Greyfriars Catholic School
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Greyfriars Catholic School is a converter academy in Oxford for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 669 pupils and room for 1,200. About 29 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 23 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 36% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Cricket Road, Cowley, Greyfriars Catholic School, Oxford, OX4 3DR01865 749933greyfriarsoxford.org.ukMs Lyndsey Caldwell headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 October 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
90 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019† | 2018† | Oxfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 90 | 157 | 84 | 117 | 172 | 184 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 34.0 | 40.4 | 36.4 | 41.8 | 40.1 | 36.3 | 45.4 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.04 | -0.41 | -0.20 | -0.13 | -0.50 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 29% | 38% | 31% | 32% | 33% | 26% | 47% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 44% | 56% | 46% | 50% | 52% | 42% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.78 | 3.50 | 3.05 | 3.40 | 3.24 | 2.94 | 4.05 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 6% | 15% | 14% | 14% | 11% | 12% | 36% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 30.7 | 31.1 | 26.3 | 36.6 | 28.7 | 31.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 35.4 | 44.7 | 39.9 | 44.5 | 43.9 | 38.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 26.0 | 21.6 | 27.7 | 19.7 | 19.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 66.2 | 58.9 | 62.5 | 57.4 | 55.2 | – | – |
† These results are for St Gregory the Great Catholic School, the school this one replaced in January 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 15 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.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physical Education (14% here, 56% across England), Design & Technology (11% here, 50% across England), Business (17% here, 51% across England), Geography (26% here, 51% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 87 | 15% | 35% | 56% | 53% | 2,778 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 81 | 10% | 35% | 53% | 54% | 2,854 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 80 | 11% | 40% | 54% | 58% | 2,703 of 3,202 |
| Religious Studies | 78 | 17% | 36% | 46% | 60% | 1,658 of 1,825 |
| Combined Science | 69 | 0% | 20% | 39% | 36% | 2,590 of 3,084 |
| Business | 35 | 0% | 17% | 26% | 51% | 1,716 of 1,806 |
| Physical Education | 29 | 3% | 14% | 38% | 56% | 1,511 of 1,559 |
| Social Studies | 28 | 14% | 36% | 61% | 54% | 862 of 1,043 |
| Geography | 27 | 11% | 26% | 30% | 51% | 2,781 of 3,116 |
| Design & Technology | 18 | 0% | 11% | 28% | 50% | – |
| Art and Design | 14 | 0% | 14% | 29% | 58% | – |
| History | 13 | 8% | 23% | 23% | 52% | – |
| Physics | 12 | 58% | 92% | 100% | 82% | – |
| Biology | 12 | 42% | 100% | 100% | 82% | – |
| Chemistry | 12 | 50% | 100% | 100% | 81% | – |
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
43 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 43 | 62 | 85 | 37 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 15.11 | 15.79 | 19.86 | 19.86 |
| Average A level grade | D- | D- | D | D |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 14.67 | 18.40 | 20.42 | 19.76 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 3% | 4% | 0% | 0% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.69 | -0.62 | – | – |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | – | 23.41 | 33.56 | 35.88 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 94% | 93% | 96% | 100% |
A level subjects
9 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.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
625 places were empty (49% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 9% since 2021/22.
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 (104 offers for 150 places). 79 families put it down as their first choice and 79 of them got in (100%).
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Applied at all | Got a place | First choices who got in | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 150 | 79 | 231 | 104 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
| 2025 Secondary | 150 | 67 | 211 | 126 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
| 2024 Secondary | 150 | 66 | 197 | 96 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
| 2023 Secondary | 150 | 55 | 161 | 148 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
| 2022 Secondary | 150 | 52 | 146 | 171 | 100% | 11.2 miles | LA |
| 2021 Secondary | 210 | 35 | 137 | 68 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
| 2020 Secondary | 150 | 21 | 159 | 97 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
| 2019 Secondary | 210 | 34 | 123 | 240 | 100% | 2.5 miles (looked-after or EHCP priority) | LA |
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (48), language and communications needs (31), Moderate learning difficulty (24), Specific learning difficulty (10), Other difficulty or disability (9), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (7).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 669 | 670 | 687 | 655 | 580 | 697 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 28% | 25% | 27% | 28% | 28% | 22% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 47% | 45% | 46% | 48% | 47% | 46% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 12% | 11% | 9% | 16% | 15% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 9.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% | 10.5% | 7.4% | 7.5% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 7.7% | 8.2% | 9.3% | 8.5% | 5.9% | 5.5% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.0% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 29.0% | 32.5% | 32.7% | 34.1% | 18.4% | 24.1% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 25.7 | 21.3 | 28.7 | 47.8 | 8.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for St Gregory the Great Catholic School, the school this one replaced in January 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 84 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 73%, compared with 92% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers |
|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 87% | 95% |
| Education | 83% | 90% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 2% |
| Work | 1% | 3% |
| Not in education, work or training | 6% | 2% |
After sixth form
Where the 74 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 87%, compared with 86% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 100% went on to degree-level study or training and 0% to a top-third university.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers |
|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 87% | 89% |
| Education | 61% | 39% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 6% |
| Work | 23% | 44% |
| Not in education, work or training | 7% | 6% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford Spires Academy | Academy | 760 m | 1,351 | Good 2023 | 59 | Compare |
| Cheney School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 1,706 | Good 2023 | 46 | Compare |
| The Oxford Academy | Academy | 1.1 miles | 1,062 | Report card 2026 | 4 | Compare |
| The Swan School | Free school | 2.4 miles | 1,057 | Good 2023 | 75 | Compare |
| The Cherwell School | Academy | 3.0 miles | 2,023 | Outstanding 2022 | 91 | Compare |
| Matthew Arnold School | Academy | 3.3 miles | 1,255 | No overall grade 2025 | 75 | Compare |
| Wheatley Park School | Academy | 4.0 miles | 1,146 | Good 2022 | 75 | Compare |
| Fitzharrys School | Academy | 4.6 miles | 906 | Good 2023 | 54 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Greyfriars Catholic School 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.
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 Greyfriars Catholic School, 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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford Spires Academy | Academy | 760 m | 1,351 | Good 2023 | 59 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 23 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 23% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 17 to 32. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.18 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 90 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.03 | DfE progress measure; 90 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | -0.02 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.05 | 2024/25; 579 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.16 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 90 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | below | -0.04 | 84 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Greyfriars Catholic School a good school?
The figures are weak. Greyfriars Catholic School scores 23 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 36% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 17 to 32, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Greyfriars Catholic School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Greyfriars Catholic School good at its last full inspection on 11 October 2023.
How good are Greyfriars Catholic School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 29% 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 34.0, 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 Greyfriars Catholic School have?
669 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,200 places, so it is 56% full.
Is Greyfriars Catholic School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 625 places were empty in 2024/25 (49% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Greyfriars Catholic School?
Pupils were in school 90.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 29% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Greyfriars Catholic School?
The average class had 20.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 10% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Greyfriars Catholic School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was D-. 9 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
- Cricket Road, Cowley, Greyfriars Catholic School, Oxford, OX4 3DR
- Telephone
- 01865 749933
- Website
- www.greyfriarsoxford.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Ms Lyndsey Caldwell
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Multi-academy trust
- The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company (12 schools)
- Local authority
- Oxfordshire
- Ward
- Donnington
- Constituency
- Oxford East
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 January 2021 (fresh start)
- URN
- 146800 · LAESTAB 9314014 · UKPRN 10086753
- Formerly
- St Gregory the Great Catholic School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Oxfordshire council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.