Campaign
Education
Every child in Banbury Grimsbury & Castle deserves a great education. Paul-Austin works with schools, parents, and Oxfordshire County Council to ensure that the four primary schools in the electoral division are well-resourced, well-maintained, and able to give every pupil the best possible start in life.
Oxfordshire County Council's role
What the county council is responsible for
Oxfordshire County Council is the local education authority (LEA) for Banbury. As LEA, it holds responsibility for school places, the Dedicated Schools Grant, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision, school transport, and the maintenance of community school buildings.
The County Council also oversees school admissions for community and voluntary-controlled schools, coordinates the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process for children with SEND, and works with the Regional Director to monitor school performance and intervene where standards fall short.
Paul-Austin uses his position on the County Council to scrutinise these functions, ask questions in full council, and ensure that Banbury's schools are not overlooked in favour of larger towns and cities elsewhere in the county.
Banbury Grimsbury & Castle
Schools in the electoral division
St Leonard's C of E Primary School
A Church of England primary is directly supported by Oxfordshire County Council serving the heart of Grimsbury. St Leonard's has a strong tradition of community involvement and pastoral care. Paul-Austin is committed to ensuring the school has the resources and support it needs from Oxfordshire County Council.
St Mary's C of E Primary School
St Mary's is an academy school and a part of Oxford Diocesan Trust - a multi-academy trust serving church and community schools across the diocese of Oxford. The school provides a nurturing environment for children across the electoral division. Paul-Austin advocates for adequate funding, well-maintained buildings, and strong links between the school and the wider Banbury community.
Dashwood Academy
Dashwood Academy is part of Aspirations Academy Trust serves a diverse and vibrant community in central Grimsbury. Paul-Austin supports the academy's ambitions to raise attainment and broaden opportunities for every pupil.
Hillview Primary School
Hillview Primary is part of the United Learning Trust and plays a valued part in the Ruscote estate neighbourhood. Paul-Austin champions the school's needs at county level, including safe routes to school, adequate SEND provision, and fair per-pupil funding allocations.
Paul-Austin's priorities
What he is working on
Fair funding for every school
Oxfordshire's schools face real-terms funding pressures. Paul-Austin pushes the County Council to ensure that schools in Banbury Grimsbury & Castle receive their fair share of the Dedicated Schools Grant and that no child's education suffers because of where they live.
SEND provision and inclusion
Children with special educational needs and disabilities deserve timely, high-quality support. Paul-Austin scrutinises the County Council's SEND strategy and advocates for shorter waiting times, better Education, Health and Care Plans, and genuinely inclusive classrooms.
School buildings and infrastructure
Well-maintained, fit-for-purpose buildings matter for learning. Paul-Austin holds the County Council and academies to account on the condition of school buildings across the division and presses for capital investment where it is most needed.
Post-16 pathways and skills
Oxfordshire County Council promotes a post 16 pathway which Paul-Austin supports. We need strong links between Banbury's schools, Banbury & Bicester College, and local employers so that young people can access the apprenticeships, vocational routes, and higher education pathways that suit them.
Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs)
Oxfordshire County Council has a statutory duty to track and support all 16 and 17 year olds who are not in education, employment or training. The council's Participation and NEET team works to identify young people at risk of becoming NEET and to connect them with appropriate provision before they disengage entirely.
The county council offers a structured pathway back into learning or work. This includes one-to-one key worker support, referrals to Banbury & Bicester College's foundation and vocational programmes, access to supported internships and traineeships with local employers, and links to the National Careers Service for impartial guidance on next steps.
The council also commissions provision through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and works with voluntary sector partners to address the wider barriers — including mental health, housing instability, and caring responsibilities — that can prevent young people from participating in education or work.
Paul-Austin believes that no young person in Banbury Grimsbury & Castle should be left without a clear route forward at 16. He scrutinises the county council's NEET figures for the division, presses for adequate resourcing of the Participation team, and supports efforts to ensure that post-16 provision in Banbury is genuinely accessible — not just on paper.
Get in touch
Concerns about a school in the division?
If you are a parent, carer, teacher, or governor with concerns about education provision in Banbury Grimsbury & Castle — whether about funding, SEND support, school buildings, or anything else — Paul-Austin wants to hear from you.
Contact Paul-Austin