Heyford Park School

About Heyford Park School

Heyford Park School is a mixed state secondary in Cherwell, Oxfordshire, that currently educates 655 pupils against a capacity of 840, meaning it has room to grow. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 12.1 per cent, which is broadly in line with the national average for secondary schools. Despite having available places, the school is clearly in demand: for entry in 2025/26, it received 124 applications for just 38 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.26 to one. Of those, 34 were first-preference applications, and 34 first-preference offers were made. This suggests a school that families in the area are actively choosing, even though it is not yet full to the brim. The school serves pupils from age three through to 19, with both a nursery and a sixth form on site, and has no religious character.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023 rated it Good across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This marks a significant turnaround from its previous inspection in November 2019, when it was rated Inadequate overall. At Key Stage 4, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 43.7, and a Progress 8 score of -0.13, which is slightly below the local authority average of -0.07. The school’s Progress 8 banding is classified as Average, and it ranks 4th out of 9 schools in Cherwell on this measure. The proportion of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths was 35.4 per cent, while 66.2 per cent achieved a grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score was 3.82, with 18.5 per cent of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects.

The school offers a solid range of facilities, including science labs, a sixth form centre, a library, a swimming pool, and astro turf and playing fields for sport. Sports on offer include football, netball, swimming, and rowing, while clubs cover drama, Model UN, choir, and debate. SEND provision is broad, with support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families considering this school, the combination of a Good Ofsted rating, a clear improvement trajectory, and strong local demand suggests a school that is settling into a positive rhythm. It is particularly suited to families who value a broad curriculum, inclusive SEND support, and the convenience of an all-through provision from nursery to sixth form.

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