Best Schools in Bicester

How many schools are there in Bicester?

Bicester has 23 open schools: 17 state primary, 4 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in Bicester?

None of the 20 graded schools in Bicester currently holds an Outstanding rating. 18 are rated Good, so 90% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bicester get the best GCSE results?

Of the 4 schools in Bicester with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Bicester School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.3 and 46% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Whitelands Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 45.5 and 49% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Cooper School, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.9 and 39% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Bicester SchoolWhitelands AcademyThe Cooper School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bicester have the best SATs results?

Of the 17 primary schools in Bicester with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Fritwell Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Launton Church of England Primary School (92% in reading, 92% in maths); and Dr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary School (87% in reading, 87% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Fritwell Church of England Primary SchoolLaunton Church of England Primary SchoolDr Radcliffe's Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bicester?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Bicester selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Bicester have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Bicester have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Bicester?

Apply to your council - Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.