School Chooser

Faringdon Community College

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedAcademy1,382 pupilsSixth formFaringdonOxfordshire
School Chooser Score
31
Below
similar schools
Likely range 23 to 40
Out of 100. Better than 20% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2024
Strong pass in English and maths40%England 46%
Attendance87.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
Places168 spare1,382 pupils, 1,550 places
Pupils per teacher16.2School workforce census

Faringdon Community College is a converter academy in Faringdon for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,382 pupils and room for 1,550. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 31 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Fernham Road, Faringdon, SN7 7LB01367 240375fccoxon.co.ukMrs Lisa Barker headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 May 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

229 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score43.7
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths40%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths57%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.03In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 52.852.820182019: 52.052.020192022: 46.546.520222023: 46.346.320232024: 46.046.020242025: 43.743.72025
Since 2018: -9.1Declining overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018OxfordshireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11229254226203175186
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 843.746.046.346.552.052.845.446.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.03-0.13-0.45+0.19+0.16
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths40%37%41%37%51%52%47%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths57%60%62%68%70%74%65%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.733.923.923.844.574.784.054.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry29%26%21%16%34%54%36%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged27.131.925.130.136.240.7
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged47.048.950.649.054.154.2
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers26.421.630.117.429.5
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers68.266.362.165.662.5

Subjects

Results came out for 22 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

French86%grades 9 to 5, England 60% · 257th of 1,974 schools
Art and Design82%grades 9 to 5, England 58% · 402nd of 2,818 schools
Religious Studies82%grades 9 to 5, England 60% · 278th of 1,825 schools
Food Preparation & Nutrition70%grades 9 to 5, England 52% · 241st of 1,098 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Business (31% here, 51% across England), Physics (62% here, 82% across England), Chemistry (64% here, 81% across England), Biology (68% here, 82% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 3 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics226 entries · 32nd of 40 in Oxfordshire
43%England 53%
English Language224 entries · 23rd of 40 in Oxfordshire
51%England 54%
English Literature215 entries · 31st of 40 in Oxfordshire
48%England 58%
Combined Science111 entries · 22nd of 34 in Oxfordshire
29%England 36%
Geography109 entries · 23rd of 39 in Oxfordshire
54%England 51%
Biology103 entries · 26th of 37 in Oxfordshire
68%England 82%
Chemistry101 entries · 26th of 37 in Oxfordshire
64%England 81%
Physics101 entries · 28th of 37 in Oxfordshire
62%England 82%
Business100 entries · 27th of 32 in Oxfordshire
31%England 51%
Religious Studies99 entries · 3rd of 18 in Oxfordshire
82%England 60%
History90 entries · 15th of 37 in Oxfordshire
58%England 52%
Design & Technology50 entries · 6th of 21 in Oxfordshire
64%England 50%
Physical Education35 entries · 7th of 27 in Oxfordshire
63%England 56%
Spanish32 entries · 10th of 25 in Oxfordshire
63%England 54%
Food Preparation & Nutrition30 entries · 3rd of 18 in Oxfordshire
70%England 52%
Art and Design28 entries · 3rd of 31 in Oxfordshire
82%England 58%
French22 entries · 4th of 24 in Oxfordshire
86%England 60%
Computer Science22 entries · 16th of 26 in Oxfordshire
50%England 56%
German21 entries · 11th of 14 in Oxfordshire
52%England 63%
Other Sciences12 entries
83%England 67%
Drama11 entries
73%England 60%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics22615%43%63%53%2,286 of 3,211
English Language22417%51%66%54%1,711 of 3,210
English Literature21516%48%67%58%2,145 of 3,202
Combined Science1115%29%51%36%1,956 of 3,084
Geography10922%54%64%51%1,129 of 3,116
Biology10326%68%83%82%2,053 of 2,570
Chemistry10125%64%81%81%2,096 of 2,537
Physics10125%62%82%82%2,165 of 2,546
Business1008%31%46%51%1,458 of 1,806
Religious Studies9944%82%85%60%278 of 1,825
History9028%58%67%52%1,061 of 3,126
Design & Technology5028%64%70%50%395 of 1,478
Physical Education3523%63%77%56%606 of 1,559
Spanish3228%63%84%54%707 of 1,941
Food Preparation & Nutrition3037%70%83%52%241 of 1,098
Art and Design2832%82%86%58%402 of 2,818
French2259%86%86%60%257 of 1,974
Computer Science2227%50%59%56%1,036 of 1,861
German2114%52%95%63%395 of 571
Other Sciences1233%83%83%67%
Drama1127%73%91%60%
Music838%88%100%61%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

72 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC+32.7 points per entry
A level progress-0.15Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better11%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished93%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students72769383159163
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry32.7127.0232.4537.8532.9031.37
Average A level gradeC+C-C+B-C+C
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS33.3926.8731.7837.5135.8333.10
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects11%6%11%13%21%10%
A level progressA level value added-0.15-0.36-0.09-0.24
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed93%89%95%98%94%95%

