The Cherwell SchoolMatthew Arnold School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Oxford.
Summary of the comparison
The Cherwell School and Matthew Arnold School are secondary schools in Oxford.
The Cherwell School scores 80 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Matthew Arnold School scores 62 out of 100 (grade C, average). The Cherwell School is ahead on our composite score.
The Cherwell School was judged Outstanding and Matthew Arnold School was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 58.3 for The Cherwell School and 56.5 for Matthew Arnold School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Cherwell School (63.3 in 2021-22, 58.3 in 2024-25) and has held broadly level at Matthew Arnold School (55.4 in 2021-22, 56.5 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | OxfordThe Cherwell School | OxfordMatthew Arnold School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B80/100Stronger figure | C62/100 | |
| Local ranking | 3rd of 41 in Oxfordshire Stronger figure | 16th of 41 in Oxfordshire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 2,008 | 1,250 | |
| Capacity | 1,850 | 1,220 | |
| Location | Oxford, OX2 7EE | Oxford, OX2 9JE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 58.3 Stronger figure | 56.5 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 66.2% Stronger figure | 65.2% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 79.2% | 83.1% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 50.9% | 53.6% Stronger figure | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 5.32 Stronger figure | 5.28 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 269 | 207 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 312 | 107 | |
| A-level average points | 40.3 Stronger figure | 34.0 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B | C+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 39.9 Stronger figure | 33.2 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 34.3% Stronger figure | 16.8% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 2,008 | 1,250 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 18.6% | 12.7% | |
| English as an additional language | 25.9% | 16.4% | |
| SEN support | 13.6% | 16.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.6% | 2.8% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.2% Stronger figure | 9.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 19.4% Stronger figure | 22.0% | 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.
The Cherwell School
Matthew Arnold School
Full profiles: The Cherwell School · Matthew Arnold School