King Alfred's, Wantage

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades King Alfred's on 7 areas: 2 expected standard and 5 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders accurately and swiftly identify any barriers to learning and/or wellbeing that pupils may have."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have put in place a well-considered sixth-form offer that reflects the local context and the needs of students."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Achievement is inconsistent for different pupil groups and subject areas."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Attendance is not as high as it needs to be."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "In some subjects, the curriculum is not as ambitious or coherent as it needs to be."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders' actions have not yet had sufficient impact in some areas of the school's work."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Leaders do not have consistently clear oversight of the impact of the personal development programme."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that absence rates are reduced as quickly as possible, particularly for disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders should ensure that staff consistently identify any misconceptions or knowledge gaps that pupils have, and support pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, to close those gaps as swiftly as possible so that they can achieve more securely"; "Leaders should continue to improve the ambition and coherence of the curriculum across all subjects, ensuring a clear and consistent approach, particularly in writing"; "Leaders should ensure that consistently effective teaching across the school supports pupils to secure their knowledge in all aspects of relationships and sex education and health education, and citizenship"; "Leaders should ensure that staff support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils consistently enables them to access learning independently".

In its own words: "King Alfred's Academy is a co-educational comprehensive academy and part of the Cambrian Learning Trust. (The policy is the same as for all Community Schools). Students from our agreed catchment area will be admitted at age 11 without reference to ability or aptitude."

In 2026, pupils at King Alfred's averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.4, 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 down from 45.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.02: 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 24.7, against 47.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 22.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 167 families put King Alfred's as their first choice and 357 named it as one of their preferences, for 222 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

King Alfred's is one of 18 schools run by Cambrian Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 236 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 34% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 171 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 48% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 33% into work. 28% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

15.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of King Alfred's.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is King Alfreds School (near), 40 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood King Alfred's stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 92 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, King Alfred's issued 879 suspensions, 49.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to King Alfred's are Wantage Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles), Stockham Primary School (0.5 miles), Charlton Primary School (0.9 miles) and St Nicholas CofE Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.