Heyford Park School Review 2026: A growing all-through option in Heyford Park, with strong primary outcomes and competitive Year 7 demand

A single school serving ages 3 to 19 is unusual in Oxfordshire, and it shapes the experience here. Continuity matters, particularly for families who want children to settle once and move through familiar routines, expectations, and relationships. Official inspection evidence also points to a culture where pupils of different ages mix safely and older pupils take responsibility, including through the active student council.

Performance is mixed by phase. Primary outcomes are a clear strength, with 85% reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. GCSE indicators are closer to the middle of the pack, with a Progress 8 score of -0.13 suggesting outcomes slightly below pupils’ starting points when compared with similar students nationally.

Demand patterns are important to understand, because this is not a school where places are plentiful. Reception entry and Year 7 entry are both oversubscribed, with Year 7 showing materially higher competition than Reception based on the most recent published application and offer counts.

A school built around an all-through model needs shared language and consistent expectations. External evidence suggests those expectations are clear early. Reception pupils are taught simple principles around being ready, respectful and safe, and the same behavioural clarity appears to carry upwards through the age range.

The tone is described in official evidence as purposeful and calm in lessons, with staff knowing pupils as individuals and aiming high for them, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. That combination often appeals to families who want structure, predictable routines, and a school day that feels organised rather than improvised.

Leadership is slightly more complex than at a traditional one-phase school. The school sits within EPA Trust, and inspection evidence describes a structure that includes executive headteachers and phase heads of school. Current government listings name Mr Andrew Binnington as Headteacher or Principal, and the trust’s own leadership story notes that he returned to the trust in 2022 and leads the secondary phase as Head of School.

Primary outcomes (end of Year 6)

Primary results are the clearest academic selling point in the available data.

• In 2024, 85% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. England’s average is 62%.

• At the higher standard, 23% achieved greater depth across reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%.

• Scaled scores are also strong, with reading at 105, mathematics at 106, and grammar, punctuation and spelling at 107.

In FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings based on official data, the school is ranked 5,040th in England for primary outcomes and 8th locally (Bicester), a position broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

What this means in practice is that the current primary phase profile looks like high attainment against national benchmarks, with a particular strength at the higher standard, rather than a marginal uplift around the expected threshold.

GCSE outcomes (end of Year 11)

At secondary level, the picture is steadier and closer to average.

• Attainment 8 is 43.7.

• Progress 8 is -0.13, which generally indicates slightly below-average progress from starting points.

• EBacc average point score is 3.82, compared with an England average of 4.08.

• 12.3% achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure.

In FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings based on official data, the school is ranked 2,390th in England for GCSE outcomes and 3rd locally (Bicester), reflecting performance that sits close to the middle of the England distribution.

Post-16 outcomes (A-level)

Published A-level outcome measures are not available in the current dataset, so it is not possible to make evidence-based claims about grade distributions or value added at this stage.

The most useful external evidence here is inspection detail about how learning is organised across phases. The curriculum is described as broad and ambitious, with careful sequencing in core subjects so that knowledge and skills build progressively.

Early reading is treated as a priority, with consistent phonics delivery and close matching of books to sounds pupils know, an approach that typically benefits both confident readers and those who need tighter scaffolding.

A constructive improvement theme also matters for parents evaluating classroom experience day to day. Inspection evidence notes that in some subjects teachers do not always check and revisit key knowledge and vocabulary before moving on, which can lead to gaps for some pupils. The same report also indicates that support for weaker readers in the secondary phase needed further refinement at that point in time.

Because published destination statistics are not available in the current public data, and the school website could not be accessed for confirmation of destinations, it is not appropriate to state percentages for university, apprenticeships, or employment pathways.

What can be said, based on inspection evidence, is that careers education is built as a structured programme and includes a careers fair intended to broaden pupils’ awareness of next steps in education, training, and employment. For many families, the practical question will be how this translates into sixth form and post-18 guidance over time, particularly given that the school was still developing its sixth form offer at the time of the last full inspection.

Demand and competition

This is not a low-demand school on the most recent admissions data.

• Reception route: 51 applications for 39 offers, recorded as oversubscribed, around 1.31 applications per place.

