Lydiard Park Academy

Lydiard Park Academy has been confirmed as a good school during its recent inspection. The school fosters a supportive atmosphere where pupils demonstrate pride in their work and are eager to learn. A well-structured curriculum allows students to build knowledge progressively from Year 7 to Year 13, and the staff provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs. The school also emphasizes personal development and offers numerous extracurricular activities, creating a sense of community among students. However, there is a noted need for improvement in encouraging more student discussions and debates to enhance their critical thinking skills.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate pride in their work and engagement in learning.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious, and effectively sequenced.
• Strong support for students with SEND is provided.
• The school culture promotes positive relationships and a zero-tolerance policy on bullying.
• Pupils have opportunities for leadership and contributing to school life.
• Effective personal development curriculum prepares pupils for adult life.
• Staff receive extensive professional development and support.

Areas for Improvement

• Limited opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning hinders deeper understanding.

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 Lydiard Park Academy attended 92.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 4.7% of pupils at Lydiard Park Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Lydiard Park Academy had 15.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 16.4% of pupils at Lydiard Park Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 15 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Lydiard Park Academy received £8,124 and spent £7,553 for each of its 1,287 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,054,000 (£819 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of The Park Academies Trust, income was £8,113 and spending £8,070 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Lydiard Park Academy is part of The Park Academies Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• The Deanery CofE Academy Swindon
• Kingfisher CE Academy Swindon
• Orchid Vale Primary School Swindon
• Red Oaks Primary School Swindon
• Abbey Park School Swindon
• Bridlewood Primary School Swindon
• Highworth Warneford School Swindon

What is Lydiard Park Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lydiard Park Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Lydiard Park Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Lydiard Park Academy was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Lydiard Park Academy have?

Lydiard Park Academy has 1,302 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lydiard Park Academy cover?

Lydiard Park Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Lydiard Park Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.1, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Lydiard Park Academy?

Lydiard Park Academy is at Grange Park Way, Grange Park, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 6HN.