Sarum Academy
68%
Capacity
781
Pupils
1.5x
Demand
About Sarum Academy
Sarum Academy is a Church of England secondary school in Wiltshire that currently educates 781 pupils against a capacity of 1,150, meaning it is operating well below its maximum intake. The proportion of students eligible for free school meals stands at 37.4%, which is significantly higher than the national average and signals a community with considerable socio-economic challenges. Despite this, the school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year: it received 190 applications for 128 places, with 116 of those coming as first preferences. That oversubscription ratio of 1.48 suggests strong local demand, even as the school has room to grow. The headteacher is Toni Hayzen, and the school has a mixed 11–18 intake with an official sixth form.
Academically, Sarum Academy’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 graded it Good overall, with both leadership and management and sixth-form provision also rated Good. This marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2015, when the school was rated Requires Improvement. However, the headline Progress 8 score for Key Stage 4 is -0.62, which is well below the Wiltshire local authority average of -0.01 and places the school 24th out of 26 secondary schools in the county. The Attainment 8 score sits at 34.4, and only 40.7% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the school’s value-added score is -0.41, with an average points per entry of 21.96, equating to a D+ grade. The sixth form is small, with just 19 pupils in the data.
The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a swimming pool, chapel, music rooms, art studios, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision covers rugby, football, hockey, tennis, and martial arts, while clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, and Young Enterprise. Sarum Academy has a comprehensive SEND offer, with provisions for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. For families considering the school, the data shows a community-focused secondary that is popular locally despite academic outcomes that trail the county average. It is not a grammar school or an outstanding-rated school — the nearest outstanding option is Bishop Wordsworth’s Church of England Grammar School, 3.6 km away — but it serves a high-needs intake and has shown improvement in its Ofsted rating.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Westwood Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP2 9HS |
| Headteacher | Toni Hayzen |
| Local Authority | Wiltshire |
| Number of Pupils | 781 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 37.4% |
| School Capacity | 781 / 1,150 (68% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
22 Feb 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (22 Feb 2023): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 9 Nov 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.62)
2761st of 3,141
Nationally
279th of 306
In South West
24th of 26
In Wiltshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less 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
'21/22
24.4
'22/23
22.0
'23/24
22.0
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
2022/2340%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 63 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)40%
- FE college27%
- Not sustained11%
- Employment10%
- Apprenticeship2%
79% 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
2022/2330%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 47 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
6%
Russell Group
6%
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.
- Employment40%
- University (HE)30%
- Not sustained13%
- Further education4%
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- History7
- Art and Design6
- Art and Design (Photography)6
- Design and Technology (Product Design)3
- English Literature3
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
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed128
190
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
116 families put this school as their 1st choice (61% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
After-school care
15:00-16:00
Source: sarumacademy.org. 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British85.7%
- White (other)3.1%
- Asian2.6%
- Mixed2.0%
- Black1.0%
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.
6
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
5
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.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Sarum Academy
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
Westwood Road, Salisbury
Wiltshire, SP2 9HS
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
