MUSEUMS, libraries and 'outstanding' schools have seen Oxford named one of the best cities in the UK to be a primary school pupil.
Despite concerns of a squeeze on school budgets, research conducted by retailer and parenting blog Play Like Mum placed the city third out of 43 towns and cities in England.
The research tallied the number of museums, libraries, soft play areas and ‘outstanding’ schools per 10,000 people.
It took data from local authorities, review and directory company Yelp and website Day out with Kids as well as information from education standards watchdog Ofsted.
Norwich scored the highest across the country, followed by Cambridge in second place.
Windmill Primary School headteacher Lynn Knapp welcomed the results and said it showed a good breadth of facilities for school children.
The Headington school head said: “I think it is a good reflection on Oxford. There are so many museums here which are really high quality.
“It does make it a really good place to be and they are also all so close.”
“Generally the standard of teaching and learning in Oxford is good."
According to the research – which was carried out in partnership with marketing firm Digitalof – in Oxford there are 0.728 parks per 10,000 people and 0.510 libraries.
There are also 0.437 soft play areas and 0.655 museums the city has the second highest number of schools rated outstanding by Ofsted, at 2.694 per 10,000 pupils.
But Helen Brockett of the Fair Funding For All Schools Oxfordshire campaign group said the rankings did not tell the whole story.
The group said recently that a proposed new funding formula could costs schools in the county nearly £30m by 2019 and would cost 704 teaching jobs.
Mrs Brockett, a mum-of-one from Abingdon, said: “I do agree that there are facilities in and around the city of Oxford, there are amazing museums and there are some really good schools and fantastic teachers doing a really great job.
"However schools are facing a funding crisis at the moment, even with all of the pledges from all the different parties ahead of the election.
"Each school is going through budget cuts and having to wrangle budgets.
"We know teachers are leaving and sometimes not being replaced in some subject areas.
"So I don't think that the research has taken everything into account."
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