North Oxfordshire Academy

North Oxfordshire Academy is performing well as a good school, providing a safe and inclusive environment where pupils feel valued and supported. The staff are dedicated to meeting the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school offers a broad curriculum that combines academic and vocational courses and has a strong commitment to pupil well-being and personal development. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive, contributing to an orderly and respectful school culture. Although the school has notable strengths, including effective teaching and strong career education, there are areas for improvement. The absence of a full computing course means that not all aspects of programming are taught. Additionally, there is a need for more opportunities for high-achieving pupils to engage in complex problem-solving activities. Leaders are aware of these areas and are implementing strategies to address them, aiming to enhance the overall educational experience for all students.

Strengths

• Strong commitment to pupil well-being and inclusion
• Well-organized and ambitious curriculum
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Dedicated and knowledgeable staff
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils
• Wide range of extra-curricular opportunities
• Strong careers education and links with employers
• High expectations of behavior and effective management of conduct

Areas for Improvement

• Currently does not offer a full computing course
• Insufficient opportunities for most-able pupils to tackle complex questions
• A significant minority of pupils leave during key stages 3 and 4

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at North Oxfordshire Academy attended 91.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.9% of pupils at North Oxfordshire Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 North Oxfordshire Academy had 20.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.3% of pupils at North Oxfordshire Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 North Oxfordshire Academy received £9,024 and spent £8,781 for each of its 1,024 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £915,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Banbury · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

North Oxfordshire Academy is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• Hill View Primary School Banbury
• Hanwell Fields Community School Banbury
• Campion School Northampton
• Orchard Meadow Primary School Oxford
• Pegasus School Oxford
• Windale Primary School Oxford
• Northampton Academy Northampton
• George Eliot Academy Nuneaton
• Nuneaton Academy Nuneaton
• Hartshill Academy Nuneaton

What is North Oxfordshire Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for North Oxfordshire Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was North Oxfordshire Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

North Oxfordshire Academy was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does North Oxfordshire Academy have?

North Oxfordshire Academy has 1,004 pupils on roll.

What age range does North Oxfordshire Academy cover?

North Oxfordshire Academy for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are North Oxfordshire Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.7, and 49% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is North Oxfordshire Academy?

North Oxfordshire Academy is at Drayton Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 0UD.