Oasis Academy Mayfield Review 2026: A values-led Southampton secondary with improving momentum

Proud, kind, determined is not just a poster slogan here. It is the language that shapes expectations, behaviour routines, and how students are encouraged to show up for each other in a busy 11–16 secondary in Sholing, Southampton.

Leadership stability matters in schools doing improvement work, and Oasis Academy Mayfield has had it. Claire Taylor has been principal since 2018, after working at the academy from 2014.

Ofsted inspected in April 2024 and judged the academy Good across all areas, and safeguarding arrangements effective.

Mayfield sits within Oasis Community Learning, and that trust identity is present in both the curriculum language and the community-facing work through the Oasis Community Hub model referenced in official reporting.

The academy’s internal framing is clear. Students are expected to live the Mayfield Way, and the values are used as working tools for repairing harm and setting boundaries, including a stated restorative approach to conflict and unkindness.

There are also tangible signs that literacy and reading have been given prominence. In March 2025 the academy opened a refurbished library space with a themed redesign created by literacy and art teams, with a deliberate goal of making reading for pleasure feel inviting.

School culture in secondaries is often best understood by what gets celebrated publicly. In 2025 the academy reported a Southampton Reading Charter Bronze Award, and also highlighted competitive success for its Year 8 girls football team in the U13 Utilita EFL Cup. Neither tells the whole story, but both indicate a school that is trying to build pride through participation and achievement, not only exam grades.

This is an 11–16 school, so headline outcomes are primarily about GCSE readiness and progress through Key Stage 4.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), Oasis Academy Mayfield is ranked 2,401st in England and 13th in Southampton. That sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), a profile that usually reads as steady rather than selective.

Looking at the published metrics available here, the academy’s Attainment 8 score is 41.2, and the Progress 8 score is -0.37. A negative Progress 8 score indicates students, on average, made less progress than similar students nationally from their starting points. (Progress 8 is a contextual measure; it is useful for comparison across years, but it should be read alongside curriculum changes and attendance patterns.)

For families comparing local secondaries, the FindMySchool Local Hub pages and the Comparison Tool are often the quickest way to see how this profile sits against other Southampton options on the same measures, without relying on league-table noise.

The most convincing evidence about teaching quality is specificity, and here the clearest publicly available picture is that the academy has been rebuilding consistency through curriculum and classroom routines. The latest inspection describes a new, ambitious curriculum and indicates that most lessons are strong, with staff collaboration used to identify and close gaps in knowledge.

What this means in practice for students is likely a structured lesson experience with predictable learning routines, and a curriculum that aims to be broad and balanced, with the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) positioned centrally in Key Stage 4 planning.

Support for students who need it is a recurring theme. Public information describes SEND support through a “local offer” approach, and the inspection report states that pupils with SEND are well supported in lessons and take advantage of what the school offers. For parents, that suggests a mainstream setting that expects inclusion to happen in everyday classrooms, not only through withdrawal.

Where Students Go Next

Because the academy is 11–16, the key transition is post-16. The most useful question for families is less “Which institution?” and more “How prepared will my child be to choose well?”

A strong feature highlighted in formal reporting is careers education within the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) programme, described as carefully planned and supportive of raising aspirations, including for disadvantaged students and those with SEND.

The academy also describes a programme of enrichment experiences intended to broaden horizons, including trips and visits, and the Year 6 transition information points pupils towards opportunities that include university-focused experiences.

For families, the implication is that Mayfield is aiming to make the post-16 decision an informed one, with exposure to routes beyond the immediate neighbourhood. That matters in a city where local sixth forms, colleges, and vocational pathways can vary significantly in offer and culture.

Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through Southampton City Council, rather than direct school application.

For September 2026 entry, the academy’s Published Admissions Number (PAN) for Year 7 is 180.

The on-time application deadline for September 2026 Year 7 entry is 31 October 2025 (23:59).