• Year 7 route: 124 applications for 38 offers, recorded as oversubscribed, around 3.26 applications per place.

The implication is clear. Reception is competitive but potentially achievable for a meaningful share of applicants. Year 7 is significantly more competitive, and families should treat it as a high-demand entry point.

How and when to apply (Oxfordshire coordinated admissions)

For September 2026 Reception entry in Oxfordshire, applications opened on 4 November 2025 and closed on 15 January 2026, with offers issued on 16 April 2026.

For September 2026 Year 7 entry in Oxfordshire, applications opened on 12 September 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025, with offers issued on 2 March 2026.

Distance data for the last offer was not available in the current dataset, so families should not rely on informal assumptions about how far offers typically extend. This is a good moment to use the FindMySchool Map Search to check practical proximity and compare it with any published local allocation data when it becomes available for the relevant year.

Open events

The school has previously publicised a secondary open evening dated 20 September 2024. That does not provide a current schedule for 2026 entry, but it does suggest open events commonly fall in September. Families should confirm the current year’s dates directly with the school.

Pastoral strength is often the deciding factor in a growing all-through school, because pupils will experience multiple transitions even if they do not change site. Official evidence describes staff knowing pupils well, younger children settling quickly, and older pupils taking responsibility for younger pupils at social times, all of which tends to support emotional safety and belonging.

Safeguarding is a baseline issue for any family shortlisting schools. The latest Ofsted inspection, carried out on 10 and 11 October 2023 and published in November 2023, judged the school Good overall and confirmed safeguarding arrangements were effective at that point.

For an all-through school, extracurricular provision needs to work for very different ages, and the most reliable evidence here is again inspection detail rather than marketing language. A range of clubs is referenced, along with trips and visits beyond the taught curriculum, which is often where pupils find confidence and a sense of identity beyond academic sets.

Two specific features stand out as indicators of the school’s approach to personal development:

• Active student council. This is singled out as something pupils aspire to, and it signals opportunities for pupil voice and responsibility. The practical benefit for families is that children who enjoy leadership, organising, or representing peers may find a clear route to contribute.

• A careers fair within a wider careers programme. Not every school in this phase range puts careers education front and centre, so a planned programme, plus a careers fair, suggests deliberate preparation for choices at key transition points.

In the primary phase, the ‘debug’ system is referenced as a mechanism pupils use to learn to cooperate kindly. While not an extracurricular activity, it is a concrete example of how social development is taught as a skill rather than left to chance.

This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees.

The school operates its own before and after-school club, but published start and finish times for the standard day were not available from accessible sources, so families should confirm exact hours directly.

For travel, the school is described in a government-hosted vacancy listing as being accessible from Bicester, Banbury, and Oxford, which aligns with its Heyford Park location and can help families sanity-check commute practicality.

• Year 7 demand is high. With 124 applications for 38 offers in the latest data, admission is materially more competitive at Year 7 than at Reception. Families considering a later move-in should plan for contingency options.

• Secondary progress measures are not yet a strength. Progress 8 at -0.13 suggests outcomes slightly below average from starting points. For some children this will be manageable with good teaching and family support; for others it may prompt comparison with nearby alternatives.

• Consistency of recall and checking in lessons is a development point. Official evidence indicates that in some subjects key vocabulary and knowledge are not always revisited before new content, which can create gaps for some pupils. Parents of children who need more repetition or explicit retrieval practice should explore how this is handled now.

• Post-16 is hard to judge from published outcomes. A-level performance measures are not available in the current data, so families prioritising sixth form outcomes will need to gather first-hand information about subject range, cohort size, and progression support.

Heyford Park School is a legitimate all-through choice for families who value continuity from nursery through to secondary, and who want a school that external evidence describes as orderly and calm in lessons. Primary outcomes are a clear strength, and Year 7 demand indicates that the school is a serious local option rather than a fallback.

It suits families comfortable with a school that is still building depth in its secondary performance profile, and who are prepared to do careful due diligence on GCSE and post-16 pathways. For those who secure a place, the draw is stability, clear expectations, and a whole-school approach that starts early and is designed to carry through.