Oasis Academy John Williams

About Oasis Academy John Williams

Oasis Academy John Williams is a mixed state secondary in Bristol, City of, serving 860 pupils against a capacity of 900, so it is very close to full. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 40.7%, which is notably high compared with the national average and signals a community with significant socioeconomic need. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 404 applications for 175 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.31, and made 158 offers to first-preference applicants. This level of competition suggests that local families see the school as a viable option despite its intake profile. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils leave at 16, and it has no religious character. The headteacher is Victoria Boomer-Clark, and the school was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023.

Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score is -0.37, which is below average nationally and ranks it 18th out of 20 schools in the Bristol local authority. This places it in the bottom 50% of schools nationally, at the 76th percentile. The Attainment 8 score is 42.3, and the proportion of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths is 38.7%, compared with 60.6% at grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.59, with only 6.5% of pupils entering the EBacc and achieving a grade 5 or above. In its 2023 Ofsted inspection, the school received Good ratings across all categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is consistent with its previous inspection in 2013, which also rated overall effectiveness as Good, though leadership was Outstanding then.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, tennis courts, and playing fields, plus a chapel. Sports on offer include rowing, martial arts, hockey, and gymnastics, while clubs range from orchestra and chess to gardening and a newspaper club. SEND provision is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families considering this school, the key trade-off is between its strong Ofsted rating and wide-ranging facilities versus academic outcomes that are below the local average. It may suit families who value a well-resourced environment and inclusive SEND support over top-tier exam results, particularly given the high demand for places.

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