St Birinus School is a secondary school in Didcot, serving pupils aged 11 to 18. The school is a academy converter and operates as a boys school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
St Birinus School currently has around 1212 pupils on roll, which is about 85% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 100% boys and % girls. Around 16.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 7.8%. Persistent absence is recorded at 21%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (75.2%).
Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 94% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (84%) , including 37% who stay in school sixth forms and 43% progressing to further education , while 6% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Mereland Road, Didcot, OX11 8AZ |
| Website: | http://www.st-birinus-school.org.uk/ |
| Telephone: | 01235814444 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Secondary |
| Local authority: | Oxfordshire |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr William Manning |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 138762 |
Ofsted inspection date: 04/02/2025
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 11 - 18 |
| Gender: | Boys |
| School Capacity: | 1428 |
| Number of Pupils: | 1212 |
| Number of Boys: | 1212 |
| Number of Girls: | 0 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 7.8% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 21% | 8.2% |
| White British | 75.20% | 912 |
| Other White | 8.20% | 99 |
| White and Asian | 2.10% | 25 |
| Chinese | 2.10% | 25 |
| African | 1.80% | 22 |
| Other Asian | 1.80% | 22 |
| Other Mixed | 1.70% | 21 |
| Indian | 1.20% | 15 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.20% | 14 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.00% | 12 |
| White and Black African | 0.90% | 11 |
| Unclassified | 0.90% | 11 |
| Pakistani | 0.70% | 9 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.30% | 4 |
| Other Black | 0.30% | 4 |
| Irish | 0.20% | 3 |
| Caribbean | 0.20% | 2 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.10% | 1 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lydalls Nursery School Lydalls Road , OX11 7HX | 3out of 4 | 1,043 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenmere Primary School Mereland Road , OX11 8BA | - not rated | 114 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Willowcroft Community School Mereland Road , OX11 8BA | - not rated | 114 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Willowcroft Community School Mereland Road , OX11 8BA | 3out of 4 | 114 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Northbourne Church of England Primary School Cockcroft Road , OX11 8LJ | 3out of 4 | 613 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Northbourne Church of England Primary School Cockcroft Road , OX11 8LJ | - not rated | 613 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Birinus School Mereland Road , OX11 8AZ | - not rated | 0 yd | Academy converter | No | Boys | More About School |
| St Birinus School Mereland Road , OX11 8AZ | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Boys | More About School |
| Didcot Girls' School Manor Crescent , OX11 7AJ | 4out of 4 | 1,115 yd | Academy converter | No | Girls | More About School |
| Didcot Girls' School Manor Crescent , OX11 7AJ | - not rated | 1,115 yd | Community school | No | Girls | More About School |
| Aureus School Candytuft Way , Great Western Park OX11 6FF | - not rated | 2,284 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.