David Lincoln who lives in Barton, said delivery problems have been ongoing for around five years.

The 73-year-old said: “You get it, then it goes away, then it starts again. It’s beyond a joke and getting ridiculous.”

Residents receive emails apologising for “resourcing issues” at the Oxford East delivery office.

But, Mr Lincoln claims two staff are still sent out on rounds and “take it in turns” to prioritise parcels one week, with letters left to the following week.

He said he has waited longer than his bank’s specified timeframe for a new card and missed hospital appointments because of delayed letters.

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With multiple health conditions, he says the uncertainty around when post will turn up is causing “growing anxiety”.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We know how important it is for letters to arrive on time, particularly where they relate to hospital appointments.

“Our latest results show 92 per cent of letters arrive on time and more than 99% arrive within a week. However, some delivery offices can be temporarily affected by local issues such as sick absence.

“We list areas experiencing temporary disruption on our service updates page, which includes Oxford East Delivery Office. We are working to get services back to normal and, where mail is delayed, we aim to deliver it the following day.”

JobSpace AI has published research showing that 35% of UK job applications fall below the threshold needed to progress to interview. The findings are based on an analysis of 5,782 CV scans matched against UK job descriptions.

The data challenges the long-circulated claim that 75% of CVs are rejected automatically before a recruiter reads them. Instead, the figures suggest most applications in the sample reached a level classed as interview-ready, while a sizeable minority did not.

Of the 5,782 CVs analysed, 64.5% scored 75 or above, which JobSpace AI classed as interview-ready. Another 22.4% scored between 50 and 74 and were deemed at risk of rejection, while 13.1% scored below 50 and were considered likely to be filtered out before reaching a recruiter.

The research drew on CV scans submitted by UK job seekers and assessed against job descriptions supplied by the same users. The sample covered submissions made over a four-month period and was based on actual candidate documents rather than recruiter surveys or modelled estimates.

Keyword gap

A smaller subset of 248 CVs received full keyword analysis. In that group, candidates matched an average of 48% of the keywords in the job descriptions they targeted and missed 9.1 keywords per application on average.

The missing terms were most often linked to process and governance rather than technical expertise. Phrases such as continuous improvement, compliance, customer service, SLA or service levels, change management, and stakeholder management appeared regularly in job adverts but were often absent from applicants’ CVs.

That pattern suggests the issue for many applicants lies less in their underlying experience than in how they describe it. Recruiters and screening systems often look for the language used in role specifications, especially in functions where process, oversight, and service delivery feature heavily.

“The gap most candidates don’t see isn’t a skills gap – it’s a language gap,” said Nicholas Barooah, Founder, JobSpace AI.

“Job adverts are written around frameworks and processes. Most CVs describe what someone achieved without using the governance and process terminology recruiters are screening for. Candidates who bridge that gap move from the 35% to the 65% – often with relatively small changes to how they describe existing experience,” Barooah said.

Myth questioned

The findings also cast doubt on one of the most frequently repeated claims in careers advice: that three quarters of CVs are screened out automatically. According to JobSpace AI, that figure has circulated for years across careers media, social media posts, and CV-writing services, but lacks a traceable primary source.

Its analysis points to a different picture. Automated filtering remains part of recruitment practice, but the results suggest the bigger issue is not universal exclusion by software. Instead, a notable share of applicants may be weakening their prospects by failing to reflect the wording and priorities set out in job adverts.

That distinction matters because it shifts attention away from the idea of a closed system and towards one in which many applications can be improved. For candidates whose CVs fall into the middle band or lower-scoring group, the data suggests relatively modest revisions in terminology and alignment may affect whether an application progresses.

How scoring worked

The scoring model assessed keyword alignment, formatting compatibility, and role-seniority match. Each CV was measured against a real job description, and the resulting score was used to place the application into one of three categories.

The research focused on UK users and was intended to reflect real-world submissions rather than hypothetical tests. Because job seekers provided the documents voluntarily, the dataset offers a snapshot of how candidates are currently presenting themselves in live applications.

The figures also underline the competitive nature of recruitment, even when most CVs are not screened out immediately. A document that reaches a recruiter is not necessarily a strong contender, particularly when employers compare applicants on closely matched wording, evidence of process knowledge, and relevance to the stated brief.

For applicants, the results point to the importance of reading job descriptions closely and mirroring terms that accurately reflect their experience. The most commonly absent phrases in the sample were not specialist jargon, but standard language around operations, governance, and delivery.

JobSpace AI said its platform has analysed more than 5,000 real UK job applications since launch, and the latest sample adds to that picture by quantifying how many candidates may be missing interview thresholds because of wording rather than lack of experience.

Our Lady’s Abingdon, in Radley Road, was forced to close permanently for financial reasons, according to its governors, who sent letters to parents in August alerting them to the news.

The Statement of Affairs submitted to Companies House revealed Our Lady’s Abingdon Trustees Ltd racked up debts of £1,555,596 owed to 121 company creditors.

READ MORE: Closed UK private school sells off equipment

Security measures were put in place to protect the buildings and the owners, the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy. were understood to be discussing the sale of the buildings and the site.

Now it is being marketed for sale by commercial real estate company Newmark, with the sale price “subject to offer”.

Our Lady’s Abingdon (Image: Contributed)

Newmark says there is an “opportunity to acquire the freehold interest of a former school in a sought-after location with potential for redevelopment, subject to planning permission.”

Highlights, according to the sale prospectus, include the opportunity to acquire a former school and associated land (Use Class F1) with potential for redevelopment; extensive and attractive grounds and playing fields; combined total Gross Internal Area (GIA) of approximately 105,710 sq ft (9,817 sqm); ite area of c. 9.10 acres including a separate playing field and drop-off/parking of 5.6 acres; freehold offered with vacant possession.

The Newmark online sales page adds that the site is located in an affluent, sought after location with strong demand for independent schools.

It says: “Potential for alternative uses including redevelopment for residential, care, retirement or retail subject to the necessary consents.”

Our Lady’s Abingdon (Image: Contributed)

At the end of last year, a team of liquidators hired auctioneers Wyles Hardy to sell school equipment including the school’s fleet of minibuses.

A statement from Wyles Hardy said earlier: “Following sustained financial pressures and the recent introduction of VAT on school fees pupil numbers declined significantly, leading to the school’s closure in August 2025.

“Acting on behalf of the appointed insolvency practitioners we delivered specialist valuation, marketing and asset disposal services as part of the process.

“Our instruction covered a broad and diverse asset base across multiple departments, including design and technology, domestic science and music, as well as plant and machinery, grounds care equipment and the school’s fleet of minibuses.”

A spokesperson for the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy said in March: “Over the last six months, following the handover of the site from the liquidator, we have been working diligently to both clear and secure the Our Lady’s Abingdon site, as well as reflect on how best the site can be used moving forward.

“Meetings are ongoing about the site’s future, taking into account our obligations as a charity, and we are hopeful to be in a position to share more information in the early part of the summer.”  

Following the closure announcement, schools across the county rallied to find places for more than 300 pupils.

Some pupils switched to schools in Abingdon while others are now attending schools in other parts of Oxfordshire.

In November, Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran wrote to education secretary Bridget Phillipson, urging the Department for Education to do more to protect families affected by sudden school closures.

Ms Moran said at the time: “Going forwards, there must be earlier dialogue between the local authorities and schools to ensure that pupils and parents’ interests are the number one priority.

The Institute of Our Lady of Mercy has been asked for further comment.