Larkmead School
89%
Capacity
940
Pupils
2.8x
Demand
About Larkmead School
Larkmead School sits within Oxfordshire, a local authority where four secondary schools currently hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The school itself is ranked 21st out of 46 same-type schools across the county, placing it comfortably in the middle of the pack. Among its top-performing local peers are The Cherwell School, Didcot Girls' School, and Bartholomew School, all of which post higher ranking scores. Larkmead is a mixed, state secondary for pupils aged 11 to 18, with a current roll of 940 students against a capacity of 1060. Its most recent graded inspection, back in 2015, rated the school Good overall, and an ungraded inspection in March 2024 confirmed it remains Good. That ungraded visit gave the sixth form a Good rating too, and leadership and management were also judged Good. The school has clearly improved since its 2013 inspection, which rated it Requires Improvement.
Academically, Larkmead's results paint a picture of a school that does solid, if not spectacular, work. Its Progress 8 score for 2023/24 is 0.02, which is exactly in line with the national average and notably above the Oxfordshire local authority average of -0.07. The Attainment 8 score sits at 44.1, and just over half of pupils (53.4%) achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. English is a relative strength, with a Progress 8 score of 0.22, while maths is slightly below average at -0.1. The EBacc entry rate is 27.3%, and 14.9% of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 5 or above. At A-level, the picture is more mixed: the school's value-added score is -0.24, which is classed as below average, and the average points per entry is 29.62, equivalent to a grade C. Only 4.7% of entries were at AAB or higher.
Larkmead is a popular school and was oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 489 applications for 172 places and 188 first-preference applications. It offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, tennis courts, art studios, music rooms, a sports hall, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision is strong, with rowing, swimming, badminton, dance, football, tennis, gymnastics, rugby, and cross country all on offer. There is also a wide selection of clubs, from drama and choir to coding, Model UN, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The school supports a range of SEND needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 20.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, Larkmead serves a diverse intake and is a good fit for families seeking a secondary with a strong sixth form and a clear focus on steady improvement.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Faringdon Road, Abingdon, Vale of White Horse, OX14 1RF |
| Headteacher | Jonathan Dennett |
| Local Authority | Oxfordshire |
| Number of Pupils | 940 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 20.5% |
| School Capacity | 940 / 1,060 (89% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
27 Mar 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (27 Mar 2024): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 2 Mar 2015. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.02)
1470th of 3,141
Nationally
226th of 461
In South East
3rd 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
36.9
'22/23
28.9
'23/24
29.6
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
2022/2338%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 140 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)38%
- FE college37%
- Employment9%
- Not sustained8%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Sixth form college1%
91% 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: 60 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
37%
Russell Group
30%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
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%
- Employment28%
- Apprenticeship12%
- Further education2%
- Not sustained2%
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- Biology16
- Psychology16
- Economics13
- History13
- Mathematics13
- Sociology13
- Business Studies:Single11
- English Literature9
- Media/Film/Tv Studies9
- Chemistry8
- English Language6
- Physics5
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
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed172
489
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
188 families put this school as their 1st choice (38% 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%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British75.7%
- Mixed5.8%
- White (other)5.5%
- Asian5.5%
- Black0.9%
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.
8
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
4
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Larkmead School
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
Faringdon Road, Abingdon
Vale of White Horse, OX14 1RF
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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