The Oxford Academy opened in September 2008 on the site of Peers School, which had been designated a failing school. It initially used the existing buildings from the former school. In March 2009 the construction of a new, purpose-built £33 million school building was approved by
Oxfordshire County Council. The new building was opened to pupils in February 2011. The Academy was placed in
special measures in January 2013, following an
Ofsted inspection in November 2012. David Brown was appointed headmaster as a result of the inspection. In January 2015 the school's rating was improved and it was taken out of special measures. However following a subsequent inspection in 2019 the Academy was rated "inadequate" and returned to special measures. The Academy's sponsors are
Beecroft Trust (a charitable initiative of venture capitalist
Adrian Beecroft), the
Diocese of Oxford, and
Oxford Brookes University. It has 1,267 students, including a sixth form. Class sizes are smaller than average in the state sector, with between 20 and 25 students in a class rather than between 25 and 30. In March 2020 Nora Ward was appointed as the new permanent headteacher from September 2020. ==Notable former pupils==