Oxford News
West Oxfordshire learns GCSE results 2026 – check the list
Despite positivity among school leaders, the area was the second worst performing district in Oxfordshire with 24.7 per cent grades 7 or above, a fall from 25.1 per cent last year.
It was well below Oxford, where 32.5 per cent of grades were 7 or above, and significantly below Cambridge – the most successful district in England – which was on 53.5 per cent.
Even so, the headteacher of Henry Box School, Wendy Hemmingsley, said she was “incredibly proud” of her year 11 students.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire organ and trumpet prodigy celebrating GCSE success
Maths results improved at every grade compared to last year at the Witney school, while the number of pupils achieving a strong pass in English and triple science saw a significant uplift.
Ms Hemmingsley added: “These results reflect not just their hard work and resilience, but the dedication of our whole school community – staff, families and students working together.
“Particular congratulations go to our mathematicians and scientists, who have excelled, and to every student who has pushed themselves to be the best they can be.
“We wish them every success as they move on to the next stage of their education.”
Fellow Witney school Wood Green saw a slight dip in its results year-on-year but Rob Shadbolt said the scores still represent “good progress”.
The same percentage of pupils achieved five or more GCSEs at a grade 4 or above as in 2024.
However the 63 per cent of children who achieved that was eight percentage points lower than last year.
“There were lots of individual successes at all levels,” said Mr Shadbolt.
That includes James and Thomas Fleming who were “very happy” with the results, with the former securing four 9s and the latter five 9s.
Though both were pleased for the other there was some ‘joshing’ over their English literature result.
James said: “I was always better at English than Thomas but then he beat me”.
Mr Shadbolt added: “I am sure the Class of 2026 would join me in thanking all our staff and parents who have supported them along the way.
“We look forward to celebrating these successes at our heatwave-delayed Prom on 3rd September!”
READ MORE: German exchange ‘shocked’ at Oxfordshire GCSE results day 2026
Over a quarter of all grades at Cokethorpe School near Witney were either 8 or 9, with 12 per cent achieving the top grade.
The private school called the results the strongest in recent years by every measure.
Dr Sarah Squire, headteacher, said: “Behind every set of grades is an individual story.
“I have been impressed to see the determination and resilience of pupils, including those who joined us from Our Lady’s Abingdon midway through their GCSE studies.
“I’ve been equally delighted to see our students juggle their wider commitments along the way, from a music tour in Belgium to an Arkwright Scholarship.
“Congratulations to all our Fifth Form pupils.”
Matthew Albrighton, headteacher at Burford, said he was “so pleased” for his students.
A quarter of grades at the school were 7 or above, with four in ten German results 7 or above, and 34 per cent of engineering grades at level 2 distinction or higher.
Among its standout students were Rosie and Layla who secured seven grade 9s.
Mr Albrighton added: “Their hard work and dedication have been rewarded, and each student is now well placed for the next step in their journey.
“I want to extend my sincere thanks to all the staff whose support and commitment over the last two years have made these results possible.”
Ethan Wilson at Carterton Community College achieved four grade 9s in biology, chemistry, physics and geography, one distinction in creative i-media, two grade 8s, and two grade 6s.
Meanwhile Pauline Maigate got one distinction, an 8-7 in combined science and four grade 7s, and Morgan Evans achieved one grade 8, a double 7 in combined science, four additional grade 7s and one grade 6.
Headteacher Matt Maudsley called the results a “clear upward trajectory” compare to 2025.
He said: “This year’s data demonstrates some encouraging progress, with the school establishing a clear upward trajectory across multiple key performance indicators compared to the previous academic year.”
This included a 4 per cent increase in the percentage of pupils achieving between grades 7 and 9.
Mr Maudsley added: “Congratulations to those students who committed time and dedication in attaining grades that will secure their future sixth form, college or apprenticeship choices.”
Over half of all grades awarded at The King’s School in Witney were between 7 and 9, while only 2 per cent were below a 4.
Every single pupil at the school achieved between a grade 4 and 9 in England and Maths.
Standout among the pupils was Jacob Evans who received 100 per cent grades 8 and 9.
Jacob said: “The structure of teaching helped me feel well prepared for exams.
“I’m really happy with the results and thankful for the support from my parents and teachers.”
READ MORE: Son of Oxfordshire teachers makes parents ‘proud’ with five 9s at GCSE
Giles Back, head of secondary, added: “We are thankful to God for these GCSE results and for the achievements of our pupils.
“We’re grateful to see that an education where faith and academics go hand in hand can deliver such strong results.
“Well done to all our Year 11s.”
The tool, now live on the Hotels.com website and app, lets users save work preferences, find business-ready hotels, rebook favourite stays, and earn rewards—using the same account as for personal travel.
It arrives as part of a wider shift in business travel trends, revealed in the latest Hotels.com Booked for Business report, which shows that 27% of Brits are travelling more for work now than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hotels.com launches new feature to make business travel easier
Melanie Fish, travel expert and spokesperson for Hotels.com, said: “Business travel is no longer just about getting from one meeting to the next.
“Travellers want a hotel and destination that can keep up with both sides of their personality—from high-speed Wi-Fi and an early breakfast before a big presentation to a great location and a comfortable place to unwind afterwards.”
