Oxford Academy, Oxfordshire
The Oxford Academy is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Littlemore, Oxford, England. Formerly Peers School, it was re-opened as an Academy in September 2008 and is the state secondary school for The Leys, Rose Hill and Littlemore..
The Oxford Academy | |
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Address | |
Sandy Lane West , , OX4 6JZ England | |
Coordinates | 51°43′16″N 1°13′05″W |
Information | |
Type | Academy |
Motto | Learning and Leading for the World of Tomorrow |
Established | 2008 |
Local authority | Oxfordshire County Council |
Trust | River Learning Trust |
Department for Education URN | 148354 Tables |
Ofsted | Reports |
Headteacher | Nora Ward |
Gender | Coeducational |
Age | 11 to 18 |
Website | http://www.theoxfordacademy.org.uk/ |
History
Grammar school
The school's origins begin with Littlemore Grammar School.
Comprehensive
In 1968 Littlemore Grammar School merged with Northfield Secondary Modern School to form Oxford's first comprehensive school - the Peers School.
The Academy
The Oxford Academy opened in September 2008 on the site of Peers School, which had been designated a failing school. It initially used the existing buildings from the former school. In March 2009 the construction of a new, purpose-built £33 million school building was approved by Oxfordshire County Council.[1] The new building was opened to pupils in February 2011.[2] The Academy was placed in special measures in January 2013, following an Ofsted inspection in November 2012. David Brown was appointed headmaster as a result of the inspection. In January 2015 the school's rating was improved and it was taken out of special measures.[3] However following a subsequent inspection in 2019 the Academy was rated "inadequate" and returned to special measures.[4]
The Academy's sponsors are Beecroft Trust (a charitable initiative of venture capitalist Adrian Beecroft), the Diocese of Oxford, and Oxford Brookes University. It has 1,267 students, including a sixth form. Class sizes are smaller than average in the state sector, with between 20 and 25 students in a class rather than between 25 and 30.[3] After being returned to special measures in 2020 an interim academy board and intermin headteacher, David Terry, were appointed to oversee planned changes.[5] In March 2020 Nora Ward was appointed as the new permanent headteacher from September 2020.[6]
Notable former pupils
Littlemore Grammar School
- Ursula Buchan, gardening columnist and author, daughter of William Buchan, 3rd Baron Tweedsmuir,[7] and granddaughter of John Buchan (The Thirty-Nine Steps and Governor General of Canada from 1935–40)[8]
Peers School
- Antonia Boström, art curator and author at the V&A, step-daughter of Sir Norman Hulbert[9]
- Eloise Millar, novelist (from 1988–91)[10]
References
- "Oxford Academy gets £33m rebuild". BBC News. London. 26 March 2009.
- "Oxford Academy ready to open doors of its new building". Oxford Mail. Oxford. 21 February 2011.
- "Oxford Academy gets itself out of special measures". Oxford Mail. Oxford. 10 January 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- Grubb, Sophie (17 January 2020). "The Oxford Academy rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted and placed in special measures". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- Grubb, Sophie (17 January 2020). "The Oxford Academy leaders confident of improvements after Ofsted report". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- Grubb, Sophie (19 March 2020). "The Oxford Academy names new headteacher". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- "Obituary: William Buchan". The Guardian. 7 July 2008. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019.
- Ursula Buchan
- Antonia Boström
- Eloise Millar