The Cherwell School

The Cherwell School has been judged to be outstanding in all areas during its first inspection under the Education Act 2005. This includes the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. The school's ambitious and broad curriculum ensures that pupils achieve highly from Year 7 through to Year 13. Additionally, the school fosters a positive and inclusive culture where diversity is celebrated and relationships among pupils are respectful and supportive.

Strengths

• Pupils receive an excellent education academically and for their wider development.
• The school has high expectations built into a rich, ambitious curriculum.
• Staff support pupils with SEND effectively, including in specially resourced provisions.
• Pupils exhibit high levels of respect and commitment to their education.
• Care for pupils' well-being, particularly for disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils, is a major focus.
• Pastoral support is insightful and has a clear impact on well-being.
• The school promotes character development as a core aim.
• The sixth-form provides effective mentoring and promotes environmental sustainability.

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 The Cherwell School attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.4% 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, 2.8% of pupils at The Cherwell School 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 The Cherwell School had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.9% 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, 13.7% of pupils at The Cherwell School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 26 pupils.

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 The Cherwell School received £9,686 and spent £9,472 for each of its 2,008 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,950,000 (£971 per pupil).

Across all 30 schools of River Learning Trust, income was £8,007 and spending £7,763 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

The Cherwell School is part of River Learning Trust, which runs 30 schools. The nearest others:

• The Swan School Oxford
• Cutteslowe Primary School Oxford
• Wolvercote Primary School Oxford
• New Marston Primary School Oxford
• Barton Park Primary School Oxford
• Cheney School Oxford
• Larkrise Primary School Oxford
• Bayards Hill School Oxford
• Edward Feild Primary School Kidlington
• Gosford Hill School Kidlington

What is The Cherwell School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Cherwell School is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was The Cherwell School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Cherwell School was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does The Cherwell School have?

The Cherwell School has 2,023 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Cherwell School cover?

The Cherwell School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Cherwell School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.9, and 65% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Cherwell School?

The Cherwell School is at Marston Ferry Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 7EE.