School WiselyBeta

The Bicester School[1]

Secondary · ages 11–18

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Headline results

Attainment 8
A8 47 47.3 2025/26[2]
A-level average grade
AL C C 2024/25[3]

Results

GCSE (key stage 4)

Attainment 8
47.3 2025/26[2]
Grade 5+ in English & maths
45.9% 2025/26[2]
Grade 7+ in English & maths
15.5% 2025/26[2]
Progress 8
-0.16 2023/24[4]
Progress 8, 2025/26
Not calculated[5]
Progress 8, 2024/25
Not calculated[5]
Earlier years
Year Attainment 8 Grade 5+ in English & maths Grade 7+ in English & maths Progress 8
2024/25 47.9[6] 49%[6]
2023/24 45.4[4] 40.9%[4] -0.16[4]
2022/23 41.2[7] 33%[7] -0.51[7]
2021/22 46.3[8] 42%[8] -0.32[8]

A level (16–18)

A-level average grade
C 2024/25[3]
AAB or better, at least two in facilitating subjects
9.8% 2024/25[3]
All results, 2020/21
Not published (exams cancelled, COVID-19)[9]
All results, 2019/20
Not published (exams cancelled, COVID-19)[9]
Earlier years
Year A-level average grade AAB or better, at least two in facilitating subjects
2023/24 C+[10] 15.8%[10]
2022/23 B-[11] 28.6%[11]
2021/22 C+[12] 17.1%[12]
2018/19 D+[13] 2.3%[13]

Destinations after GCSEs

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
92% 2022/23[14]
School sixth form
35% 2022/23[14]
Sixth-form college
0% 2021/22[15]
Further education college
43% 2022/23[14]
Apprenticeship
6% 2022/23[14]
Employment
6% 2022/23[14]
Earlier leavers
Left in Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment School sixth form Sixth-form college Further education college Apprenticeship Employment
2021/22 96%[15] 38%[15] 0%[15] 44%[15] 5%[15] 8%[15]
2020/21 91%[16] 37%[16] 0%[16] 39%[16] 5%[16] 10%[16]
2019/20 93%[17] 52%[17] 0%[17] 36%[17] 1%[17] 4%[17]
2018/19 92%[18] 36%[18] 0%[18] 39%[18] 5%[18] 11%[18]

Destinations after 16–18 study

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
92% 2022/23[19]
UK higher education
51% 2022/23[19]
Education
54% 2022/23[19]
Apprenticeship
11% 2022/23[19]
Employment
28% 2022/23[19]
Earlier leavers
Left in Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment UK higher education Education Apprenticeship Employment
2021/22 89%[20] 43%[20] 45%[20] 5%[20] 39%[20]
2020/21 87%[21] 33%[21] 33%[21] 8%[21] 46%[21]
2019/20 91%[22] 49%[22] 51%[22] 2%[22] 38%[22]
2018/19 92%[23] 29%[23] 35%[23] 3%[23] 54%[23]

Higher education after 16–18 study

Progressed to higher education
61% 2021/22[24]
Top third of most selective universities
10% 2021/22[24]
Russell Group universities
12% 2019/20[25]
Oxford or Cambridge
2% 2019/20[25]
Earlier leavers
Left in Progressed to higher education Top third of most selective universities Russell Group universities Oxford or Cambridge
2020/21 59%[26] 29%[26]
2019/20 61%[25] 12%[25] 12%[25] 2%[25]
2018/19 52%[27] 11%[27] 9%[27] 0%[27]
2017/18 46%[28] 3%[28] 1%[28] 0%[28]

Shares of the pupils who left in the year shown. Russell Group and Oxford or Cambridge figures were published for leavers up to 2019/20 only.