The report identifies journalists and tradespeople as the most frequent business travellers, with energy and renewables professionals enjoying the highest hotel budgets of at least £200.
Other sectors typically receive about £140 per day for accommodation.
Nearly half of respondents (48%) said that the best business travel destinations are those that make it easy to blend work with leisure time—a trend known as “bleisure.”
London, New York, and Paris were named the top cities for combining business and pleasure.
The busiest months for business travel are now May and September, while Gen Z employees are leading the way in redefining the business travel experience.
They travel more often for work than any other generation and are more likely to change their behaviour on the road, use hotel laundry services, and switch hotel brands.
In contrast, older generations are noted for their punctuality and hotel loyalty.
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When it comes to hotel perks, free breakfast was the clear favourite, valued by 51% of business travellers.
This outranked room upgrades (32%) and flexible check-in options (26%).
The Hotels.com business travel feature aims to streamline the booking process while allowing travellers to earn rewards on both business and personal stays.
Will you be using Hotels.com new feature? Let us know in the comments.
The UK’s Met Office has revealed the storm names for 2026/27, selected from more than 40,000 public suggestions.
The scheme is run in partnership with Met Eireann in Ireland and KNMI in the Netherlands, and the list starts each year in September to reflect the beginning of the autumn storm season.
This storm season includes names such as Austen, Boelo and Chloe and each has a story behind its nomination.
Staying safe during a thunderstorm
Names were submitted in honour of children, pets and even characters like Shaun the Sheep, as well as in memory of loved ones and meteorological trailblazers.
Under naming conventions used for storms in the North Atlantic, the list runs alphabetically, missing out Q, U, X, Y and Z.
Chloe, the third name on the list this year, was nominated more than 120 times.
One suggestion came from the mother of a five-year-old described as being “fascinated by the weather” who can also “create a storm by herself” when tired.
Other names have similarly personal backstories.
Finn was put forward for a two-year-old described as “wild and a force to be reckoned with”, while Ivy was nominated in honour of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy affectionately called “the absolute destructor”.
Nicola was suggested as a tribute to a mother who has “weathered many a storm and only come out stronger”.
Some names reflect a wider cultural reach.
Shaun, selected following a public vote, was included as part of a collaboration with Aardman, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, to help raise awareness of storm preparedness.
Scattered showers moving eastwards this afternoon, some heavy and perhaps thundery ☔
Turning drier and fresher in the west, with sunny spells ⛅
Cloud and rain returning to the northwest later 🌧️ pic.twitter.com/0s2Je7rraP
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 31, 2026
The list also honours figures in meteorological history.
Met Eireann chose Austen in tribute to Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service as it marks its 90th anniversary.
Evelyn was selected in honour of Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present weather forecasts on Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE.
Why are storms named?
The scheme began in 2015 and aims to improve public awareness and response in the face of severe weather.
Last year, four names were used from the list, reaching Storm Dave in April.
The UK was also affected by three additional storms named by other European meteorological services: Benjamin, Claudia and Goretti.
The Met Office said names are reviewed for pronunciation, potential meanings across different languages, connections to public figures and any risk of controversy.
When is a storm named?
A storm is named when it’s expected to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands.
Wind is the primary consideration, but significant effects from rain or snow are also taken into account.
Met Office confirms storm names for 2026/27
This year’s names, and the country they came from, are:
- Austen (Ireland)
- Boelo (pronounced Boo-loh) (Netherlands)
- Chloe (UK)
- Dano (pronounced Dah-noh) (Netherlands)
- Evelyn (Ireland)
- Finn (UK)
- Gwendolyn (Netherlands)
- Heather (Ireland)
- Ivy (UK)
- Jade (Netherlands)
- Kilian (Ireland)
- Laoise (pronounced Lee-sha) (Ireland)
- Miriam (Ireland)
- Nicola (UK)
- Olaf (Netherlands)
- Phelim (Fay-lim) (Ireland)
- Ruban (UK)
- Shaun (UK)
- Theo (UK)
- Vesna (Vehs-nuh) (Netherlands)
- Wende (Vhen-duh) (Netherlands)
Holly Clements, Met Office head of warnings and guidance, said: “For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively.
“A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.”
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Eoin Sherlock, Met Eireann head of forecasting division, said: “We know that naming storms makes it easier for people to track important and up-to-date forecast and safety-related information as we can see from the levels of traffic and activity through our website and across social media platforms during storm events.
“2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Irish Meteorological Service and we are proud to be able to recognise some of the significant contributors to our history in the list of storm names this year.”
Which names would you add to the list of storm names? Let us know in the comments below.
Charlie Matthews appeared at Oxford Crown Court on August 27.
The 25-year-old is charged with two counts of rape.
The allegations are said to have taken place in Oxford in April and October 2021.
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The complainant for both counts is the same woman.
Matthews, of Langney Road, Eastbourne, pleaded not guilty to both counts.
A trial date, with a time estimate of four to five days, was set for August 21, 2028.
Judge Ian Pringle KC said that this is some seven years after the offences are alleged to have taken place.
The judge said: “Unfortunately, that’s the situation.”
Matthews was released on bail, with the condition not to contact the complainant.
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