The Cooper SchoolWhitelands Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bicester.
Summary of the comparison
The Cooper School and Whitelands Academy are secondary schools in Bicester.
The Cooper School scores 51 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Whitelands Academy scores 59 out of 100 (grade C, average). Whitelands Academy is ahead on our composite score.
The Cooper School was judged the expected standard and Whitelands Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 41.7 for The Cooper School and 46.4 for Whitelands Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Cooper School (48.1 in 2021-22, 41.7 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BicesterThe Cooper School | BicesterWhitelands Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D51/100 | C59/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 30th of 41 in Oxfordshire Stronger figure | 37th of 41 in Oxfordshire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Free schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,228 | 575 | |
| Capacity | 1,333 | 600 | |
| Location | Bicester, OX26 4RS | Bicester, OX26 1AY | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 41.7 | 46.4 Stronger figure | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 39.5% | 53.5% Stronger figure | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 60.0% | 71.1% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 18.6% | 62.3% Stronger figure | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.59 | 4.26 Stronger figure | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 220 | 114 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 108 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 30.9 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 31.5 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 2.3% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,228 | 575 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 13.8% | 19.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 16.0% | 18.1% | |
| SEN support | 16.9% | 22.6% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.6% | 5.4% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.8% Stronger figure | 9.9% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 23.0% Stronger figure | 24.3% | 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
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 Cooper School
Whitelands Academy
Full profiles: The Cooper School · Whitelands Academy