Foundation school

The Radcliffe School

Mixed · ages 11–19 · with sixth formMilton Keynes, South East · Milton Keynes MK12 5BTSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,192of 1,275 places
Free school meals
41.9%
Year 11 cohort 2025
211
Ofsted
Inspected, 4 March 2025Read the Ofsted report
What the data says

Of the 206 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Radcliffe School in 2023, 47% stayed on in The Radcliffe School’s own sixth form (Milton Keynes average 50%), 36% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.

Media Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 29% of the year group took it, against 4% of pupils across England.

GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 38.2 against 46.1 across England and 44.2 in Milton Keynes, with 32% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

Most pupils take the three separate sciences: at least 83% sat Biology, Chemistry and Physics as individual GCSEs, compared with about 23% nationally.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Milton Keynes and England.

The Radcliffe School
Milton Keynes
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThe Radcliffe SchoolMilton KeynesEngland
Pupils in the cohort2063,422607,348
Any sustained destination90%93%92%
Stayed in education83%89%86%
— school sixth form47%50%34%
— sixth form college0%13%
— further education college36%36%37%
— other education0%3%2%
Apprenticeship3%2%3%
Employment4%2%3%
No sustained destination5%5%6%
Destination unknown5%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

The Radcliffe School
Milton Keynes
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThe Radcliffe SchoolMilton KeynesEngland
Students in the cohort723,100541,441
Any sustained destination83%82%79%
University (higher education)39%37%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students19%14%19%
Further education3%5%5%
Apprenticeship8%7%7%
Employment33%32%28%
No sustained destination13%13%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThe Radcliffe SchoolMilton KeynesEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)38.244.246.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths32%44%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths53%63%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects63%40%41%
EBacc average point score3.433.944.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort30%27%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils30.333.134.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils41.748.450.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language19%25%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Language212100%89%10%20%57%
Mathematics212100%88%14%22%60%
English Literature20899%86%9%21%57%
Biology17683%23%8%45%44%
Chemistry17583%23%6%47%42%
Physics17583%23%6%46%46%
Geography13062%41%6%25%36%
German6631%5%3%33%33%
Media Studies6229%4%5%20%60%
French6129%18%3%29%49%
History5928%41%32%26%61%
Art and Design5426%7%22%24%69%
Sociology4722%4%13%21%49%
Combined Science3316%65%0%9%3%
Design and Technology3215%11%3%23%38%
Computer Science2612%13%15%30%62%
Food Preparation and Nutrition209%8%10%21%60%
Drama136%7%15%27%77%
Polish31%1%84%
Turkish21%0%71%
Arabic21%1%47%
Spanish21%19%27%
Citizenship Studies21%3%19%
Chinese21%1%75%
Urdu21%1%42%
Russian10%0%87%
Portuguese10%0%50%
Psychology10%3%22%
Italian10%0%53%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Small Business Management4661%
Sports Studies4256%
Music performance: Group2027%
Childcare Skills1115%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureThe Radcliffe SchoolMilton KeynesEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study165
— of whom A level students751,506261,341
Average A level gradeCCB-
Average points per A level entry29.4130.4535.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsC+C+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects19%11%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Psychology1925%23%
Biology1419%20%
Sociology1317%13%
Film Studies1216%2%
Mathematics1115%31%
Media Studies1013%4%
English Literature1013%11%
Computer Science811%5%
Art and Design79%1%
History79%13%
Politics68%6%
French1%
Geography10%
German0%
Further Mathematics5%
Physics12%
Arabic0%
Chemistry17%
Drama2%
Economics13%
English Language and Literature2%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Social ScienceVRQ Level 33851%
Business StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*2331%
PsychologyBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*1824%
Mathematical StudiesCore Maths Qualifications at Level 31419%
Sports StudiesBTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D*912%
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)
Computer Architecture / SystemsBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*
Sports StudiesBTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D)
Business StudiesBTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D)
Health StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3
Health StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3

Other secondary schools in Milton Keynes

Denbigh School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,778 pupils

91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 54.3

E-Act Ousedale School

Academy converter · sixth form · 2,239 pupils

87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.4

Lord Grey Academy

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,446 pupils

85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.4

Oakgrove School

Academy converter · sixth form · 2,527 pupils

93% stayed in education · Attainment 8 54.7

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.