North Oxfordshire Academy

North Oxfordshire Academy

Established	2007
Type	Academy
Principal	Mrs Sara Billins
Location	Drayton Road Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 0UD England
Local authority	Oxfordshire
DfE URN	135365
Ofsted	Reports
Students	1000 (aprox)
Gender	Coeducational
Ages	11–19
Website	northoxfordshire-academy.org

Coordinates: 52°04′19″N 1°22′04″W / 52.07202°N 1.36783°W / 52.07202; -1.36783

North Oxfordshire Academy is a city academy in Banbury, Oxfordshire which opened in September 2007, replacing the former Drayton School. Its sixth form opened in September 2008. The Principal of North Oxfordshire Academy is Sara Billins.The previous Principal, Ruth Robinson, left in October 2011

Students officially started learning at the academy on Monday 10 September 2007. The academy day starts at 08:30 and finishes at 15:25 each day.

Students had an opening ceremony on Thursday 13 September 2007 to commemorate them as the foundation (First) Students to be in the academy. They were presented with a certificate and a badge.

Their timetable consists of four 1 Hour & 20 minute periods each day, and this includes one 20 minute break and one 35 minute lunch break.

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.

North Oxfordshire Academy is run by the United Learning Trust and sponsored by Vodafone.

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.In September 2007, Drayton became North Oxfordshire Academy and its uniform is now a navy blue blazer, a grey jumper with a blue stripe, with a white shirt, along with the usual black trousers and shoes or trainers, no fabric pumps or UGG boots, as long as they are plain black with no logos. Their is also a ban on all make-up but mascara.

When the Academy was established a new block was built with a new hall, reception, canteen and student support classrooms. School meals are provided by The Brookwood Partnership Limited.[http://www.brookwood-ptnrs.co.uk/

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, Kings 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.[citation needed]

It was originally to be called Banbury Academy but due to opposition from Banbury School, the name was changed to North Oxfordshire Academy. The cost of the academy is estimated to be around £20 million.[citation needed] Unlike Drayton, the new school has a sixth form, established in 2008. Its principal was Ruth Robinson until the October half-term of 2011, when she moved to Swindon Academy. She was replaced by Sara Billins, who moved from Paddington Academy in London.[citation needed] [edit]

Also see

• History of Banbury, Oxfordshire

External links

• North Oxfordshire Academy
• The Former Drayton School
• United Learning Trust Official Website and the United Learning Trust Wikipedia Entry
• March 2009 Ofsted/HMI Report