A level subjects

17 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

Strongest A levels

Government and Politics82%A* to B, England 55% · 11 entries
Chemistry70%A* to B, England 53% · 10 entries
Psychology63%A* to B, England 46% · 16 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsMathematics23Psychology16History15Biology15Geography14Physics12Business Studies12Government and Politics11Economics10Chemistry10Physical Education / Sports Studies7Fine Art7Computer Science6Sociology5Film Studies5English Literature5Mathematics (Further)5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Mathematics23 entries · 26% A* or A · 96% passed
65%England 60%
Psychology16 entries · 31% A* or A · 100% passed
63%England 46%
History15 entries · 7% A* or A · 100% passed
27%England 55%
Biology15 entries · 27% A* or A · 93% passed
40%England 49%
Geography14 entries · 7% A* or A · 100% passed
43%England 51%
Physics12 entries · 33% A* or A · 100% passed
42%England 51%
Business Studies12 entries · 8% A* or A · 100% passed
17%England 47%
Government and Politics11 entries · 27% A* or A · 100% passed
82%England 55%
Economics10 entries · 10% A* or A · 90% passed
30%England 57%
Chemistry10 entries · 30% A* or A · 100% passed
70%England 53%
Physical Education / Sports Studies7 entries · 0% A* or A · 86% passed
43%England 41%
Fine Art7 entries · 43% A* or A · 100% passed
71%England 65%
Computer Science6 entries · 33% A* or A · 100% passed
83%England 46%
Sociology5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 49%
Film Studies5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 57%
English Literature5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 52%
Mathematics (Further)5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 76%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
27.147.0
Gap 19.9England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
16%45%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
40.646.9
Gap 6.3England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

A few spare places1,419 pupils for 1,550 places, 2024/25
92% full

About 131 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (179 offers for 270 places). 170 families put it down as their first choice and 170 of them got in (100%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary270170240179100%all offeredLA
2025 Secondary270209302224100%all offeredLA
2024 Secondary270219328230100%all offeredLA
2023 Secondary270247337252100%all offeredLA
2022 Secondary270246315252100%all offeredLA
2021 Secondary270260325267100%all offeredLA
2020 Secondary270258320264100%all offeredLA
2019 Secondary270257309262100%all offeredLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll1,382Census January 2026
Places1,55089% full
Pupils from low-income families19%20% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English10%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%229 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%65 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.262 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils8%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)21%£280,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls713 / 669
White British pupils78%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (86), Specific learning difficulty (59), Autistic spectrum disorder (52), Moderate learning difficulty (46), language and communications needs (27), Other difficulty or disability (15).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,3821,4361,4121,4221,3961,351
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals19%17%14%13%10%9%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language10%9%6%5%5%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%18%18%16%17%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 87.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance87.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school32.9%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils43.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission6.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence12.3%10.4%10.7%10.4%4.2%5.2%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.8%6.2%7.8%9.0%3.6%4.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence6.5%4.1%2.9%1.4%0.6%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence32.9%29.8%30.8%31.0%10.1%10.8%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate43.533.636.119.67.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 226 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training90%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 82%, compared with 92% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training90%94%92%91%
Education82%85%84%85%
Apprenticeship3%6%3%4%
Work5%3%5%2%
Not in education, work or training7%4%4%5%

After sixth form

Where the 92 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training86%and stayed there for at least six months

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training75%England 72%
Top-third universities30%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship7%England 6%
Higher technical course0%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training86%86%91%
Education53%62%62%
Apprenticeship7%4%6%3%
Work26%21%23%
Not in education, work or training11%10%6%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers85.6full-time equivalent, 94 people
Pupils per teacher16.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers95%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants19.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,779
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.22024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,536England £7,965. Total £11m
Income per pupil£7,800England £8,423. Total £11m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,815England £4,444
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £644k, £448 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£379kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,536spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m13112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate47 per 1,000 people48% lower than the England average
Typical house price£400,000Vale of White Horse
Nearest bus stop200 mFolly View Road, 16 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored

No other schools of this phase within 8 km.

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Faringdon Community College with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats20%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 31 is 25 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 11 · middle 55 · highest 90100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Faringdon Community College, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Wood Green SchoolAcademy11.2 miles1,335Not inspected46Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 31 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 31% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 23 to 40. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%in line
-0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 229 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.01
DfE progress measure; 229 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.10
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.12
2024/25; 1,342 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 229 pupils
What pupils do next5%in line
-0.01
226 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Faringdon Community College a good school?

The figures are weak. Faringdon Community College scores 31 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 23 to 40, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Faringdon Community College's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Faringdon Community College good at its last full inspection on 8 May 2024.

How good are Faringdon Community College's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 40% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 43.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Faringdon Community College have?

1,382 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,550 places, so it is 89% full.

Is Faringdon Community College oversubscribed?

Probably not. 131 places were empty in 2024/25 (9% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Faringdon Community College?

Pupils were in school 87.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 33% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Faringdon Community College?

The average class had 21.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 8% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Faringdon Community College have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C+. 17 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Fernham Road, Faringdon, SN7 7LB
Telephone
01367 240375
Website
www.fccoxon.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Lisa Barker
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Cambrian Learning Trust (18 schools)
Local authority
Oxfordshire
Ward
Faringdon
Constituency
Witney
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2012 (academy converter)
URN
137993 · LAESTAB 9314141 · UKPRN 10036978
Formerly
Faringdon Community College

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from