Greyfriars Catholic School, Oxford
Greyfriars Catholic School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Oxford, part of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 7th-highest of the 8 schools in Oxford with published results, and 3,121st of 3,298 across England. It was 51% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Oxfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Greyfriars Catholic School in detail
Greyfriars Catholic School in its own words
In its own words: "We are a Catholic school that sets out to champion each and every student. It is our mission to enable and support each child to flourish during their time as part of our community."
On phones, the school says: "Audio equipment and photographic equipment must not be used in school without special permission from a senior member of staff: This includes recording and photographic facilities on mobile phones."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Greyfriars Catholic School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 34.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.2 in Oxfordshire and 47 across England.
31% 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 34.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.04: pupils made about 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 22.7, against 40.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 17.6 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Business Studies.
Getting a place at Greyfriars Catholic School
For September 2026 entry, 71 families put Greyfriars Catholic School as their first choice and 218 named it as one of their preferences, for 96 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Greyfriars Catholic School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Greyfriars Catholic School are Oxford Spires Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.7); Cheney School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47); The Oxford Academy (1.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 31.2); and The Swan School (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 60.1).
Greyfriars Catholic School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Oxford Spires AcademyCheney SchoolThe Oxford AcademyThe Swan School
The trust
Greyfriars Catholic School is one of 12 schools run by The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, an academy trust.
All 12 schools in The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company
Where pupils go next
Of the 157 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Of the 57 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 42% went on to university or other higher education, 2% to apprenticeships and 26% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
46.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (25%), White British (20%) and Black (18%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Oxford Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Campbell Road (e-bound), 290 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 453 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Greyfriars Catholic School issued 172 suspensions, 25.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Greyfriars Catholic School are St Frideswide Church of England Primary School (under 0.1 miles); Larkrise Primary School (0.2 miles); St Christopher's Church of England School, Cowley (0.6 miles); and St Mary and St John Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Frideswide Church of England Primary SchoolLarkrise Primary SchoolSt Christopher's Church of England School, CowleySt Mary and St John Church of England Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
About
Greyfriars Catholic School is a mixed Roman Catholic secondary school with academy status, located in Cowley, Oxfordshire, England. At the end of the 2021–22 academic year, the school was renamed from St Gregory the Great Catholic School.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
28.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.41 to -0.04 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 36.4 to 34.7 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 31% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 34.7 | 30.9% |
| Disadvantaged(30) | - | 22.7 | 16.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(64) | - | 40.3 | 37.5% |
| Boys(46) | - | 32.1 | 26.1% |
| Girls(48) | - | 37.1 | 35.4% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(49) | - | 29.9 | 24.5% |
| Non mobile(80) | - | 35.7 | 35% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 157 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.15%
Exclusion rate
172
Suspensions
25.67%
Suspension rate
75 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 670 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Latest from Greyfriars Catholic School
Newsletter 2 October 2026 - Issue 4
2 Oct 2026
Newsletter 25 September 2026 - Issue 3
25 Sep 2026
Newsletter 18 September 2026 - Issue 2
18 Sep 2026
Newsletter 11 September 2026 - Issue 1
11 Sep 2026
Greyfriars is a ‘Good’ School - Ofsted 2023
17 Nov 2023
Refugee Support
3 Aug 2022
From Greyfriars Catholic School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Greyfriars Catholic School
Term dates
Greyfriars Catholic School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Oxfordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Greyfriars Catholic School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Greyfriars Catholic School is in Oxfordshire; for families living there:
- Oxfordshire's school travel policy: Free home to school travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 21 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Greyfriars Catholic School
Will you get a place at Greyfriars Catholic School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Greyfriars Catholic School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Greyfriars Catholic School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Greyfriars Catholic School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Oxfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Greyfriars Catholic School for 2021 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Oxfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
51%
Available places
650 pupils
1,275 places
625 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Oxford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Oxford
Across Oxfordshire council
Places available
7,654
Applications
6,814
Got 1st preference
85.4%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Oxfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
113
SEN Support
24
EHC Plans
20.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
669
Total Pupils
332
Boys
337
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
43
Teachers
15.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,621
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,144
Per pupil
£4698k
Total funding
£183k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.7%
Overall absence
29.0%
Persistent absence
579
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Greyfriars Catholic School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Greyfriars Catholic School
What are GCSE results like at Greyfriars Catholic School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Greyfriars Catholic School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 34.7. 31% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Greyfriars Catholic School's Ofsted rating?
Greyfriars Catholic School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023.
What is the catchment area for Greyfriars Catholic School?
No fixed boundary. When Greyfriars Catholic School is oversubscribed, Oxfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Greyfriars Catholic School?
Greyfriars Catholic School was not full in 2025: it ran at 51% of its 1275 places.
How big are the classes at Greyfriars Catholic School?
Classes at Greyfriars Catholic School average 20.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Greyfriars Catholic School?
Greyfriars Catholic School has around 669 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Greyfriars Catholic School?
9.7% of sessions were missed at Greyfriars Catholic School in 2024/25. 29% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Greyfriars Catholic School?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Greyfriars Catholic School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Greyfriars Catholic School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 21 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Greyfriars Catholic School?
Greyfriars Catholic School is at Cricket Road, Cowley, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 3DR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)