The Unicorn School

Other independent special school · Mixed · ages 6–19Oxfordshire, Abingdon OX14school website

A special school in Oxfordshire for ages 6–19: the Department for Education has not published destination figures for it, so this page relies on the school’s own results and subjects.

Ofsted
—
Places
—
Pupils
148

Ofsted: Not covered by Ofsted school inspections. Places: the last distance at which places were offered is not on file (it comes from Oxfordshire’s allocation statistics). Pupils: of 240 places.

GCSE · Year 11 · 2025

How do GCSE results compare?

10.5Attainment 8 score, out of 90
This school10.5
Oxfordshire46.4
England46.1

Attainment 8 — average GCSE points across eight subjects, English and maths counted twice; grade 5 in everything scores 50.

DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · 14 pupils in Year 11

0% got grade 5 or above in both English and maths (Oxfordshire 48%, England 45%).

Grade 5 — a “strong pass”; grade 4 is a “standard pass”. Progress 8 is not published for 2025: this cohort had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020–21, so there is no baseline.

All GCSE measures10
MeasureThe Unicorn SchoolOxfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)10.546.446.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%48%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths0%66%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects0%37%41%
EBacc average point score0.994.144.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort—20%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils—31.334.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils—50.050.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)———
English as an additional language—16%19%
Subjects · 2025

What do pupils study?

34.49%of the Key Stage 3 and GCSE curriculum mapped by the subjects taken here

Mapped — the share of the 2,029 learning outcomes the Department for Education sets for these stages that the subjects taken here cover, weighted by how many pupils take each.

DfE subject entries 2025 · curriculum catalogue by sch.today

Health & Safety27%
Green & Sustainability25%
Natural Sciences25%
Engineering & Manufacturing23%
Transversal Skills12%

Fields of knowledge — twelve fields the curriculum catalogue sorts every learning outcome into; the bars show the GCSE and A level ring.

GCSE subjects5

Entries 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
Combined Science1071%65%0%9%50%
Film Studies536%1%—20%—
Fine Art321%9%—28%—
Food Preparation and Nutrition321%8%—21%—
Italian17%0%—53%—
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications1
SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Sports Studies1——
Fields of knowledge, all stages12
Health & Safety40%
Natural Sciences40%
Green & Sustainability39%
Engineering & Manufacturing30%
Transversal Skills26%
Language & Communication24%
Mathematics & Statistics16%
Digital & ICT Skills15%
Arts & Humanities11%
Law & Public Administration7%
Social & Cultural Skills5%
Business & Administration3%

Ideas pupils meet most, weighted by the share of the cohort taking the subjects that teach them:

particle model 6.4fraction 6.0vocabulary 5.2change of state 5.0energy transfer 4.9photosynthesis 4.5percentage 4.5adaptation 3.9observation 3.7measurement 3.7temperature 3.6diffusion 3.5power 3.5force 3.5scale 3.4standard form 3.4ratio 3.4state of matter 3.4conservation of mass 3.4reflection 3.4translation 3.1poetry 3.0grammar 3.0standard english 3.0

Coverage counts a subject’s outcomes in proportion to the share of the cohort entered for it; Combined Science counts as two thirds of the three separate sciences. Levels follow ISCED 2011 as UNESCO maps it for the UK: Key Stage 3 is ISCED 2; GCSE and A level are both ISCED 3. Methodology: about the data.

Careers

Which jobs use what’s taught here?

12apprenticeship standards closely match the subjects pupils take

A match of what’s taught, not of entry requirements: the standards whose knowledge and skills share the most ideas with the GCSEs and A levels taken here, weighted by how many pupils take each subject.

Level 3 / Level 6 — England’s qualification levels: 3 is A level standard, 4–5 are higher apprenticeships, 6 is a bachelor’s degree.

Skills England apprenticeship standards (Open Government Licence v3.0) · ESCO occupations, © European Union, matched by sch.today · how the match works

Process industry manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses conservation of mass, energy change, unit conversion from Chemistry, Physics, Design and Technology and 2 more · jobs: chemical engineering technician, chemical manufacturing quality technician, chemical production manager
Water industry asset maintenance technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, data collection, ratio from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and 4 more · jobs: consumer electronics repair technician, industrial electrician, electrician
Geoscientist (integrated degree)Level 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses climate change, data collection, conduct field work from Biology, Chemistry, Computing and 2 more · jobs: geologist, geological engineer, exploration geologist
More apprenticeships9
ScientistLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses conclusion, sampling technique, experimental design from Biology, Chemistry, Modern Foreign Language and 1 more · jobs: physicist, analytical chemist, geneticist
Science manufacturing technician 2023Level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, dna, mixture from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and 1 more · jobs: pharmaceutical engineer, chemical manufacturing quality technician, pharmacy technician
Battery manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, periodic table, resistance from Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and 1 more · jobs: battery test technician
Junior visual effects - VFX artist or assistant technical director - ATDLevel 4 (higher) apprenticeship · creative and design · uses scale, data collection, computer systems from Art and Design, Chemistry, Physics and 4 more · jobs: 3D modeller, technical director, animation layout artist
Production assistant - screen and audioLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · creative and design · uses punctuation, spelling, grammar from English, Modern Foreign Language · jobs: factory hand, supply chain assistant, management assistant
Water industry network technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, ph scale, standard form from Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and 1 more · jobs: sewerage network operative, product quality inspector, sewerage maintenance technician
Heat network maintenance technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses climate change, temperature, scale from Chemistry, Food Preparation and Nutrition, Physics and 2 more · jobs: maintenance and repair engineer, lean manager
Water industry treatment process technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses standard form, unit conversion, si unit from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and 1 more · jobs: wastewater treatment technician, water plant technician, recycling specialist
Manufacturing engineer (degree)Level 6 degree apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses force, component selection, electrical system from Design and Technology, Science · jobs: maintenance and repair engineer, industrial engineer, production engineer
Admissions

How do you get a place?

Places at special schools are allocated through an Education, Health and Care plan with Oxfordshire, not by distance.

  1. Any timeAsk Oxfordshire’s SEND team to name the school in the child’s EHC plan; the school is consulted before a place is offered
Oxfordshire

Compare with nearby schools

Stayed in education at 16 · Attainment 8 · pupils

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.