Oxford Spires Academy

About Oxford Spires Academy

Oxford Spires Academy stands out sharply against the Oxfordshire average for secondary schools. Its Progress 8 score of 0.53 is well above the local authority average of -0.07, meaning pupils here make significantly more academic progress than their peers across the county. That places the school 3rd out of 7 schools in the city of Oxford and 8th out of 46 similar schools across the whole of Oxfordshire. Nationally, it sits in the top 15% of all schools, ranked 474 out of 3,141. This is a school that clearly adds value, and the data backs that up across the board. The Progress 8 banding is rated 'well above average', and every component — English, maths, the EBacc subjects, and open subjects — is positive. Maths progress is particularly strong at 0.78, while English and EBacc both sit at 0.53. For parents looking at Oxfordshire options, this is a school that consistently outperforms the local benchmark.

At GCSE, 69.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 52.5% reached the higher grade 5 threshold. The Attainment 8 score is 48.8, and the EBacc average point score is 4.41. Just under a third of pupils entered the EBacc, and 24% achieved it at grade 5 or above. The sixth form is a formal part of the school, with 104 students in the most recent data. Here, the picture is more mixed: the average A-level grade is a C, with 30.29 points per entry, but the value added score is -0.16, which is rated 'below average'. That suggests students don't make as much progress in the sixth form as they did at GCSE. The best three A-levels average out at a C grade too. Ofsted inspected the school in November 2023 and rated it Good across all five categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision — a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2013.

The school is significantly oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 500 applications for 211 places, with 223 first-preference applications and 196 first-preference offers. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.37, so it's a popular choice. The school is mixed, non-religious, and serves a diverse intake, with 26.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals — above the national average. Facilities include a theatre, music rooms, art studios, a sixth form centre, a gymnasium, and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, rugby, tennis, athletics, and martial arts, while clubs range from Model UN and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to gardening and science club. SEND provision is broad, covering dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and physical disabilities. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic progress at GCSE and want a large, inclusive comprehensive with a busy extracurricular offer, though the sixth form may not add the same value as the lower school.

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