St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School

St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School has been rated as Good overall during its recent inspection, marking a significant shift from its previous Outstanding grade 12 years ago. The school demonstrates a nurturing environment where respect and kindness are central to the pupils’ interactions, and there is a strong emphasis on achieving high academic standards. The inspection highlighted the effective phonics teaching and the ambitious curriculum that caters to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Despite these strengths, the school faces challenges in ensuring that key prior knowledge is clearly articulated and recalled effectively, which may lead to gaps in some pupils' learning.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit respectful and supportive behavior towards each other.
• The school implements an ambitious curriculum aligned with the National Curriculum.
• Effective daily phonics teaching helps pupils become confident readers.
• Leaders provide appropriate support for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and leadership opportunities.
• The school's safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Important prior knowledge is not always made explicitly clear, leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School attended 96.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.3% of pupils at St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 7.4% of pupils at St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School received £7,084 and spent £7,116 for each of its 227 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £162,000 (-£716 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Hillingdon · Hillingdon local authority: places and applications

What is St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School have?

St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School has 231 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School cover?

St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School?

St Swithun Wells Catholic Primary School is at Hunters Hill, South Ruislip, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 9HS.