BicesterGood
#38St Mary's Church of England Primary School, BanburyGood
#39St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, KidlingtonGood
#40The Grange Community Primary SchoolGood
#41West Kidlington Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#42William Fletcher Primary SchoolGood
#43Wroxton Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#44Cropredy Church of England Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#45Launton Church of England Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £5,483 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

49th of 53 primary schools in Cherwell for spending per pupil

#47Christopher Rawlins Church of England Primary School£5,619
#48St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington£5,496
#49Dashwood Banbury Academy£5,483
#50Glory Farm Primary School£5,459
#51St John's Catholic Primary School£5,417

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Finmere Church of England Primary School£10,147
#2Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School£9,470
#3Graven Hill Primary School£9,448
#4Wroxton Church of England Primary School£9,412
#5Bletchingdon Parochial Church of England Primary School£8,941
#6Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School£8,535
#7Dr South's Church of England Primary School£8,490
#8Fringford Church of England Primary School£8,101
#9Gagle Brook Primary School£8,042
#10Shenington Church of England Primary School£7,839
#11Launton Church of England Primary School£7,662
#12St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Banbury£7,436
#13Orchard Fields Community School£7,402
#14Five Acres Primary School£7,359
#15Hanwell Fields Community School£7,334
#16Fritwell Church of England Primary School£7,213
#17Hook Norton Church of England Primary School£7,144
#18Brookside Primary School£7,137
#19Cherry Fields Primary School£6,988
#20William Morris Primary School£6,802
#21Hornton Primary School£6,791
#22Dr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary School£6,767
#23Cropredy Church of England Primary School£6,765
#24Kirtlington Church of England Primary School£6,760
#25Hill View Primary School£6,722
#26St Edburg's Church of England (VA) School£6,697
#27St Leonard's Church of England Primary School£6,697
#28Bure Park Primary School£6,660
#29William Fletcher Primary School£6,654
#30Bloxham Church of England Primary School£6,647
#31St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Banbury£6,623
#32Longfields Primary and Nursery School£6,600
#33Bishop Carpenter Church of England Primary School£6,535
#34North Kidlington Primary School£6,483
#35King's Meadow Primary School£6,370
#36Chesterton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£6,332
#37Longford Park Primary School£6,264
#38The Grange Community Primary School£6,193
#39Queensway School£6,186
#40Hardwick Primary School and Nursery£6,091
#41Deddington Church of England Primary School£6,019
#42West Kidlington Primary and Nursery School£6,018
#43Southwold Primary School£5,997
#44Langford Village Community Primary School£5,959
#45Harriers Banbury Academy£5,860
#46Bishop Loveday Church of England Primary School£5,679
#47Christopher Rawlins Church of England Primary School£5,619
#48St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington£5,496
#49Dashwood Banbury Academy£5,483
#50Glory Farm Primary School£5,459
#51St John's Catholic Primary School£5,417
#52St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bicester£4,147
#53Edward Feild Primary School£3,570

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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