Sir William Ramsay School
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Sir William Ramsay School is a converter academy in High Wycombe for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 984 pupils and room for 1,041. About 37 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 1 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inadequate, back in 2022.
Rose Avenue, High Wycombe, HP15 7UB01494 815211swr.schoolMr Neil Stocking headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 14 June 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Inadequate overall.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Ofsted has serious worries about this school. It is in serious weaknesses.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
186 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† | Buckinghamshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 186 | 192 | 188 | 181 | 162 | 160 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 35.4 | 36.2 | 39.2 | 44.0 | 44.6 | 46.0 | 54.1 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.45 | -0.19 | -0.17 | +0.04 | +0.24 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 26% | 22% | 26% | 43% | 32% | 39% | 59% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 48% | 52% | 56% | 65% | 57% | 61% | 75% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.08 | 3.12 | 3.30 | 3.68 | 3.67 | 3.77 | 4.84 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 20% | 13% | 13% | 10% | 16% | 25% | 44% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 24.7 | 28.1 | 32.0 | 37.9 | 37.2 | 38.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 40.2 | 38.9 | 41.0 | 45.5 | 46.3 | 47.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 27.0 | 27.3 | 31.2 | 22.7 | 27.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 48.0 | 56.6 | 58.0 | 56.5 | 57.9 | – | – |
† These results are for Sir William Ramsay School, the school this one replaced in March 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 17 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 (8% here, 56% across England), Chemistry (41% here, 81% across England), Physics (46% here, 82% across England), Combined Science (5% here, 36% 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 | 180 | 6% | 31% | 58% | 53% | 2,944 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 180 | 7% | 33% | 58% | 54% | 2,940 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 179 | 6% | 33% | 52% | 58% | 2,985 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 112 | 0% | 5% | 21% | 36% | 3,062 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 86 | 5% | 20% | 34% | 51% | 2,979 of 3,116 |
| History | 74 | 20% | 51% | 66% | 52% | 1,497 of 3,126 |
| Physics | 68 | 9% | 46% | 75% | 82% | 2,420 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 68 | 9% | 41% | 78% | 81% | 2,428 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 68 | 10% | 59% | 82% | 82% | 2,261 of 2,570 |
| Computer Science | 51 | 0% | 8% | 16% | 56% | 1,852 of 1,861 |
| Art and Design | 45 | 9% | 40% | 64% | 58% | 2,227 of 2,818 |
| Spanish | 39 | 18% | 54% | 62% | 54% | 1,023 of 1,941 |
| Design & Technology | 30 | 0% | 40% | 47% | 50% | 928 of 1,478 |
| Religious Studies | 28 | 18% | 36% | 61% | 60% | 1,662 of 1,825 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 25 | 12% | 28% | 48% | 52% | 935 of 1,098 |
| Other Modern Languages | 13 | 39% | 54% | 54% | 49% | – |
| Drama | 12 | 0% | 33% | 67% | 60% | – |
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
34 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Students | 34 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 22.57 |
| Average A level grade | D+ |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.56 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 23.98 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 100% |
A level subjects
3 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. 1 of the 3 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
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.
About 139 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up.
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.
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.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 7 pupils, for hearing impairment, physical disability.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Buckinghamshire with hearing impairment provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (54), Other difficulty or disability (50), language and communications needs (45), Specific learning difficulty (31), Autistic spectrum disorder (19), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (15).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 984 | 1,033 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 35% | 31% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 31% | 30% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 17% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 88.4% 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 | 11.6% | 14.8% | 13.7% | 13.1% | 5.6% | 6.1% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 7.5% | 10.4% | 9.2% | 9.9% | 4.2% | 4.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.0% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3.2% | 1.5% | 1.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 38.8% | 51.9% | 44.2% | 46.7% | 14.3% | 15.0% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 18.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for Sir William Ramsay School, the school this one replaced in March 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe | Academy (grammar) | 1.3 miles | 1,451 | Good 2019 | 96 | Compare |
| Holmer Green Senior School | Academy | 1.4 miles | 1,244 | Report card 2026 | 65 | Compare |
| The Highcrest Academy | Academy | 1.4 miles | 1,045 | Not inspected | 21 | Compare |
| St Michael's Catholic School | Academy | 2.8 miles | 2,414 | Report card 2026 | 68 | Compare |
| Wycombe High School | Academy (grammar) | 2.9 miles | 1,371 | Outstanding 2024 | 98 | Compare |
| John Hampden Grammar School | Academy (grammar) | 3.1 miles | 1,281 | Outstanding 2022 | 97 | Compare |
| The Misbourne School | Academy | 3.6 miles | 1,115 | Report card 2026 | 63 | Compare |
| Cressex Community School | Foundation | 3.9 miles | 766 | Good 2024 | 76 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Sir William Ramsay School with the 48 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 48 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 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Sir William Ramsay 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy | Free school | 10.2 miles | 863 | No overall grade 2025 | 13 | Compare |
| The Langley Academy | Academy | 12.0 miles | 1,152 | Good 2023 | 82 | Compare |
| The Kingsbrook School | Free school | 12.8 miles | 759 | No overall grade 2025 | 68 | Compare |
| Ruislip High School | Academy | 14.2 miles | 1,311 | Outstanding 2023 | 89 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 1 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 1% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 0 to 1. 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 | -0.21 | 2025 results; 186 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | well below | -0.67 | Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.72 | Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 186 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.14 | 2024/25; 1,007 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.36 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 186 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| 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 Sir William Ramsay School a good school?
The figures are weak. Sir William Ramsay School scores 1 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 0 to 1, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Sir William Ramsay School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Sir William Ramsay School inadequate at its last full inspection on 14 June 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Sir William Ramsay School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 26% 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 35.4, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Sir William Ramsay School have?
984 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,041 places, so it is 95% full.
Is Sir William Ramsay School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 139 places were empty in 2024/25 (12% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Sir William Ramsay School?
Pupils were in school 88.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 39% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Sir William Ramsay School?
The average class had 24.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 19% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Sir William Ramsay School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for hearing impairment, physical disability. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Sir William Ramsay School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was D+. 3 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
- Rose Avenue, High Wycombe, HP15 7UB
- Telephone
- 01494 815211
- Website
- www.swr.school
- Headteacher
- Mr Neil Stocking
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Insignis Academy Trust (6 schools)
- Local authority
- Buckinghamshire
- Ward
- Hazlemere
- Constituency
- Chesham and Amersham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 March 2024 (fresh start)
- URN
- 150611 · LAESTAB 8254017 · UKPRN 10094445
- Formerly
- Sir William Ramsay 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: Buckinghamshire council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2020, 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.