Oasis Academy Daventry Road is still in its early chapters, which shapes almost every part of the parent experience. It is a state secondary for students aged 11 to 16 in Whitchurch, South Bristol, with places allocated through Bristol City Council’s coordinated Year 7 process. The academy is part of Oasis Community Learning, and the leadership structure reflects that wider trust model, with Danny McGilloway named as Principal on the academy website and on the Department for Education’s official records service.
Because the school is newly registered, there is not yet an Ofsted inspection report published for this URN, and many of the standard public benchmarks that parents use to compare secondaries are still emerging. The right way to approach Daventry Road today is as a developing school: focus on culture, behaviour expectations, safeguarding systems, curriculum plans, and how quickly routines are bedding in, rather than expecting a long historic track record.
A new school has to build its identity fast, and Daventry Road signals what it wants to be through clear roles and a visible leadership team. The academy’s public-facing pages position it as inclusive and community-rooted, and the staff listing shows a structured leadership group, including an attendance lead who is also the Designated Safeguarding Lead, plus a SENDCo in the senior team. For parents, that matters because it suggests the academy is putting core operational priorities in place early, attendance, safeguarding, behaviour, and special educational needs coordination.
Leadership messaging also shows the shape of the Oasis model locally. Alongside the Principal role, Oasis Community Learning communications have referred to a Head of School for Daventry Road, and school communications in spring 2024 discussed the appointment of a permanent Head for the academy. If you are visiting or speaking to staff, it is sensible to ask how responsibilities are split day-to-day between Principal and Head of School, and who holds final accountability for behaviour, curriculum, and pastoral systems. In a growing school, clarity here is a real indicator of organisational maturity.
One practical note that may affect atmosphere in the short term is the reality of a school growing year-by-year, often while facilities and routines are still being refined. Oasis has publicly discussed the move from temporary accommodation to a permanent building timeline for the newer Bristol academies. For families, that can mean a mix of excitement and disruption, and it is worth asking what is changing over the next 12 to 24 months, and how the academy protects learning time through those changes.
At present, there is no published Ofsted inspection report for Oasis Academy Daventry Road under URN 149783, which removes one of the main external reference points parents often rely on.
For examination outcomes, this review does not state GCSE performance measures for Daventry Road because they are not available to report here. For families comparing schools, the more useful approach is to look at curriculum planning, quality of teaching, attendance expectations, behaviour systems, and subject pathways, then revisit published outcomes once the academy has a full exam cycle and validated performance data.
What matters most in a new secondary is whether classroom routines and curriculum sequencing are coherent across subjects. Daventry Road frames its curriculum through the wider Oasis approach, and the staffing structure indicates subject leadership is in place. When you speak to the school, ask for practical examples: how homework is set and checked, how students who fall behind are identified, and what the literacy strategy looks like in Key Stage 3.
SEND is also worth probing carefully. The academy names its SENCo and describes routes for parent communication, including structured review points for families and annual review processes for students with Education, Health and Care Plans. That level of clarity is reassuring, but parents should still ask what interventions are delivered in-house, how teaching assistants are deployed, and how the school supports speech, language, and communication needs at secondary level.
Daventry Road is an 11 to 16 secondary, so the main transition points are post-16 destinations into sixth forms, further education colleges, apprenticeships, or training providers across Bristol and the wider area. Because Daventry Road is still establishing its track record, parents should ask how the academy approaches Key Stage 4 options, careers education, and impartial guidance, and what partnerships it has for work experience and post-16 progression.
Year 7 entry is coordinated by Bristol City Council. For September 2026 entry, the council application deadline was 31 October 2025, with national offer day on 2 March 2026. Late applications submitted after the deadline are processed later, with Bristol noting late offers sent in May 2026.
Daventry Road is its own admissions authority through the academy trust, but places still sit within the coordinated local authority process. In practice, parents should read the academy’s admissions policy alongside the Bristol timetable, and confirm whether any supplementary forms are required for their circumstances, for example if any priority criteria apply in oversubscription.
Open events are particularly important for a new school because you are judging trajectory as much as current state. Daventry Road has advertised open evenings and open mornings in the autumn term on its admissions pages, and families should check the current year’s dates directly with the academy.
100%
1st preference success rate
88 of 88 first-choice applicants received an offer
Places
136
Offers
136
Applications
166
In a growing secondary, pastoral strength is usually visible through simple, consistent practice: clear behaviour expectations, rapid follow-up on attendance, and adults who know students well enough to spot early problems. Daventry Road’s public information highlights a designated safeguarding lead within the leadership team and directs parents to appropriate contacts, which is the baseline parents should expect. The next step is to test how it works in reality: how quickly concerns are handled, how bullying is recorded and addressed, and how the academy supports students who struggle with transition into Year 7.
A school’s wider life often develops quickly in the first few years because it is one of the easiest ways to build belonging. Daventry Road has referenced structured after-school opportunities in its communications, and parents should ask what is running this term, how places are allocated, and whether any clubs are targeted at Year 7 transition and confidence-building.
As the student population grows year-on-year, enrichment usually expands too. The right question is not whether there are “lots of clubs” yet, but whether the academy is building a sustainable programme that will scale with cohort size, staff capacity, and facilities.
As a Bristol secondary, school-run transport is typically less central than in rural areas, and families often prioritise safe walking routes, cycling, or public transport links. Because Daventry Road is still developing and may be operating across changing accommodation arrangements, parents should confirm current arrival and dismissal routines, site access, and any short-term travel advice the academy is giving families.
For day-to-day logistics, check the published term dates and the academy’s calendar, and ask directly about any breakfast or after-school provision that supports working families.
A school still building its track record. There is no published Ofsted inspection report for URN 149783 yet. That does not imply a judgement, but it does mean fewer external reference points while the academy is still new.
Leadership model can be multi-layered. The academy names a Principal, and Oasis communications have also referred to a Head of School role for Daventry Road. Ask who leads which areas day-to-day so you know where decisions sit.
Facilities and routines may be in transition. New schools often grow cohorts while buildings and systems mature. Ask what will change between now and the next September intake, and how the academy protects learning time through change.
Oasis Academy Daventry Road is best understood as a developing, community-facing secondary that is still establishing its long-term benchmarks. It will suit families who want a local South Bristol option and are comfortable judging a school by culture, routines, and leadership clarity, rather than by a long history of inspection and results data. The main challenge for some parents is that, because the school is new, you will need to do more first-hand due diligence through open events and direct questions than you would with an established secondary.
It is a newer school, so the usual external signals are still emerging. There is currently no published Ofsted inspection report for URN 149783, and parents should base their judgement on visits, behaviour culture, safeguarding systems, curriculum plans, and how the academy supports students’ transition into Year 7.
Applications are made through Bristol City Council’s coordinated admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the deadline was 31 October 2025 and offers were issued on 2 March 2026. Check Bristol’s admissions timetable for the current cycle.
Ofsted’s report page for the school states that there is no report published yet for this provider, which can happen for newly registered schools.
The academy website names Danny McGilloway as Principal. The Department for Education’s official records service also lists Mr Danny McGilloway as Headteacher or Principal.
The academy has advertised open evenings and open mornings during the autumn term. Because dates can change each year, families should confirm the latest schedule directly with the academy before planning a visit.
Get in touch with the school directly
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