Prince William School
97%
Capacity
1,354
Pupils
1.5x
Demand
About Prince William School
Prince William School is a large mixed secondary and sixth form in North Northamptonshire, currently home to 1,354 pupils against a capacity of 1,400. That near-full roll is no accident: for the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 337 applications for 225 places, with 229 of those applicants listing it as their first preference. The oversubscription ratio sits at 1.5, and 217 first-preference offers were made, signalling strong local demand. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 14.7 per cent, which is above the national average for secondary schools and suggests the school serves a genuinely mixed catchment. The headteacher is Anna Hewes, and the school has no religious character. It is a state-funded secondary for ages 11 to 18, and it does not offer boarding or nursery provision.
Academically, Prince William School is performing well above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.41 is rated ‘Above average’ and places it 4th out of 20 secondary schools in North Northamptonshire, comfortably in the top 25 per cent nationally. For context, the local authority average Progress 8 is -0.02, so pupils here make significantly more progress than peers in similar schools across the area. Attainment 8 sits at 49.2, and 75.8 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the school’s value-added score is 0.23, also rated ‘Above average’, with an average points per entry of 35.1 (equivalent to a B- grade). The best three A-levels average out at a C+. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2020, the school was rated Good overall, with Good in every category including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. An ungraded inspection in 2025 confirmed the school had improved significantly since then.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include basketball, hockey, athletics, swimming, and dance, while clubs range from Model UN and Young Enterprise to coding and debate. 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 impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 173 respondents are largely positive: 90 per cent would recommend the school, 89 per cent agree or strongly agree their child is happy, and 92 per cent agree or strongly agree their child feels safe. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying should be prepared for a competitive process. It suits families who want a large, well-established secondary with strong academic progress, a proper sixth form, and a wide range of extracurricular and SEND support.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Herne Road, Oundle, North Northamptonshire, PE8 4BS |
| Headteacher | Anna Hewes |
| Local Authority | North Northamptonshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,354 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 14.7% |
| School Capacity | 1,354 / 1,400 (97% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
30 Apr 2025Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (30 Apr 2025): Improved significantly
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 1 Mar 2020. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.41)
639th of 3,141
Nationally
39th of 273
In East Midlands
4th of 20
In North Northamptonshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
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
36.0
'23/24
35.1
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
2022/2353%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 193 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)53%
- FE college28%
- Not sustained6%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Employment5%
- Sixth form college1%
93% 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
2022/2354%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 91 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
21%
Russell Group
31%
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)54%
- Employment26%
- Not sustained8%
- Apprenticeship3%
- Further education1%
- Other education1%
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- Psychology34
- History29
- Mathematics22
- Sociology15
- Biology12
- Business Studies:Single12
- Chemistry12
- Physics12
- Economics10
- Computer Studies / Computing9
- Geography9
- Government and Politics9
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.
Ofsted Parent View
173 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed225
337
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
229 families put this school as their 1st choice (68% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
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 British76.2%
- White (other)7.7%
- Mixed4.7%
- Black2.1%
- Asian1.5%
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
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half 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.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given 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.
1
Total schools
1
Oversubscribed
0
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 Prince William 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
Herne Road, Oundle
North Northamptonshire, PE8 4BS
Herne Road, Oundle
North Northamptonshire, PE8 4BS
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