Aureus School
| Aureus School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Candytuft Way , Oxfordshire , England 51°36′20″N 1°16′25″W / 51.605613°N 1.273655°W | |
| Information | |
| Type | Secondary school |
| Established | c. September 2017 |
| Aureus Primary School | |
| Trust | GLF Schools |
| 140653 Tables | |
| Ofsted | Reports |
Head teacher | Kirsty Rogers |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age | 11 to 16 |
| Enrolment | 475 (2024) |
| Capacity | 1200 |
| Houses |
|
| Website | aureusschool |
| [1][2][3] | |
Aureus School is a secondary school in Didcot, Oxfordshire, England.[4] The school, located in Great Western Park, officially opened to student in September 2017.[5] As of September 2023, the school's headteacher is Kirsty Rogers.[4]
History
[edit]Named after a hoard of gold coins found in Didcot in around 1995, plans for Aureus School were originally submitted to Vale of White Horse District Council around August 2015. At this time, it was stated that, should these plans be approved, the school would open in September 2017.[6] Updated plans for the school were submitted in October 2016.[7]
The school's first headteacher, Hannah Wilson, was given the keys to the £19 million building in May 2017. The school opened to students for the first time, as planned, in September 2017.[5] On opening, Wilson appointed Julie Hunter as deputy headteacher for Culture and Wellbeing.[8]
Wilson also became headteacher of Aureus Primary School when it opened in September 2018. She stepped down as headteacher of the schools in May 2019, with Hunter becoming acting headteacher of the secondary school.[9]
Thames Valley Police officers were called to Aureus School on 28 March 2022, after a teenage boy received minor injuries after being assaulted with an unknown object at the school.[10] On 29 and 30 March,[11] the school was inspected by Ofsted for the first time, and was given an overall rating of "requires improvement". Ofsted revisited the school for a monitoring visit in July 2023. They kept their rating of requires improvement, saying the school's leaders had "made progress to improve the school, but more work is necessary for the school to become good".[12]
Hunter lead the school as headteacher until Kirsty Rogers took over in September 2023.[4] In November 2023, King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited Aureus School, where students held signs wishing Charles a happy 75th birthday.[13] The school was inspected by Ofsted in October 2023, and was given its first overall Good rating.[4]
In June 2026, Thames Valley Police's police and crime commissioner, Matthew Barber, announced at Aureus School that secondary schools in the area would be able to apply for a share of £255,000 of police funding in order to help enforce a phone ban. Rogers said that a phone ban at Aureus has been "transformative", and that the school has "seen a notable improvement in students' focus, engagement in lessons, and the quality of social interaction across the school day".[14]
In August 2026, the school saw its highest GCSE grades it had ever had, including substantial improvements in English and Mathematics.[15]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Aureus School - GOV.UK". Get Information about Schools. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Inspection of Aureus School". Ofsted. 28 November 2024. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Houses - Aureus School". Aureus School. Archived from the original on 10 May 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 McHugh, Chris (2 December 2024). "Didcot school achieves first ever 'Good' Ofsted rating". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- 1 2 Campbell, Georgina (2 June 2017). "New £19m school almost ready to open as headteacher handed the keys". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ Race, Michael (20 August 2015). "Aureus marks start of a golden era for secondary education". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ Campbell, Georgina (26 October 2016). "Golden era for education as updated plans submitted for new secondary school in Didcot". Herald Series. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Mental Health". The Hopeful Headteacher. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ Grubb, Sophie (5 June 2019). "Headteacher steps down from new Didcot schools". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "Aureus School, Didcot: Teenage boy injured in school assault". BBC News. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
- ↑ "School inspection: Requires Improvement". Ofsted. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
- ↑ Herring, Francesca (10 October 2023). "Ofsted tells Aureus School in Didcot it 'requires improvement' but 'progress being made". OxfordshireLive. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "King marks 75th birthday in Oxfordshire as he launches 'The Coronation Food Project'". ITV News. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
- ↑ McHugh, Chris (29 June 2026). "Thames Valley schools to get police funding for phone bans". BBC News. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
- ↑ Rust, Stuart (20 August 2026). "Quadruplets among students in South celebrating GCSE success". BBC News. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
