Cressex Community School
High Wycombe, HP12 4QA · Buckinghamshire · secondary school
Check the area around this school
17th of 36 secondary schools in Buckinghamshire we can score, 37 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 7.4/10 against 714 of them, against 5.7/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 41.8 · 42 | 30% | 1.25 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.48 · 83 | 25% | 2.07 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 44.3 · 41 | 10% | 0.41 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Cressex Community School overview
How it's doing
Ofsted rated the school Good in April 2024. In 2024/25, 52.4% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 50.7, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.48 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (8.9 out of 10 against similar schools, 7.5 out of 10 against all schools).
Beyond the classroom
Pupils can join Art Club, play netball, football, or fitness, and visit the Royal Academy of Art. An after-school club is available.
Getting in
The published school roll is 766 pupils against a stated capacity of 803. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to maintain the progress seen in the 2023/24 data? What specific support is available for students aiming to improve their English and maths grades? How does the after-school club integrate with the wider curriculum?
What Ofsted said about Cressex Community School
Overview
Cressex Community School continues to be a good school, where pupils and families value the institution highly. Students are described as having "positive attitudes to their learning" and being "ambitious for their futures," supported by staff who aim to improve every pupil’s life chances. The school fosters a respectful, multicultural environment where pupils feel well represented and safe.
Strengths
- Staff have developed "carefully organised curriculums" in most subjects, ensuring pupils learn important knowledge over time and are inspired by relevant role models.
- Lessons are "calm and focused," with teachers using "skilful, targeted questioning" and providing structured feedback that pupils use effectively to strengthen their knowledge.
- The school prioritises reading and oracy, resulting in pupils being "adept in precisely describing their thinking" through the correct use of technical vocabulary.
- Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well due to teachers’ "deep knowledge" of individual needs and targeted support.
- The sixth form provides a "carefully targeted curriculum" that raises confidence and ambition, leading to high success rates in higher education and training.
Areas to improve
- Leaders need to increase the number of pupils studying a modern foreign language at GCSE to ensure the English Baccalaureate is at the heart of the curriculum.
- The school should continue implementing improvements in a few subjects where the curriculum is in an earlier stage of development, so pupils build knowledge more securely.
- Leaders recognise the need to strengthen support for weaker readers, including specific phonics provision for those at an earlier stage of learning to read.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 45.2 |
| 2024/25 | 50.7 |
| 2025/26 | 44.3 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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