School Chooser

Heyford Park School

All-through · ages 3-19MixedFree school700 pupilsSixth formNurseryBicesterOxfordshire
School Chooser Score · secondary phase
29
Below
similar schools
Likely range 20 to 41
Out of 100. Better than 20% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Primary phase: 49, in line with similar schools
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, October 2023
Strong pass in English and maths36%England 46%
Attendance92.5%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
Places140 spare700 pupils, 840 places
Pupils per teacher21.3School workforce census

Heyford Park School is a free school in Bicester for boys and girls aged 3 to 19. It has 700 pupils and room for 840. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 29 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 2023.

74 Camp Road, Heyford Park, Bicester, OX25 5HD01869 232203heyfordparkschool.orgMr Andrew Binnington headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 10 October 2023, 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
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

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

Average GCSE score39.7
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths36%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths58%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.13In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind 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: 41.541.520182019: 47.347.320192022: 54.454.420222023: 44.344.320232024: 43.743.720242025: 39.739.72025
Since 2018: -1.8Declining overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320222019†2018†OxfordshireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11596561525459
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 839.743.744.354.447.341.545.446.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.13-0.15+0.47-0.10-0.48
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths36%35%43%62%44%36%47%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths58%66%57%79%76%59%65%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.373.823.724.914.393.814.054.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry34%37%16%40%57%46%36%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged28.538.333.327.427.1
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged42.345.345.949.843.4
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers28.823.132.819.6
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers66.667.375.254.955.8

† These results are for Heyford Park Free School, the school this one replaced in November 2020. 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: Computer Science (6% here, 56% across England), Religious Studies (18% here, 60% across England), Biology (42% here, 82% across England), Chemistry (46% here, 81% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, computer science, music.
LanguagesSpanish20

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

Every subject against England, 2025
English Literature59 entries · 39th of 40 in Oxfordshire
29%England 58%
English Language59 entries · 34th of 40 in Oxfordshire
39%England 54%
Mathematics58 entries · 28th of 40 in Oxfordshire
50%England 53%
Religious Studies56 entries · 18th of 18 in Oxfordshire
18%England 60%
Combined Science33 entries · 33rd of 34 in Oxfordshire
6%England 36%
History31 entries · 37th of 37 in Oxfordshire
23%England 52%
Geography26 entries · 37th of 39 in Oxfordshire
23%England 51%
Physics26 entries · 34th of 37 in Oxfordshire
50%England 82%
Chemistry26 entries · 34th of 37 in Oxfordshire
46%England 81%
Biology26 entries · 34th of 37 in Oxfordshire
42%England 82%
Business24 entries · 30th of 32 in Oxfordshire
17%England 51%
Spanish20 entries · 12th of 25 in Oxfordshire
60%England 54%
6%England 56%
Art and Design11 entries
55%England 58%
Music10 entries
10%England 61%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Literature593%29%58%58%3,100 of 3,202
English Language5912%39%59%54%2,618 of 3,210
Mathematics5819%50%72%53%1,676 of 3,211
Religious Studies564%18%34%60%1,814 of 1,825
Combined Science330%6%21%36%3,048 of 3,084
History3113%23%26%52%2,991 of 3,126
Geography264%23%50%51%2,884 of 3,116
Physics264%50%62%82%2,383 of 2,546
Chemistry268%46%62%81%2,380 of 2,537
Biology2627%42%65%82%2,465 of 2,570
Business244%17%33%51%1,721 of 1,806
Spanish2035%60%70%54%795 of 1,941
Computer Science170%6%24%56%
Art and Design1118%55%64%58%
Music100%10%20%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.

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

37 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1168%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level22%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2019 to 2025
2019: 56%56%20192023: 57%57%20232024: 73%73%20242025: 68%68%2025
Since 2019: +12%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†OxfordshireEngland
Pupils tested37333736
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths68%73%57%56%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths22%9%3%6%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0105.0103.0103.0106.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0106.0103.0102.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0107.0103.0104.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard81%82%65%75%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard89%91%68%72%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%82%73%67%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.0-0.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.5-2.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged67%67%22%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged68%75%68%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Heyford Park Free School, the school this one replaced in November 2020. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. 1 of the 7 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
28.542.3
Gap 13.8England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
9%42%
Gap 33 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
35.243.8
Gap 8.6England 3.0

