Sir William Ramsay School, High Wycombe
Sir William Ramsay School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in High Wycombe, part of Insignis Academy Trust. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 8th-highest of the 8 schools in High Wycombe with published results, and 3,104th of 3,298 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Buckinghamshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sir William Ramsay School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Sir William Ramsay School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 55 in Buckinghamshire and 47 across England.
23% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 61% in Buckinghamshire and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 35.4.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 28.2, against 38.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.1 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Sir William Ramsay School
For September 2026 entry, 45 families put Sir William Ramsay School as their first choice and 171 named it as one of their preferences, for 207 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 Sir William Ramsay School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Sir William Ramsay School are The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe (1.3 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 71.9); Holmer Green Senior School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.6); The Highcrest Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42); and St Michael's Catholic School (2.8 miles, Attainment 8 48.7).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Sir William Ramsay School.
The Royal Grammar School, High WycombeHolmer Green Senior SchoolThe Highcrest AcademySt Michael's Catholic School
The trust
Sir William Ramsay School is one of 6 schools run by Insignis Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 53.6 in 2024/25.
Who goes there
35% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 31% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (39%), Asian (26%) and Mixed (12%).
Sir William Ramsay School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment and physical disability: 8 places, 7 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is High Wycombe Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sir William Ramsay School (inside), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sir William Ramsay School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sir William Ramsay School issued 188 suspensions, 18.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Sir William Ramsay School are Hazlemere Church of England Combined School (0.2 miles), Manor Farm Junior School (0.4 miles), Manor Farm Community Infant School (0.4 miles) and Highworth Combined School and Nursery (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Hazlemere Church of England Combined SchoolManor Farm Junior SchoolManor Farm Community Infant SchoolHighworth Combined School and Nursery
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 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
Location
Buckinghamshire published that the last place for 2021 entry went to a family 1.066 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Sir William Ramsay School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in March 2024. Before that, as Sir William Ramsay School (URN 137256), it was rated Inadequate in June 2022.
About
Sir William Ramsay School is a co-educational secondary school in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire, England. It takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18 with a total of approximately 1,180 pupils attending.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
35.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Hearing, Physical
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Attainment 8 has declined from 35.4 to 35.1 (2025 to 2026), while gCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 26% to 23% (2025 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 35.1 | 22.5% |
| Disadvantaged(59) | - | 28.2 | 15.3% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(128) | - | 38.3 | 25.8% |
| Boys(84) | - | 33.1 | 22.6% |
| Girls(103) | - | 36.8 | 22.3% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(42) | - | 35.6 | 26.2% |
| Non mobile(180) | - | 35.3 | 22.8% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
188
Suspensions
18.20%
Suspension rate
102 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,033 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Sir William Ramsay School
Term dates
Sir William Ramsay School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Buckinghamshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sir William Ramsay School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sir William Ramsay School is in Buckinghamshire; for families living there:
- Buckinghamshire's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy (0 to 25 Year Olds)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 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 Sir William Ramsay School
Will you get a place at Sir William Ramsay School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sir William Ramsay School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sir William Ramsay School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sir William Ramsay School.
- Last distance offered for 2021 entry, from Buckinghamshire's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sir William Ramsay School for 2024 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Buckinghamshire 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
88%
Available places
1,026 pupils
1,165 places
139 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - High Wycombe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for High Wycombe
Across Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,847
Applications
6,535
Got 1st preference
76.7%
Got preferred school
93.9%
All secondary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
206
SEN Support
31
EHC Plans
24.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Sir William Ramsay School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment and physical disability: 8 places, 7 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
984
Total Pupils
489
Boys
495
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
69
Teachers
14.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,876
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,617
Per pupil
£7528k
Total funding
£332k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.6%
Overall absence
38.8%
Persistent absence
1,007
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
Sir William Ramsay School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Sir William Ramsay School
What are GCSE results like at Sir William Ramsay School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Sir William Ramsay School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 35.1. 23% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Sir William Ramsay School's Ofsted rating?
Sir William Ramsay School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in March 2024. Before that, as Sir William Ramsay School (URN 137256), it was rated Inadequate in June 2022.
How close to Sir William Ramsay School do you need to live?
Buckinghamshire published for September 2021 entry that the last place offered at Sir William Ramsay School on distance went to a family 1.066 miles away. This is the authority's own figure for one year, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Is it hard to get a place at Sir William Ramsay School?
Sir William Ramsay School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 1165 places.
How big are the classes at Sir William Ramsay School?
Classes at Sir William Ramsay School average 24.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sir William Ramsay School?
Sir William Ramsay School has around 984 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Sir William Ramsay School have specialist SEN provision?
Sir William Ramsay School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment and physical disability: 8 places, 7 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Sir William Ramsay School?
11.6% of sessions were missed at Sir William Ramsay School in 2024/25. 38.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sir William Ramsay School?
Apply through Buckinghamshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Sir William Ramsay 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 Sir William Ramsay School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sir William Ramsay School?
Sir William Ramsay School is at Rose Avenue, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP15 7UB.
Sources: Buckinghamshire admissions booklet; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)