Gosford Hill School, Kidlington

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades Gosford Hill School on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils generally achieve well."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching in the school."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders and staff are knowledgeable and focused in their work to support pupils."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including governors and trustees, have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for further improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's planning for the personal development of pupils prepares them to become engaged and responsible adults by the end of their education."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Students are highly positive about their experiences of the sixth form."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that pupils' attendance improves so that pupils maximise their opportunities for learning and benefit from the school's wider opportunities"; "Leaders should ensure that they provide effective behavioural support to those pupils who need it, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing"; "Leaders should carefully check that all aspects of the curriculum support pupils to achieve highly across all subjects and prepare them extremely well for their next steps".

In 2026, pupils at Gosford Hill School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.2 in Oxfordshire and 47 across England.

44% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Oxfordshire and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 45.3.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.36: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 27, against 49.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 22.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Business Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 95 families put Gosford Hill School as their first choice and 192 named it as one of their preferences, for 110 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Gosford Hill School are The Cherwell School (2.9 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 58.9); The Marlborough Church of England School (3.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.5); The Swan School (3.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 60.1); and Bartholomew School (4.9 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 55).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Gosford Hill School.

Gosford Hill School is one of 31 schools run by River Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.3 in 2024/25.

151 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Gosford Hill School (as of April 2026): 67% would recommend the school, 67% say their child is happy there and 54% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (69%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (54%).

Of the 167 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 36% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 7% into work.

Of the 70 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 46% went on to university or other higher education, 11% to apprenticeships and 24% into work. 18% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

In 2026, 182 pupils (22.1%) received SEN support and 22 (2.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Oxford Parkway Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Evans Lane (opposite), 140 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Gosford Hill School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Gosford Hill School issued 391 suspensions, 46.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Gosford Hill School are Edward Feild Primary School (0.1 miles); West Kidlington Primary and Nursery School (0.2 miles); St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington (0.2 miles); and North Kidlington Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.