Faringdon Community College
93%
Capacity
1,436
Pupils
1.3x
Demand
About Faringdon Community College
Faringdon Community College is a large secondary school in the Vale of White Horse that is currently operating close to capacity, with 1,436 pupils against a school capacity of 1,550. The school serves a community where 18.1 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure that sits above the national average for secondary schools and suggests a more diverse intake than some of its local counterparts. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 294 applications for 219 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.34. Of those applicants, 204 listed Faringdon as their first preference, and all of those were offered a place. This level of first-preference demand indicates that the school is a popular choice among local families, and the fact that it is oversubscribed without being heavily selective suggests a broad appeal across the community.
Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated it Good across all five categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This was a consistent performance compared with its previous inspection in 2019, which also rated the school Good overall. At Key Stage 4, pupils achieved a Progress 8 score of 0.03, which is above the local authority average of -0.07 and places the school in the average band nationally. The Attainment 8 score of 46 is solid, and 59.8 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. However, the school’s Progress 8 score in maths was -0.3, indicating that pupils made less progress in this subject compared with the national average. At A-level, the picture is more mixed: the value added score of -0.36 is below average, and the average points per entry of 27.02 equates to a grade of C-.
The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a theatre, and a sixth form centre, which supports its official sixth form provision. Sports on offer include rowing, hockey, netball, and rugby, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to Model UN and Young Enterprise. The school has a comprehensive SEND offer, with provisions for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health support, among others. Faringdon Community College is a good fit for families who want a large, mixed, non-denominational secondary school with a strong sixth form and a broad extracurricular programme, and who are comfortable with a school that is oversubscribed but still accessible to first-preference applicants. Its location in the Vale of White Horse makes it a practical choice for families in and around Faringdon itself.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Fernham Road, Faringdon, Vale of White Horse, SN7 7LB |
| Headteacher | Lisa Barker |
| Local Authority | Oxfordshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,436 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.1% |
| School Capacity | 1,436 / 1,550 (93% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
8 May 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 20 Jun 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.03)
1457th of 3,141
Nationally
224th of 461
In South East
2nd of 8
In Vale of White Horse
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
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
37.9
'22/23
32.5
'23/24
27.0
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
2022/2344%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 231 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)44%
- FE college26%
- Sixth form college15%
- Employment6%
- Apprenticeship3%
- Not sustained3%
94% 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
2022/2357%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 81 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
29%
Russell Group
27%
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.
- University (HE)57%
- Employment21%
- Not sustained10%
- Other education4%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Further education1%
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- Psychology27
- History25
- Biology20
- Economics18
- Geography18
- Business Studies:Single17
- Physics17
- Chemistry15
- Mathematics15
- English Literature13
- Government and Politics10
- Religious Studies10
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
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed219
294
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
204 families put this school as their 1st choice (69% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:10
Source: fccoxon.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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 British78.1%
- Mixed5.2%
- White (other)4.9%
- Asian2.2%
- 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.
3
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
2
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 Faringdon 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
Fernham Road, Faringdon
Vale of White Horse, SN7 7LB
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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