Lord Williams's School
104%
Capacity
2,290
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About Lord Williams's School
Lord Williams's School holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a step down from the Outstanding grade it received in its previous inspection in 2011. The school's Progress 8 score, which measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and their GCSEs, sits at 0.06. This is above the Oxfordshire local authority average of -0.07, meaning pupils here make slightly better progress than the typical student in the county. The score is classified as 'Average' nationally, placing the school 19th out of 46 similar schools in the local authority. In the South East region, it ranks 214th out of 461 schools, and nationally it sits at 1,393rd out of 3,141 schools. The Attainment 8 score, which reflects the average grade achieved across eight key subjects, is 48.4, and 74.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths.
At GCSE level, the school's EBacc average point score is 4.2, with 24.3% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects and 18.3% achieving a grade 4 or above in it. The school's performance in individual Progress 8 measures shows English at 0.1, open subjects at 0.08, and maths at -0.06, indicating slightly weaker progress in maths. In the sixth form, the school has 255 students and a value-added score of -0.09, which is classified as 'Below average'. The average points per entry is 30.06, equating to a grade C, and the best three A-levels average grade is also a C, with a points score of 30.47. Only 7.9% of sixth form students achieved grades AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects. The school's Progress 8 banding is 'Average', and it ranks 8th out of 11 schools in the South Oxfordshire area.
The school is oversubscribed, with 562 applications for 335 places in the 2025/26 academic year, a ratio of 1.68 applicants per place. Of the 314 first-preference applications, 308 were offered places. Lord Williams's is a large secondary with 2,290 pupils, exceeding its capacity of 2,197. It offers a wide range of facilities including science labs, art studios, a sports hall, a theatre, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision includes netball, hockey, gymnastics, and martial arts, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to Model UN and Young Enterprise. The school has a substantial SEND department, with provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs, as well as a resourced provision. This is a good-fit school for families in South Oxfordshire who want a large, comprehensive secondary with a sixth form, strong GCSE results above the local average, and a broad range of extracurricular activities.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Oxford Road, Thame, South Oxfordshire, OX9 2AQ |
| Headteacher | Neil Dimbleby |
| Local Authority | Oxfordshire |
| Number of Pupils | 2,290 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 14.3% |
| School Capacity | 2,290 / 2,197 (104% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
17 May 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 7 Jul 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.06)
1393rd of 3,141
Nationally
214th of 461
In South East
8th of 11
In South Oxfordshire
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
36.7
'22/23
31.1
'23/24
30.1
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
2022/2368%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 320 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)68%
- FE college16%
- Not sustained5%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment3%
95% 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: 250 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
17%
Russell Group
17%
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%
- Employment29%
- Not sustained9%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Further education3%
- Other education2%
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- Psychology83
- History57
- Biology53
- Business Studies:Single42
- Economics40
- Physical Education / Sports Studies32
- Geography30
- Mathematics30
- Sociology28
- Government and Politics27
- Chemistry26
- Religious Studies21
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
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed335
562
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
314 families put this school as their 1st choice (56% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:15
Source: lordwilliams.oxon.sch.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 British82.0%
- White (other)6.5%
- Mixed4.8%
- Asian3.2%
- Black0.3%
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Lord Williams's 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
Oxford Road, Thame
South Oxfordshire, OX9 2AQ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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