Carterton Community College
82%
Capacity
743
Pupils
1.5x
Demand
About Carterton Community College
Carterton Community College’s headline Progress 8 score of -0.61 sits well below the Oxfordshire local authority average of -0.07, placing it in the bottom half of the county’s 46 state secondaries. That gap is significant: pupils here leave with roughly half a grade less per subject than the typical Oxfordshire student, and the school ranks 36th out of 46 in the LA. The picture is consistent across individual subjects too — English Progress 8 is -0.8, maths is -0.46, and the open element (non-EBacc subjects) is -0.97. Only the EBacc bucket, at -0.32, comes closer to the LA norm. The school’s overall Progress 8 banding is officially ‘Well below average’, and it sits at the bottom of West Oxfordshire’s six secondaries. That said, the school is not without recent improvement: its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 upgraded it from Requires Improvement to Good across all five graded categories, including behaviour, personal development and leadership.
At KS4, attainment is modest. The Attainment 8 score is 35.8, and just 41.3% of pupils achieve a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 94 measure), dropping to 21.2% at grade 5 or above. EBacc entry is low at 20.2%, and only 7.7% of pupils achieve the EBacc at grade 4 or above. The EBacc average points score is 3.2. In the sixth form, the picture is similarly challenging: with just 27 pupils, the value added score is -0.6, banded as ‘Below average’, and the average points per entry grade is D-. The best three A-levels average out at a D grade. These are not strong headline numbers, and parents comparing against the LA average will see a school that is significantly behind the curve on academic outcomes. However, the Ofsted upgrade suggests that leadership and behaviour are now on a firmer footing than they were in 2018.
On the practical side, Carterton Community College is a mixed 11-18 comprehensive with 743 pupils against a capacity of 909, so there is some room. It was oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 185 applications for 121 places and 111 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.53. The school has a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, gymnasium, tennis courts, art studios and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include football, netball, rugby, basketball, martial arts and dance, while clubs range from Model UN and Debate to DofE, Young Enterprise and gardening. SEND provision covers eight categories including dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. With 19.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake. This is a school that suits families who value the recent Ofsted improvements and the breadth of extracurricular offer, but who are realistic about the academic starting point and the distance still to travel.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Upavon Way, Carterton, West Oxfordshire, OX18 1BU |
| Headteacher | Matthew Maudsley |
| Local Authority | Oxfordshire |
| Number of Pupils | 743 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.4% |
| School Capacity | 743 / 909 (82% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
2 Mar 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 5 May 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.61)
2744th of 3,141
Nationally
394th of 461
In South East
6th of 6
In West Oxfordshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
18.9
'22/23
21.6
'23/24
18.3
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2331%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 96 pupils).
- FE college48%
- School sixth form (stay)31%
- Sixth form college7%
- Employment6%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Not sustained3%
97% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2324%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 21 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
5%
Russell Group
10%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- Employment67%
- University (HE)24%
- Apprenticeship5%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology10
- Religious Studies6
- Biology5
- English Language and Literature5
- Film Studies4
- Art and Design (Graphics)3
- Environmental Science3
- History3
- Mathematics3
- Physics3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed121
185
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
111 families put this school as their 1st choice (60% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British84.4%
- White (other)4.3%
- Mixed3.7%
- Asian0.8%
- Black0.5%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
6
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
5
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Carterton Community College
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Upavon Way, Carterton
West Oxfordshire, OX18 1BU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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