Oversubscription is handled by a standard priority order: looked-after and previously looked-after children, children with exceptional medical or social care grounds (with evidence), siblings, then distance from home to the school gate using straight-line measurement.

The local authority application portal opens for September 2026 applications on Monday 1 September 2025, and the local authority states that Year 7 applications close on 31 October 2025 at 23:59.

National Offer Day for secondary places is 2 March 2026, and Southampton’s coordinated scheme references this date for 2026 entry.

If you are weighing distance-based admissions, it is worth using FindMySchoolMap Search to measure your precise straight-line distance consistently, then sanity-check it against the academy’s admission rules and any published local authority distance modelling for the year.

Open evenings and tours are offered, but the academy indicates that dates are updated on its own website and channels rather than fixed permanently on the admissions page.

Pastoral structure is described in a fairly traditional way, with Heads of Year and Assistant Heads of Year responsible for attendance, behaviour, wellbeing, uniform, and day-to-day non-academic support.

Safeguarding information is substantial on the academy site, with dedicated resources for students and parents, including online safety guidance. In practice, this matters because modern pastoral care is as much about digital life as it is about corridors and classrooms.

Behaviour is framed through a restorative lens, with published documentation describing a system that includes restorative conversations and a graduated response alongside sanctions. For families, the implication is that behaviour is treated as teachable, with a stated priority on repairing relationships as well as enforcing expectations.

The academy timetable builds in a visible commitment to participation. There is a scheduled after-school period for clubs and intervention that runs from 3:00pm to 4:00pm as part of the academy day structure.

Clubs rotate, but Mayfield publishes enough detail to show variety beyond the usual headline sports. A published extracurricular timetable includes examples such as Tabletop Gaming Club, Keyboard Club, Fitness Club, Girls Cricket Club, and Rounders, alongside revision support.

For Year 6 transition, the academy explicitly references options such as cooking, drama, robotics and homework clubs as examples of what students can join in that period. That specificity is useful because it signals a programme designed for broad take-up, not only for high-performing sports teams.

Music is presented as a significant strand, with the department listing instrument tuition across keyboard, piano, drums, guitar, bass guitar, brass, strings, woodwind, voice, and more. The practical implication is that students who want structured instrumental development have an on-site route without needing an external music hub as the only option.

The core school day runs from 8:35am to 3:00pm, with students expected to arrive by 8:25am.

The published “academy day” schedule includes five lessons, break, lunch, and a tutor programme, followed by clubs and intervention to 4:00pm.

Wraparound care in the primary sense does not apply here, but the structured post-3pm enrichment and intervention window is relevant for working families planning pick-up and travel. Transport details such as nearest stops and routes are best checked against current timetables; the academy does not present a single definitive “how to get here” travel guide on the pages referenced in this review.

• Attendance remains a live issue. The latest inspection identifies that attendance for some pupils is too low, and that this is affecting achievement. Families with a child who has struggled with attendance should ask detailed questions about what support looks like day-to-day.

• Consistency of teaching is a stated improvement priority. The inspection also indicates that while teaching is often strong, some inconsistency remains because the purpose behind activities is not always fully understood. Ask how staff training and coaching is being used to tighten this across subjects.

• Admissions can be competitive. The PAN for Year 7 is 180 and, when the school is oversubscribed, distance becomes decisive after priority groups. If you are relying on proximity, validate your distance carefully and keep alternative preferences realistic.

• No sixth form on site. Students move elsewhere at 16, so you will want to look ahead early at post-16 options, entry requirements, travel time, and how well your child handles a bigger transition at the end of Year 11.

Oasis Academy Mayfield is a values-led 11–16 secondary with a clear structure to the day, visible investment in reading culture, and a broad approach to participation through its daily clubs and intervention window. The strongest fit is for families who want a mainstream Southampton secondary that sets expectations through clear routines and an explicit restorative approach, and who will engage with attendance and learning habits as priorities. Admission is not selective, but securing a place can still be constrained by oversubscription and distance.