The Bicester School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher has insisted on high standards since his appointment. He has inspired the trust and confidence of leaders, governors and parents with his strongly held view of an excellent education for all. Leaders have a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses.

Their commitment and focus have led to rapid improvements in teaching, behaviour and progress and a better curriculum. Strong teaching, pupils' positive attitudes and high expectations have ensured that current pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, progress well. Pupils' behaviour is good.
...r/>Conduct around the school is calm and orderly. Pupils are well mannered and polite. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive.

Pupils are well cared for. Activate Learning Educational Trust (ALET) supports the school effectively. It has ensured that the school has been increasingly successful in recruitment, financial management and in increasing the number of pupils who join the school.

Fundamental British values are not embedded consistently across the curriculum. Although pupils are respectful and tolerant, some pupils are not fully aware of the importance of democracy in modern Britain. Governors have a wide range of experience and they know the school well.

They provide high levels of challenge to the headteacher and leaders. The sixth form requires improvement. In too many subjects, students do not make as much progress as they should.

Leaders have put plans in place to improve students' progress but these have not yet sufficiently improved outcomes. Pupils, increasingly, have opportunities to study a range of challenging courses in key stage 4 and in 16–19 study programmes. Safeguarding arrangements are strong.

Leaders prioritise the safety of pupils and students. This contributes to a vigilant safeguarding culture. Teachers' use of the school's assessment and feedback policy is not consistent.

Information about this school

The school joined the Activate Learning Educational Trust in September 2015. The trust has worked with school leaders to provide strategic direction in order to improve the school. The trust delegates aspects of governance to the local governing body.

The Board of Trustees is the accountable body for all schools in the Activate Learning Educational Trust. The Bicester School is an averaged sized secondary school. The majority of pupils are White British.

The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged is below the national average for secondary schools. A very small number of pupils attend an alternative provider, Meadowbrook College. The school meets the government's floor standards.

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