Dashwood Banbury Academy

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 2 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Merton Street, Banbury, OX16 4RXOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Dashwood Banbury Academy is a primary school in Banbury for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 359 schools in Oxfordshire. It ranks 13th of 32 primary schools in Banbury. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2014.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 14 January 2014, report published 5 February 2014

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 June 2023

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They describe feeling like they can be themselves here. Pupils are taught about the diversity of their local community. They are eager to talk about what makes each of their friends unique, and say that pupils being different 'makes life more interesting'. The school's values of 'ready, respectful, safe' are appreciated and understood by all. Pupils confidently strive to live up to leaders' high expectations. This is evident in the calm behaviour across the school. Pupils feel safe and say that bullying is very unusual. They know what to do if they are worried. Pupils are positive about their learning because they trust adults to support them. This includes when they find a particular skill more difficult to grasp. Pupils take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. This includes enriching trips, sporting events and musical performances. Older pupils can fondly recollect Year 5 marshmallow toasting and football tournaments with other schools. These activities create positive memories for pupils as they move through the school. These shared experiences create a bond between pupils of different ages. This leads to pupils feeling happy, secure and keen to learn.

What the school should improve

  • In some foundation subjects, staff do not yet have the subject knowledge they need to deliver the curriculum as confidently as in the core subjects. Because of this, not all pupils get the support they need to learn as much as they could. Leaders should continue to develop staff subject knowledge so they can deliver all subjects with confidence.
  • Teachers do not consistently check what pupils know and remember in some of the foundation subjects. This means that learning is not always carefully adapted to help pupils build their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the training and support they need to support pupils' achievement across all subject areas.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

57 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths68%

68%, 6 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths9%

9%, 1 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score104

104, 2 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score104

104, 1 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score104

104, 1 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

456 pupils on roll, with places for 466

Eligible for free school meals20.2%

20.2%, 6.3 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language38.6%

38.6%, 17 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support11.8%

11.8%, 3 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.5%

3.5%, 2.5 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Dashwood Banbury Academy

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
St Leonard's Church of England Primary School0.2 milesReport card: Needs attention to strong standard44% met the expected standard
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Banbury0.7 milesOfsted: Good47% met the expected standard
St John's Priory School0.8 milesNo Ofsted inspectionNot published
St John's Catholic Primary School0.8 milesOfsted: Good43% met the expected standard
Harriers Banbury Academy0.9 milesOfsted: Good60% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
ASPIRATIONS ACADEMIES TRUST
Age range
2 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mrs Sarah Gordon-Weeks
Address
Merton Street, Banbury, OX16 4RX
Local authority
Oxfordshire
URN
138501

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.