Greyfriars Catholic School

Greyfriars Catholic School has demonstrated a strong performance across all areas, achieving a 'Good' rating overall. The school has fostered a positive and respectful environment, which is reflected in the high behaviour standards and the strong relationships between pupils. There is a clear ambition for all students to excel academically and personally, supported by a well-structured curriculum. The headteacher and governing body have worked collaboratively to implement improvements since the school's inception, contributing to a positive learning atmosphere appreciated by both parents and students. Despite its strengths, the school faces challenges, such as ensuring the English Baccalaureate is implemented more thoroughly within the curriculum and addressing the attendance issues affecting some pupils. Additionally, the school recognizes the necessity of better support mechanisms for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to maximize their learning potential. Overall, the school is moving in a positive direction and is committed to continuous improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a calm and respectful learning environment.
• High expectations for pupil behaviour and academic performance.
• Ambitious and broad curriculum with recent enhancements in music and drama.
• Strong relationships among pupils, fostering kindness and respect.
• Positive feedback from parents and students about school improvements.
• Excellent opportunities for pupil leadership and community engagement.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.

Areas for Improvement

• Insufficient checks on pupil understanding, leading to knowledge gaps.
• Inconsistent adaptation of learning to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
• Some pupils not attending school regularly.

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 Greyfriars Catholic School attended 90.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 29.0% 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, 11.2% of pupils at Greyfriars Catholic School 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 Greyfriars Catholic School had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.0% 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, 16.9% of pupils at Greyfriars Catholic School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.6% 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 Greyfriars Catholic School received £8,932 and spent £8,498 for each of its 673 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £324,000 (-£482 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, income was £7,222 and spending £7,198 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

Greyfriars Catholic School is part of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Our Lady's Roman Catholic Primary School Oxford
• St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore Oxford
• St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington Kidlington
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Thame Thame
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bicester Bicester
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney Witney
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton Carterton
• Holy Trinity Catholic School, Chipping Norton Chipping Norton
• Blessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth Form Banbury
• St John's Catholic Primary School Banbury

What is Greyfriars Catholic School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Greyfriars Catholic School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Greyfriars Catholic School last inspected by Ofsted?

Greyfriars Catholic School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Greyfriars Catholic School have?

Greyfriars Catholic School has 669 pupils on roll.

What age range does Greyfriars Catholic School cover?

Greyfriars Catholic School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Greyfriars Catholic School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 34.7, and 31% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Greyfriars Catholic School?

Greyfriars Catholic School is at Cricket Road, Cowley, Greyfriars Catholic School, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 3DR.