Gosford Hill School

Gosford Hill School is performing well overall, with leaders demonstrating a strong understanding of both the school’s strengths and areas requiring improvement. Most pupils achieve close to average levels in national qualifications, and there is a notable focus on ensuring that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs receive appropriate support. The school fosters a positive culture where safeguarding is prioritized, which contributes to pupils feeling safe and supported in their learning environment. However, attendance remains a significant concern, affecting overall student performance and learning outcomes.

Strengths

• Strong leadership with a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement.
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs.
• High-quality professional development for teachers leading to effective curriculum implementation.
• Positive school culture that promotes pupil safety and well-being.
• Robust careers education that prepares students for their future choices.
• Wide range of extracurricular opportunities that engage all pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Too many pupils do not attend school regularly, impacting their learning.
• Behaviour during social times is not as positive as expected, with instances of derogatory language.

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 Gosford Hill School attended 89.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.4% 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, 10.6% of pupils at Gosford Hill 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 Gosford Hill School had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.0% 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, 22.1% of pupils at Gosford Hill School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.7% 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 Gosford Hill School received £7,571 and spent £7,262 for each of its 848 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £847,000 (£999 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 Kidlington · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

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

• Edward Feild Primary School Kidlington
• Cutteslowe Primary School Oxford
• Wolvercote Primary School Oxford
• The Cherwell School Oxford
• The Marlborough Church of England School Woodstock
• The Swan School Oxford
• New Marston Primary School Oxford
• Beckley Church of England Primary School Oxford
• Barton Park Primary School Oxford
• Cheney School Oxford

What is Gosford Hill School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gosford Hill School is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Gosford Hill School last inspected by Ofsted?

Gosford Hill School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Gosford Hill School have?

Gosford Hill School has 825 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gosford Hill School cover?

Gosford Hill School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Gosford Hill School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.1, and 44% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Gosford Hill School?

Gosford Hill School is at Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 2NT.