King Alfred's
80%
Capacity
1,763
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About King Alfred's
King Alfred's sits within the Vale of White Horse in Oxfordshire, a local authority where state secondary schools are generally performing well. The school is ranked 4th out of 8 schools in its immediate borough by Progress 8, placing it in the top half locally. Its closest competitors among the top-performing peers in the wider LA include The Cherwell School, Didcot Girls' School, and Bartholomew School, all of which score higher on the same metric. King Alfred's is a large mixed secondary with a sixth form, currently educating 1,763 pupils against a capacity of 2,205. The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 424 applications for 256 places, with 198 first-preference offers made. This level of demand suggests it is a popular choice for families in the area, even if it doesn't quite match the headline scores of the very top-ranked schools nearby.
Academically, King Alfred's presents a mixed but broadly solid picture. Its Progress 8 score of -0.02 is essentially in line with the national average and slightly above the Oxfordshire LA average of -0.07. The school's Attainment 8 score is 44, and 66.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though this drops to 47.9% at the stronger grade 5 threshold. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was judged as Requires Improvement overall. At sixth form, the picture is stronger: the school's value-added score of 0.17 is rated as Above average, with pupils achieving an average grade of B- per entry. This suggests that students who stay on post-16 tend to make better-than-expected progress.
The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, tennis courts, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision is strong, with rowing, hockey, netball, and athletics among the options. There is also a good selection of clubs, including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and coding. King Alfred's has a comprehensive SEND offer, covering nine categories from dyslexia and autistic spectrum disorder to physical disabilities and speech and language needs. With its large size and oversubscribed intake, the school suits families looking for a well-established, inclusive secondary with a strong sixth form and a broad extracurricular programme. It is a solid, improving option within the Vale of White Horse, particularly for those who value consistency and breadth over the very highest academic rankings.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Portway, Wantage, Vale of White Horse, OX12 9BY |
| Headteacher | Jonathan Smart |
| Local Authority | Oxfordshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,763 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.6% |
| School Capacity | 1,763 / 2,205 (80% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
8 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 (-0.02)
1584th of 3,141
Nationally
247th of 461
In South East
4th 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
38.7
'22/23
36.5
'23/24
35.6
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
2022/2372%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 283 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)72%
- FE college16%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment4%
- Not sustained2%
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
2022/2347%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 158 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
25%
Russell Group
24%
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)47%
- Employment35%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Not sustained6%
- Further education4%
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- Psychology64
- Mathematics40
- English Language30
- Geography30
- Biology29
- English Literature25
- History25
- Sociology24
- Art and Design20
- Business Studies:Single19
- Chemistry16
- Film Studies14
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
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed256
424
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
198 families put this school as their 1st choice (47% 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 half 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 British84.3%
- Mixed4.3%
- White (other)4.0%
- Asian1.3%
- 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.
4
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
3
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.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About King Alfred's
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
Portway, Wantage
Vale of White Horse, OX12 9BY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
