John Mason SchoolLarkmead School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Abingdon.
Summary of the comparison
John Mason School and Larkmead School are secondary schools in Abingdon.
John Mason School scores 50 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Larkmead School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Larkmead School is ahead on our composite score.
John Mason School was judged Good and Larkmead School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 44.9 for John Mason School and 39.0 for Larkmead School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at John Mason School (50.1 in 2021-22, 44.9 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Larkmead School (41.4 in 2021-22, 39.0 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | AbingdonJohn Mason School | AbingdonLarkmead School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D50/100 | D54/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 33rd of 41 in Oxfordshire | 25th of 41 in Oxfordshire Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 927 | 959 | |
| Capacity | 1,040 | 1,060 | |
| Location | Abingdon, OX14 1JB | Abingdon, OX14 1RF | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 44.9 Stronger figure | 39.0 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 43.8% Stronger figure | 29.5% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 64.6% Stronger figure | 53.4% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 178 | 146 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 77 | 66 | |
| A-level average points | 31.3 | 32.5 Stronger figure | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C | C+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 29.5 | 32.4 Stronger figure | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 10.1% | 10.6% Stronger figure | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 995 | 940 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 23.6% | 21.7% | |
| English as an additional language | 15.1% | 10.4% | |
| SEN support | 16.8% | 14.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.4% | 5.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 13.5% | 12.6% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 31.3% Stronger figure | 31.4% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
John Mason School
Larkmead School
Full profiles: John Mason School · Larkmead School