The Iffley Academy, Oxford
The Iffley Academy is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 18 in Oxford, part of The Gallery Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Iffley Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Iffley Academy are Orion Academy (1.5 miles, Requires improvement); Oxfordshire Hospital School (1.7 miles, Outstanding); Mabel Prichard School (1.7 miles); and Endeavour Academy, Oxford (2.9 miles, Good).
Orion AcademyOxfordshire Hospital SchoolMabel Prichard SchoolEndeavour Academy, Oxford
The trust
The Iffley Academy is one of 7 schools run by The Gallery Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 25 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 96% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 56% to a further education college.
Who goes there
43.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 6.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%), Mixed (8%) and Asian (5%).
Almost every pupil at The Iffley Academy has an education, health and care plan (180 of 180 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
The Iffley Academy has a resourced provision for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 165 places, 165 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Oxford Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Henley Avenue (nw-bound), 270 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 372 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
The Iffley Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are immensely proud of their school. They feel valued and accepted for who they are in this highly nurturing place. Pupils settle quickly into school life because adults take the time to know their individual special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff go the extra mile to ensure that pupils make excellent progress academically, socially and emotionally. This includes the high proportion of disadvantaged pupils. There is an inherent culture of high expectations. Consequently, pupils achieve highly from their individual starting points.
Pupils feel safe and are extremely well cared for. They rarely fall out and make strong, lasting friendships. This is because adults expertly help pupils to understand each other's points of view through the 'mend it' conversations. Older students are supported to become increasingly independent as they start to prepare for adult life. For example, by learning to manage money, running the 'Life Skills Cafe' and travelling on public transport. Pupils thoroughly enjoy participating in Duke of Edinburgh expeditions.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is highly aspirational. It pays close attention to each pupil's education, health and care plans (EHC plan) targets and starting points. The curriculum in all subjects is expertly wrapped around pupils' individual learning needs. Consequently, pupils benefit from a highly personalised and tailored curriculum, which meets their specific pastoral and academic needs successfully. In the sixth form, students benefit from a highly effective academic and vocational curriculum, which prepares them exceptionally well for routes into employment and adulthood. Students leave with valuable qualifications that help them to pursue the next stage of their career and education.
From Ofsted's July 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its December 2014 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
43.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism, SEMH, MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Iffley Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Iffley Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Iffley Academy 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
- 26
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 17 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle.
10 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
150%
Over capacity
180 pupils
120 places
60 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
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.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
180
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Iffley Academy has a resourced provision for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 165 places, 165 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
180
Total Pupils
124
Boys
56
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
7.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,917
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.8%
Overall absence
22.4%
Persistent absence
152
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
The Iffley Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Iffley Academy
What is The Iffley Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Iffley Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Iffley Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Iffley Academy is oversubscribed, Oxfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Iffley Academy?
The Iffley Academy has around 180 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Iffley Academy have specialist SEN provision?
The Iffley Academy has a resourced provision for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 165 places, 165 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at The Iffley Academy?
9.8% of sessions were missed at The Iffley Academy in 2024/25. 22.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Iffley Academy?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Iffley Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The Iffley Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 17 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle. 10 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 The Iffley Academy?
The Iffley Academy is at Iffley Turn, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 4DU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)