School Chooser

The Oratory School

Independent · ages 11-18MixedIndependentRoman Catholic287 pupilsSixth formOxfordshire
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Places163 spare287 pupils, 450 places
Average A level gradeC+2024/25
Pupils on roll287Census January 2024

The Oratory School is an independent school in for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 287 pupils and room for 450.

Woodcote, Reading, South Oxfordshire, RG8 0PJ01491 683500oratory.co.ukMr Matthew Fogg head masterAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

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

Average GCSE score29.2
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths0%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths0%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 28.528.520182019: 29.129.120192022: 32.432.420222023: 32.332.320232024: 25.225.220242025: 29.229.22025
Since 2018: +0.7
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018OxfordshireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11717070504145
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 829.225.232.332.429.128.545.446.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%47%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%65%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score2.672.173.051.881.872.074.054.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%36%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 10 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

Art and Design96%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
Combined Science67%grades 9 to 5, England 36%
Physical Education78%grades 9 to 5, England 56%
Chemistry94%grades 9 to 5, England 81%

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Religious Studies (44% here, 60% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, classics.
LanguagesLatin8

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

Every subject against England, 2025
44%England 60%
Geography52 entries
58%England 51%
67%England 36%
Art and Design51 entries
96%England 58%
78%England 56%
Physics18 entries
94%England 82%
Chemistry18 entries
94%England 81%
Biology18 entries
94%England 82%
Drama15 entries
67%England 60%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Religious Studies5914%44%64%60%
Geography5223%58%83%51%
Combined Science5219%67%87%36%
Art and Design5155%96%100%58%
Physical Education3222%78%94%56%
Physics1878%94%100%82%
Chemistry1878%94%100%81%
Biology1856%94%100%82%
Drama1520%67%87%60%
Latin80%25%63%82%

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

70 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC+34.7 points per entry
A level progress+0.24Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better9%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students704446528097
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry34.6732.9236.0440.1732.5437.54
Average A level gradeC+C+B-BC+B-
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS35.4232.2836.2039.6432.7538.74
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects9%11%19%11%15%22%
A level progressA level value added+0.24-0.02-0.14+0.30

A level subjects

15 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

Art and Design77%A* to B, England 60% · 17 entries
Mathematics71%A* to B, England 60% · 14 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsBusiness Studies22Economics21Psychology18Art and Design17Biology15Mathematics14Geography14English Literature13Physical Education / Sports Studies9Photography83D Studies7Chemistry6English Language6Drama and Theatre Studies5Government and Politics5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Business Studies22 entries · 5% A* or A · 100% passed
41%England 47%
Economics21 entries · 19% A* or A · 100% passed
62%England 57%
Psychology18 entries · 6% A* or A · 89% passed
22%England 46%
Art and Design17 entries · 41% A* or A · 100% passed
77%England 60%
Biology15 entries · 27% A* or A · 100% passed
47%England 49%
Mathematics14 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
71%England 60%
Geography14 entries · 29% A* or A · 100% passed
36%England 51%
English Literature13 entries · 23% A* or A · 100% passed
31%England 52%
Physical Education / Sports Studies9 entries · 11% A* or A · 100% passed
67%England 41%
Photography8 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
88%England 58%
3D Studies7 entries · 43% A* or A · 100% passed
100%England 58%
Chemistry6 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 53%
English Language6 entries · 0% A* or A · 83% passed
33%England 44%
Drama and Theatre Studies5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 54%
Government and Politics5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 55%

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 scoreBoys vs girls
27.432.4
Gap 5.0England 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

Admissions policy not published. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Oxfordshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll287Census January 2024
Places45064% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support27%77 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%1 pupil with a plan
Boys and girls202 / 85
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll287337372372358301
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support23%24%25%26%24%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%0%0%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 45 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training78%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training78%73%80%
Education67%54%65%
Apprenticeship0%2%0%
Work11%17%15%
Not in education, work or training9%14%5%

The area around the school

Local crime rate33 per 1,000 people64% lower than the England average
Typical house price£450,000South Oxfordshire
Nearest bus stop380 mTidmore Lane, 4 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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Woodcote Primary SchoolCouncil660 m168Good 202445Compare
Langtree SchoolAcademy690 m626Good 202385Compare
Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary SchoolChurch of England0.9 miles86Report card 20258Compare
Oratory Preparatory SchoolIndependent1.5 miles263Not inspectedCompare
Stoke Row CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.0 miles50Good 20247Compare
Whitchurch Primary SchoolCouncil3.0 miles136Good 202392Compare
Goring Church of England Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England3.2 miles170Not inspected91Compare
Maiden Erlegh Chiltern EdgeAcademy3.2 miles374Good 202227Compare

Questions parents ask

Is The Oratory School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score The Oratory School yet.

How good are The Oratory School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 0% 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 29.2, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does The Oratory School have?

287 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 450 places, so it is 64% full.

Does The Oratory School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C+. 15 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
Woodcote, Reading, South Oxfordshire, RG8 0PJ
Telephone
01491 683500
Website
www.oratory.co.uk
Head Master
Mr Matthew Fogg
Type of school
Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
Phase
Independent school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Local authority
Oxfordshire
Ward
Woodcote & Rotherfield
Constituency
Henley and Thame
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 1951
URN
123282 · LAESTAB 9316034 · UKPRN 10013992

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from