Sibford School A GSG School
- Sibford School
Sibford Ferris
Banbury
Oxfordshire
OX15 5QL - Head: Mr Toby Spence
- T 01295 781200
- F 01295 781204
- E [email protected]
- W www.sibfordschool.co.uk
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 3 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Oxfordshire
- Pupils: 428; sixth formers: 82
- Religion: Quaker
- Fees: Day £9,801 - £15,735 pa; Boarding £29,976- £30,579 pa
- Open days: See website
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
‘Our role is to find the talents and qualities in each individual and develop and celebrate it. At this school you don’t have to be one type of person, or one particular fit. We talk about the three Rs but for us that means respect, resilience, and relationships.’ It wouldn’t be the place if league-leading teams and dazzling matches are top of your requirements. But you can expect it to claw its way up the fixture lists under this sports-mad head – we did notice his eyes straying out of his office window to the rugby pitch conveniently in view when the 1st XI were playing...
What the school says...
Sibford School is set in more than 50 acres of grounds and is surrounded by glorious Oxfordshire countryside.
Our Early Years Foundation Stage, for three to five year olds, provides a perfect entry into school life. The Junior School offers children the space to grow and provides them with an unrivalled learning environment where they can develop key skills and benefit from the freedom to explore the natural world. At Senior School we aim to stimulate our pupils with a thirst for life-long learning, offering a broad and balanced curriculum, which reflects our view that while some may have a talent for mathematics, science or history, others may be gifted in the arts, horticulture or sport. Post 16, Sibford Sixth Form offers students a place where they can develop academically, intellectually, personally and socially and where one-to-one support is provided to enable them to become the best they possibly can.
Boarders, whether full, weekly or flexi, form part of a friendly, family community where they are valued and well cared for. Sibford is also home to a small international community, which welcomes students from across the world and helps them to learn and perfect their language skills. ...Read more
Do you know this school?
The schools we choose, and what we say about them, are founded on parents’ views. If you know this school, please share your views with us.
Please login to post a comment.
Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Sports
Sailing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since 2016, Toby Spence. Joined from Greensteds, a British curriculum boarding school in Kenya. A Quaker by upbringing, his career has included a five-year stint as head of history at another Quaker school, Bootham in York: 'I’m a late medievalist and it was a joy to see York Minster out of the window.' He also had the delicious experience of returning to his old school - King’s School in Tynemouth – as deputy head, and as the boss of a teacher who had disliked him in his schooldays. 'We got on better as colleagues,' he says.
Toby is married to Jill and they have three young children, all providing proof of the pudding by being at Sibford School. They are a super-sporty family, and Toby is something of an action...
Subscribe now for instant access to read The Good Schools Guide review.
Already subscribed? Login here.
Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
Sibford School is a mainstream school catering for children aged 3 -18. We have a national reputation for our work with dyslexic children and up to 30% of our children enjoy a range of additional support - this could be up to a maximum of 5 individual/small group sessions a week. We are registered with CReSTeD (The Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils) who, following their 2008 inspection, noted: 'The ethos of the school is one of developing the whole child and providing the best opportunity. The [Dyslexia] department ensures full entitlement and access for dyslexic pupils to high quality education within a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. In so doing the children are enabled to reach their full potential and to integrate seamlessly into the mainstream.' As a Quaker school, we value that of God in everyone and seek to develop and nurture individual talents. This often finds its expression in art, music or drama, but we offer the full curriculum, enriched by an impressive range of extra curricular activities, especially for our boarding pupils. A limited number of learning support places is available each year; we believe that our pastoral care is second to none and take pride in producing young people who are self-confident but not arrogant. Our value added results consistently place us in the top 500 schools. We would be happy to give parent enquirers the opportunity to talk to our current parents, to visit the school, or make arrangements for your child to try a taster day. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your enquiry.
Condition | Provision for in school |
---|---|
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
Aspergers | Y |
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
Dyscalculia | |
Dysgraphia | |
Dyslexia | |
Dyspraxia | |
English as an additional language (EAL) | |
Genetic | |
Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
Has SEN unit or class | |
HI - Hearing Impairment | |
Hospital School | |
Mental health | |
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
PD - Physical Disability | |
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chandlings Prep School | 2020 |
The Good Schools Guide newsletter

Educational insight in your inbox. Sign up for our popular newsletters.
The Good Schools Guide manifesto for parents