• Demand for primary school places is forecast to grow rapidly in this area due to large scale housing growth around Wantage and Grove, as well as smaller but locally significant developments at East and West Hanney to the north and Stanford in the Vale to the east. To meet this growth a mixture of new and expand primary schools are required.
• Stockham Primary School and the Hendreds Primary school were the only schools to receive more first preferences than places for the year starting 2021/2022.
• Grove CE Primary School is proposed to expand to 2 form entry, subject to the progress of the Monk's Farm development, which is providing additional site area for the school.
• A new primary school (St John's) on Grove Airfield is expected to open in 2023. In the longer term, a secondary school and another new primary school are expected on Grove Airfield.
• Investigations are ongoing into how best to expand Stanford-in-the-Vale Primary School.
• The county council is working with the Vale Academy Trust on a capital project to provide additional accommodation at St Nicholas CE Primary School in East Challow.
• Ahead of the planned new secondary school for Grove Airfield, King Alfred’s Academy has increased its admission number from 310 on a temporary basis to meet the needs of the already growing local population. Once the new school opens, King Alfred’s will revert to its long term admission number, which is broadly in line with the level of demand which would have been required in the absence of housing growth. The academy’s ambitious capital investment programme, through which it has reduced from 3 sites to 2, is based on the academy’s long term capacity, while in the meantime facilitating the temporary expansion. The additional permanent secondary capacity to meet the needs of housing growth will be provided through the new school on Grove Airfield. Additional sixth form places will be provided at King Alfred’s. Given the scale of development now proposed for this area, the secondary provision of the Grove Airfield school is expected to need to grow in due course.

The current position on pupil placement in the area is:

• The Oxfordshire Pupil Place Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26 is available. This is updated at the end of each school year and the latest version is usually released in November. This plan was approved January 2022.