St. Mary’s has a long and varied history. The school was built in 1896 and opened in January 1897. Albert Brassey of Heythrop Park gave money for the erection of a new stone built National School for girls and Infants on Burford Road (which is now The Ace Centre Nursery) and a new British School for 160 boys at The Green (now St. Mary’s).

Oxfordshire County Council took over the British School for Boys in 1909 and it continued as a boys’ school until 1935. It then changed from being a boys’ school to become a practical instruction centre in which boys were taught woodwork. In 1943 The Green was then converted again to a senior school for boys. Five years later, it became a secondary modern school, for both girls and boys until 1964 when it became a new Church of England Primary School for mixed pupils. It then became known as St. Mary’s Church of England Primary School and has remained a primary school ever since.