School profile

John Mason School

Secondary · Academy converter · Abingdon, OX14 1JB

Good

Map showing John Mason School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,851 of 3,312

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#1,647 of 2,536

Worse than 64% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

John Mason School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 21 May 2019

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils927
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Alastair West
TrustALT TRUST
Local authorityOxfordshire
Opened01 Feb 2014
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 140580.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolOxfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.44.9, similar to England, similar to Oxfordshire46.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.64.6%, similar to England, similar to Oxfordshire65.1%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.43.8%, similar to England, worse than Oxfordshire47.1%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.11.8%, worse than England, worse than Oxfordshire15.2%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths62.9%, similar to England, similar to Oxfordshire61.3%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4178--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolOxfordshireEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.31.26, worse than England, worse than Oxfordshire33.4635
Average A-level gradeC--
Average points, best three A-levels29.47, worse than England, worse than Oxfordshire3435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC--
AAB or better10.1%, worse than England, worse than Oxfordshire15.6%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.21, worse than England--
A-level progressBelow average, worse than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study86--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist+--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils927
Girls415
Boys512
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.13.5%
First language not English16.9%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,051
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.11.8%
Sixth form places2024/25140
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.142
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.39
Average class size22.8

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
67.7%
Other White
8.1%
African
4.4%
Other Asian
2.6%
Other ethnic group
2.6%
Other mixed
2.2%
White and Asian
2%
Indian
1.9%
Pakistani
1.7%
White and Black Caribbean
1.1%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.1
Teachers (FTE)54.03
Teaching assistants (FTE)9.2
Support staff (FTE)32.77
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2553.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2542.8
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/255.3
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.180
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.413
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.65
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.65
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolOxfordshireEngland
Overall absence12.9%, worse than England, worse than Oxfordshire9%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.29.4%, worse than England, worse than Oxfordshire22.5%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.9.5%, worse than England, worse than Oxfordshire4.6%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate43.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions10.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.92.9%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.82.8%
Further education51.5%
School sixth form30.8%
Apprenticeship7.1%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.5.9%
Employment3%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near John Mason School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimarySt Nicolas Church of England Primary School, AbingdonVoluntary controlled school
Good
0.3 miNot applicableAbingdon SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.4 miNot applicableSt Helen and St KatharineOther independent school
Unrated
0.4 miSecondaryFitzharrys SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryCarswell Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.5 miPrimaryDunmore Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.5 miSecondaryLarkmead SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miNot applicableThe Manor Preparatory SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.7 miPrimarySt Edmund's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryRush Common SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about John Mason School

What is John Mason School's Ofsted rating?

John Mason School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 21 May 2019.

How does John Mason School rank in England?

John Mason School ranks 1,851 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (similar to most schools) and 1,647 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 64% of schools).

What are John Mason School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 43.8% of pupils at John Mason School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 44.9 (England 46.2).

What are John Mason School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at John Mason School was C, and 10.1% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into John Mason School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, John Mason School made 180 offers from 413 applications (2.3 per offer), and 65 of 65 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend John Mason School?

John Mason School has 927 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of John Mason School?

John Mason School had 1,051 school places in 2024/25.

Does John Mason School have a sixth form?

Yes, John Mason School has a sixth form with 140 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at John Mason School?

At John Mason School, the average class had 22.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at John Mason School?

In 2025/26, pupils at John Mason School missed 12.9% of sessions (England 8%), and 29.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.