Whitelands Academy

Whitelands Academy, a newly established school that opened in September 2020, has made significant strides in creating a positive and vibrant educational environment. Recent inspection findings indicate that the school performs well overall, with notable strengths in personal development and high expectations for pupils. The dedicated staff foster positive relationships and support pupils effectively, contributing to a culture of respect and a strong sense of safety among students. Furthermore, the ambitious curriculum and effective support for pupils' reading development are key factors in ensuring academic success and preparing them for future challenges.

Strengths

• Outstanding provision for personal development.
• Well-structured personal, social, health and economic education program.
• Strong focus on languages with all pupils studying both French and Spanish.
• Effective support for struggling readers with specialist teaching.
• High expectations of behaviour and respectful relationships between staff and pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of assessment for learning to secure understanding.
• Communication with parents, particularly regarding SEND concerns, needs improvement.

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 Whitelands Academy attended 90.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.3% 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, 9.6% of pupils at Whitelands 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 Whitelands Academy had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.4% 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, 20.5% of pupils at Whitelands Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 6 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 Whitelands Academy received £8,696 and spent £8,105 for each of its 576 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £358,000 (£622 per pupil).

Across all 30 schools of The White Horse Federation, income was £7,712 and spending £7,474 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 Bicester · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

Whitelands Academy is part of The White Horse Federation, which runs 30 schools. The nearest others:

• Southwold Primary School Bicester
• Gagle Brook Primary School Bicester
• West Kidlington Primary and Nursery School Kidlington
• St Mary & All Saints Church of England Primary School Reading
• Grange Infants' School Swindon
• Grange Junior School Swindon
• St Luke's Academy Swindon
• Nyland School Swindon
• Mountford Manor Primary School Swindon
• Gorse Hill Primary School Swindon

What is Whitelands Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitelands Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Whitelands Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitelands Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Whitelands Academy have?

Whitelands Academy has 565 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitelands Academy cover?

Whitelands Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Whitelands Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.5, and 49% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Whitelands Academy?

Whitelands Academy is at Hexham Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 1AY.