Ofsted

Latest inspection
12 Mar 2024[29]
Type
S5 Inspection[29]
Report published
25 Apr 2024[29]
Personal development
Good[29]
Quality of education
Good[29]
Overall effectiveness
Good[29]
Behaviour and attitudes
Good[29]
Safeguarding is effective
Yes[29]
Sixth form provision (where applicable)
Good[29]
Effectiveness of leadership and management
Good[29]
Earlier inspections
InspectionTypeOverall
5 Jun 2018[30] Academy First Section 5[30] Good[30]

Competition to get in

Applications and offers, Year 7

Applications per place
1.7 Entry Sept 2026[31]
Applications (any preference)
385 Entry Sept 2026[31]
First preferences
184 Entry Sept 2026[31]
Places offered
233 Entry Sept 2026[31]
First preferences per place
0.8 Entry Sept 2026[31]
Earlier years
Entry Applications First preferences Places offered Per place First preferences per place
Entry Sept 2025 357[31] 168[31] 176[31] 2.0[31] 1.0[31]
Entry Sept 2024 357[31] 141[31] 174[31] 2.1[31] 0.8[31]
Entry Sept 2023 381[31] 165[31] 209[31] 1.8[31] 0.8[31]
Entry Sept 2022 309[31] 151[31] 203[31] 1.5[31] 0.7[31]

Character & practicalities

Type
Academy sponsor led[1]
Ages
11–18[1]
Boys / girls
Mixed[1]
Admissions
Non-selective[1]
Sixth form
Yes[1]
Boarding
No boarders[1]
Capacity
1430[1]
Trust
ACTIVATE LEARNING EDUCATION TRUST[1]
Local authority
Oxfordshire[1]
Website
www.thebicesterschool.org.uk[1]
District
Cherwell[32]
Postcode
OX26 2NS[1]
URN
142024[1]

School details as recorded in Get Information About Schools on 14 Oct 2026.

Pupils

Number on roll
1198 2024/25[33]
English as an additional language
14.5% 2024/25[33]
SEN support
19.1% 2024/25[33]
EHC plan
1.6% 2024/25[33]
Free school meals in the last 6 years
20% 2024/25[33]

Pupils' ethnicity 2025/26

White
78.1%[34]
Mixed
9.3%[34]
Asian
5.8%[34]
Black
3.2%[34]
Any other ethnic group
2.4%[34]
Unclassified
1.3%[34]

The school census's major ethnic groups as shares of the school's pupils, summed by us from the published counts. For information only: never used to rank, filter or colour schools.

Sources

  1. Department for Education: Get Information About Schools: all establishments. Period 2026-10-14, published 2026-10-14. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  2. Department for Education: Performance tables schools data (explore education statistics). Period 2025/26, provisional, published 2026-10-15. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  3. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  4. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2023/24, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  5. Department for Education: Key stage 4 performance 2024/25: data guidance. Period 2024/25. Archived copy; original. Licence: OGL-3.0.
    Quote
    It is not possible to calculate Progress 8 for academic years 2024/25 and 2025/26 due to gaps in the baseline caused by COVID-19 disruption.
  6. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  7. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  8. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  9. Department for Education: A level and other 16 to 18 results 2020/21. Period 2020/21. Archived copy; original. Licence: OGL-3.0.
    Quote
    Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, and alternative processes were set up to award grades.
  10. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2023/24, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  11. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  12. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  13. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  14. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  15. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  16. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  17. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  18. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  19. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  20. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  21. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  22. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  23. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  24. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  25. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  26. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  27. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  28. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2017/18, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  29. Ofsted: State-funded schools inspections and outcomes. Period 2023/24. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  30. Ofsted: State-funded schools inspections and outcomes. Period 2017/18. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  31. Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers: school level. Period Entry Sept 2026, final, published 2026-06-29. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  32. Office for National Statistics: Parish to Ward to Local Authority District (May 2026) Lookup in EW. Period 2026-05-01. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  33. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: School census. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  34. Department for Education: Schools, pupils and their characteristics: school level underlying data. Period 2025/26, published 2026-06-04. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.