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
67%68%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
71%65%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
43%68%
Gap 25 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
33%22%
Gap 11 ptsEngland 5 pts
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

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places626 pupils for 840 places, 2024/25
75% full

214 places were empty (26% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 19% 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 (50 offers for 60 places). 49 families put it down as their first choice and 49 of them got in (100%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60497450100%all offeredLA
2026 Secondary30461743967%4.9 milesLA
2025 Primary60365239100%all offeredLA
2025 Secondary3512838100%15.0 milesLA
2024 Primary60417041100%all offeredLA
2024 Secondary1611236100%8.4 milesLA
2023 Primary60394941100%all offeredLA
2023 Secondary189228100%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 roll700Census January 2026
Places84083% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English11%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%120 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%23 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.028 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils21%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)14%£120,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls350 / 350
White British pupils74%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.7 pupils (England 26.2); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.7 (England 28.2).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (51), Autistic spectrum disorder (24), language and communications needs (23), Specific learning difficulty (18), Moderate learning difficulty (12), Physical disability (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll700655595584552554
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%12%13%14%11%10%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language11%10%8%9%6%7%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%17%16%18%17%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%2%3%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance92.5%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school22.9%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils22.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.5%7.4%7.5%7.8%3.5%4.7%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.4%5.6%5.8%6.2%2.6%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.1%1.8%1.8%1.6%0.9%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence22.9%20.5%21.0%20.9%7.9%10.5%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate22.316.813.010.52.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for Heyford Park Free School, the school this one replaced in November 2020. 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 61 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training89%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 75%, compared with 91% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers
Still in education, work or training89%96%
Education77%87%
Apprenticeship3%4%
Work8%6%
Not in education, work or training10%4%

Staff and money

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

Teachers32.9full-time equivalent, 35 people
Pupils per teacher21.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers94%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,411
Teachers who left in the year12%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies1
Sick days per teacher6.72024/25

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£6,860England £7,965. Total £4.5m
Income per pupil£6,940England £8,423. Total £4.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,337England £4,444
Money in reserve-9%In the red: -£385k, -£587 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£53kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,860spent 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 m9412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate38 per 1,000 people59% lower than the England average
Typical house price£355,000Cherwell
Nearest bus stop100 mFree School, 6 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
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Fritwell Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.4 miles154No overall grade 202489Compare
Dr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.5 miles194Good 202284Compare
King's Meadow Primary SchoolCouncil3.8 miles443Not inspected52Compare
Chesterton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England3.8 miles201Good 202362Compare
Gagle Brook Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles183Good 20228Compare
Kirtlington Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.9 miles102Good 202488Compare
Tackley Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.9 miles115No overall grade 202538Compare
Bruern Abbey SchoolIndependent4.1 miles214Not inspectedCompare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Heyford Park 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.

Beats20%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 29 is 23 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 13 · middle 52 · highest 95100

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 Heyford Park 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.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Waddesdon Church of England SchoolAcademy15.3 miles1,012Report card 202678Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 29 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 29% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 20 to 41. 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%below
-0.08
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 59 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.03
DfE progress measure; 59 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.22
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 611 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 59 pupils
What pupils do next5%in line
-0.01
61 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 Heyford Park School a good school?

The figures are weak. Heyford Park School scores 29 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 20 to 41, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Heyford Park School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Heyford Park School good at its last full inspection on 10 October 2023.

How good are Heyford Park School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 36% 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 39.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How good are Heyford Park School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 68% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 22% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Heyford Park School have?

700 pupils aged 3 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 840 places, so it is 83% full.

Is Heyford Park School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 214 places were empty in 2024/25 (26% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Heyford Park School?

Pupils were in school 92.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Heyford Park School?

The average class had 25.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 21% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Heyford Park School have a sixth form?

Yes.

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

Contact and details

Address
74 Camp Road, Heyford Park, Bicester, OX25 5HD
Telephone
01869 232203
Website
heyfordparkschool.org
Headteacher
Mr Andrew Binnington
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
All-through school, ages 3-19, with nursery, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Epa Trust (11 schools)
Local authority
Oxfordshire
Ward
Fringford and Heyfords
Constituency
Bicester and Woodstock
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2020 (change in status)
URN
148353 · LAESTAB 9314018 · UKPRN 10087357
Formerly
Heyford Park Free School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from