Heyford Park School is thrilled to announce that they have been judged a ‘Good’ school by Ofsted, following a recent full inspection.

In a letter to parents, the Heads and Executive Heads of Primary and Secondary remarked, “This is a fantastic achievement for everyone in our school community. It is something to be very proud of. We are delighted that the hard work undertaken by the Heyford Park School staff, our wider trust and the fantastic support of parents, carers, governors, and friends of the school has been so clearly recognised, and we wish to thank everyone who has contributed to this wonderful outcome”.

Messages of congratulation parents included, “Feeling extremely proud”, “Proud to be part of Heyford Park School!” and “I think this is so well deserved,” among many others.

Heyford Park School is a warm and welcoming all-through school for pupils aged 3 to 16, located at the heart of a growing and thriving community in Upper Heyford, North Oxfordshire. The unique strength of being an all-through school is reflected in the positive relationships that pupils and staff form across all phases. This enables staff to nurture pupils when they join the School, support them to achieve their full potential, and help them develop into confident, accomplished individuals.

“Pupils are respectful and friendly. They engage in school enthusiastically. The purposeful and calm atmosphere in lessons is conducive to high quality learning” (Ofsted 2023)

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A high-quality pastoral care system supports pupils academically and socially, maintaining a positive and purposeful atmosphere. Visitors often comment on the sense of calm that permeates the school.  Executive Head of Primary, Sarah Nickelsen commented, “We are proud that Ofsted recognised our ‘vibrant and inviting learning environment’ across all age groups. Pupils love to learn, supported by teachers who have the highest expectations of behaviour and attitudes to learning.”

“The school has constructed an ambitious and broad curriculum that is designed to stretch and challenge all pupils.” (Ofsted 2023)

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Heyford Park School takes pride in delivering a challenging curriculum and is ambitious about what each pupil can achieve. The journey a pupil takes from nursery through to the end of Key Stage 4 is carefully planned and logically sequenced. Pupils across the school benefit from a deep understanding of the learning goals at the end of each Key Stage and an all-through model supports a smooth and trouble-free transition from the end of Key Stage 2 into secondary. 

Head of Primary, Rob Marchant said, “We take pride in knowing every child well and as an all-through school we have a uniquely long-lasting relationship with pupils, community and families.”

As pupils progress through the primary years, they will get increasing opportunities to use secondary specialist facilities such as science laboratories. Pupils in the upper primary years benefit from specialist teaching in science, PE, Spanish and Mandarin, which provides a great foundation as they embark on their secondary experience. 

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“Older pupils relish the opportunity to nurture younger pupils. They are rightly proud of the contribution they make to their school.” (Ofsted 2023)

At Heyford Park School there is a strong focus on character development, supporting pupils to become good citizens. Whilst academic excellence is an important focus, the aim is to develop pupils to be able to navigate with confidence the world beyond school. From Nursery to Key Stage 4 pupils are provided with a deeper understanding and awareness of the moral, spiritual, and cultural issues in society.

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“The school benefits from strong collaboration with partner schools in the trust at all levels of leadership.” (Ofsted 2023)

Heyford Park School is part of the Eynsham Partnership Academy (EPA) Trust. The school has close links with Bartholomew School, Eynsham. Executive Head of Secondary, Craig Thomas explains, “Secondary teachers benefit from joint training and development and shared principles of teaching. Pupils from Heyford Park School can access an outstanding Sixth Form provision at Bartholomew School, with free transport provided from Upper Heyford and Bicester.” These links guarantee that children receive the highest quality teaching and learning and experience a broad and ambitious curriculum.

Secondary Head Andy Binnington said, “We all care deeply about the school and our community and work hard every day to ensure our pupils are happy in school and have the opportunities to be the best they can.  This stamp of approval from Ofsted fuels us further to continue on the exciting and rewarding journey that being part of the Heyford Park School success story brings”.

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How to apply for a place at Heyford Park School

When your child joins us in Nursery their place is guaranteed through each phase, without the need to reapply at the start of Primary or Secondary.

For pupils transferring into Reception or Year 7 from other schools, the application process is managed by the Admissions Team at Oxfordshire County Council (OCC). For those joining Heyford Park School at any other stage through to Key Stage 4, admissions are managed by the School, where places are available.

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To learn more about Heyford Park School please visit our website: www.heyfordparkschool.org. To arrange a visit, please contact our admissions team at admissions@heyford.epatrust.org or telephone 01869 232203. Our Open Evening takes place in September with full details advertised on our website.