‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ schools in Oxfordshire have seen a 25% improvement from their students from 2012 to 2016, with 84% of the county’s pupils attending either Good or Outstanding schools in 2016, according to Ofsted’s annual report. Following suit is St Edburg’s Church of England primary school in Kingsmere, Bicester, recently receiving a rating of ‘Good’ in their latest Ofsted report.
St Edburg’s is the oldest and only Church of England school in Bicester. The school relocated to the new Kingsmere development by Countryside Properties (Bicester) Ltd a year ago, allowing it to double in size. Pupils now enjoy a larger building which accommodates smaller class sizes, state-of-the-art facilities including outdoor learning spaces, a multi-use games area, sports pitches, sensory garden and nursery play area.
Kingsmere is swiftly evolving into an established family-friendly community, with first class facilities, which include a further primary school and a new secondary school, as well as unbeatable transport connections. The development offers a selection of new homes ideal for families, from two bedroom terraced homes, to three-storey townhouses, and executive detached houses.
Andrew Carrington, Director, Countryside Properties (Bicester) Ltd comments: “Providing the best education for Kingsmere’s younger residents was of vital importance, therefore we’re delighted that the newly-expanded St Edburg’s primary school has improved its rating since moving to Kingsmere. St Edburg’s is the first of three new schools planned on site at Kingsmere, including proposals for a new 600-place secondary school. When completed, the schools at Kingsmere will provide quality education for students at primary school age right up to secondary, allowing students to learn within a safe and friendly community, just a stone’s throw away from their home.”
Margaret Kunzer, Headteacher at St Edburgs primary school said: “The new Ofsted rating was such great news and really made our first anniversary in the school a celebration. The report detailed good aspects in sectors such as friendship and respect which was excellent to see. This rise in rating recognises the hard work that has been done – that includes parents, children, staff and governors.
“It was our goal to embrace the change in location and clearly this has worked. It is really exciting being on the Kingsmere site and within Bicester itself during a time of transformation and growth.”
As well as superb educational offerings, Kingsmere will offer extensive sports facilities with a new Sports Village under construction that will support numerous sporting activities including football, rugby, cricket, cycling and tennis. Kingsmere already boasts acres of recreational space and play areas for young residents to enjoy. A new village centre, and youth centre is also planned, providing residents with essential day-to-day facilities including a convenience store and local shops, as well as a place for people to meet, socialise and relax. Meanwhile vibrant Oxford and its wealth of amenities and leisure attractions ideal for family days out, is just a short drive away.
Working parents can enjoy spending more time at home with their children, thanks to superb connections that cut down commuting times. Just 12 miles from Oxford city centre, and 3 miles from the M40, Kingsmere benefits from excellent road, rail and public transport connections. Bicester Village and Bicester North railway stations are a convenient walk from home offering trains to Oxford in approximately 10 minutes and London Marylebone in 46 minutes. Regular bus services to Bicester and Oxford run directly through Kingsmere and a Park and Ride on the edge of the development also offers a frequent, direct service to Oxford and Bicester town centres.
