Didcot Girls' School

Didcot Girls’ School has undergone an urgent inspection focusing on safeguarding arrangements due to concerns raised with Ofsted. The inspection found that leaders have made significant improvements to safeguarding processes since the last inspection. While overall standards may show signs of decline, there were no serious concerns identified that would warrant immediate action. The inspection concludes that the school’s safeguarding arrangements are effective, highlighting strong relationships between pupils and staff, which contribute to a safe and supportive learning environment.

Strengths

• Leaders have strengthened safeguarding processes and practices.
• Staff have a good understanding of their roles in safeguarding.
• Pupils feel safe and confident in raising concerns.
• Trustees maintain secure oversight of safeguarding.
• The personal development programme informs pupils about safety and healthy relationships.

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 Didcot Girls' School attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.9% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Didcot Girls' 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 Didcot Girls' School had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% 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, 15.4% of pupils at Didcot Girls' School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.8% 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 Didcot Girls' School received £7,344 and spent £7,287 for each of its 1,643 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £546,000 (£332 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Ridgeway Education Trust, income was £7,165 and spending £7,065 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 Didcot · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

Didcot Girls' School is part of Ridgeway Education Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Stephen Freeman Primary School Didcot
• St Birinus School Didcot
• All Saints Church of England Primary School Didcot
• Hagbourne Church of England Primary School Didcot
• Sutton Courtenay Church of England Primary School Abingdon
• Long Wittenham (Church of England) Primary School Abingdon
• Carterton Primary School Carterton

What is Didcot Girls' School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Didcot Girls' School is Outstanding, from an inspection in October 2025.

When was Didcot Girls' School last inspected by Ofsted?

Didcot Girls' School was last inspected in October 2025.

How many pupils does Didcot Girls' School have?

Didcot Girls' School has 1,633 pupils on roll.

What age range does Didcot Girls' School cover?

Didcot Girls' School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Didcot Girls' School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 59.6, and 71% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Didcot Girls' School?

Didcot Girls' School is at Manor Crescent, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7AJ.