Oxford Spires Academy

Oxford Spires Academy is a good school that provides a supportive and inclusive environment for its students, described as a 'beautiful community' by pupils. The school is well-regarded for its ambitious and enriching curriculum that caters to the needs of all learners, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Pupils demonstrate strong engagement with their education and develop good behaviour and attitudes. The leadership is effective, with robust oversight from the Anthem Schools Trust enhancing the school's performance and strategic direction.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive school environment
• Ambitious and enriching curriculum
• Strong teaching with effective assessment practices
• Good support for pupils with SEND
• High expectations for behaviour and safety
• Impressive personal development programme
• Effective leadership with a focus on staff well-being

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent support for sixth-form students
• Disadvantaged pupils have lower attendance rates

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 Oxford Spires Academy attended 89.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.0% 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, 13.9% of pupils at Oxford Spires Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were 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 Oxford Spires Academy had 18.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.5% 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, 19.2% of pupils at Oxford Spires Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.5% 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 Oxford Spires Academy received £7,836 and spent £7,824 for each of its 1,306 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £368,000 (£282 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Anthem Schools Trust, income was £8,162 and spending £8,134 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 Oxford · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

Oxford Spires Academy is part of Anthem Schools Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Abbey Woods Academy Wallingford
• Meadow Park Academy Reading
• All Saints Junior School Reading
• Queensbury Academy Dunstable
• Gladstone Park Primary School London
• Abacus Belsize Primary School London
• St Mark's Church of England Academy Mitcham
• Judith Kerr Primary School London
• The Deepings School Peterborough
• Grampian Primary Academy Derby

What is Oxford Spires Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oxford Spires Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Oxford Spires Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Oxford Spires Academy was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Oxford Spires Academy have?

Oxford Spires Academy has 1,351 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oxford Spires Academy cover?

Oxford Spires Academy for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Oxford Spires Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.7, and 52% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Oxford Spires Academy?

Oxford Spires Academy is at Glanville Road, Oxford, OX4 2AU.