Two schools which provide primary education are set to strengthen their partnership with the youngest learners moving to the infant school site.

St Mary’s CE Infant School and The Batt CE Primary School in Witney have worked increasingly closely since 2015 as both are part of the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, a multi-academy trust of 43 schools across Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

More recently they have shared a joint local governing body and senior leadership team.

From this September reception and year 1 children enrolled at both schools have been learning exclusively at the St Mary’s site on Church Green.

Children at St Mary's CE Infant School in Witney (Image: St Mary's CE Infant School)

The Batt site on Corn Street is now dedicated to children in Years 2-6 with wraparound care and a ‘walking bus’ between St Mary’s and The Batt for families' convenience.

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St Mary's, which has recently refurbished its learning environments, is unique as the only ‘Infant’ school left in West Oxfordshire and has a Witney-wide catchment area.

Executive headteacher of St Mary’s and The Batt School Deborah Seccull said: "St Mary’s is an idyllic site right in the historic centre of Witney, purposely designed for our youngest learners.

"In bringing all our Reception and Year 1 children to St Mary’s we can develop a centre of excellence for early learning, in a really nurturing environment.

"Dedicating The Batt School site to years 2-6 will create more space and enable smaller group learning opportunities there, further developing the high-quality education that The Batt has established over many years."

Both St Mary’s and the Batt schools were praised by Ofsted earlier this year, with reports noting the culture of kindness, ambitious curriculum, and rich extra-curricular and personal development opportunities offered to children.

The schools, which have shared their school communities over many decades, together provide primary education for children in Witney from ages 4-11.

In a statement on its website The Batt School said: "We believe that bringing the earliest education provision to the St Mary’s site, allows us to develop one centre of excellence for early learning within a specialist, well resourced, nurturing and engaging environment and allows for our Year 2 classes to work together in classrooms sharing a dedicated outdoor space, with closer access to the wider primary school environment and opportunities at The Batt site.

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"Bringing all our Reception and KS1 teachers into closer partnership will create professional pairings allowing greater sharing of best practice, develop our consistent approach to curriculum and bring wider opportunities for all of our infant children."

Formal school tours are being held on October 16 and November 20 for families interested in school places for September 2025.

St Mary’s CE Infant School is also inviting the Witney community as well as school families to an open morning on Saturday September 28 from 10.30am-12pm.

The drop-in ‘Weekend Welcome’ event will offer visitors a chance to look around the historic building on Church Green, with refreshments, the opportunity to meet staff and to view the new, upgraded facilities for children.