North Oxfordshire Academy

Story

North Oxfordshire Academy is a coeducational academy school located in north west Banbury, Oxfordshire. It opened in September 2007, replacing the former local comprehensive, Drayton School. It caters for children and young adults between the ages of 11 and 21. The Principal of North Oxfordshire Academy is Sara Billins.The AcademyNorth Oxfordshire Academy is run by United Learning. Pupils officially started learning at the academy on Monday 10 September 2007. Pupils had an opening ceremony on Thursday 13 September 2007 to commemorate them as the foundation (First) pupils to be in the academy. They were presented with a certificate and a badge. At the end of the summer term 2007, two of the school’s four main blocks, A Block and C block, were cleared and sealed off ready for refurbishment work that was due to start in September 2007. Its sixth form opened in September 2008. In a recent Ofsted/HMI report the officials advised that the academy had innovative strategies to improve the teaching and learning and confirmed that the academy was continuing to move in a positive direction.When the Academy was established a new block was built with a new hall, reception, canteen and pupil support classrooms. School meals are provided by The Brookwood Partnership Limited. In 2010 the vertical tutoring system started which introduced the five new sections of the school named after leading universities/colleges: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Warwick, King's College London and Imperial College. Now in addition to the normal uniform students are also required to wear a tie with the corresponding college colours: red, blue, green, purple and yellow.