Southfield Junior School

Southfield Junior School continues to perform effectively, maintaining the high standards noted in its previous inspection. The school is characterized by a welcoming environment and a strong commitment to student well-being, with effective pastoral support ensuring that pupils feel safe and valued. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, which has positively impacted student achievement, particularly in recent assessments where results were notably strong. The school promotes a love for learning and encourages pupils to embrace their roles within the school community.

Strengths

• Strong pastoral support that prioritizes student well-being
• Welcoming and happy environment for all pupils
• Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum
• Effective support for pupils who struggle with reading
• High expectations leading to exemplary behavior and attitudes
• Staff morale is high due to supportive leadership

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils still have gaps in their learning due to incomplete curriculum implementation

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 Southfield Junior School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.7% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Southfield Junior 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 Southfield Junior School had 19.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.9% 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, 8.1% of pupils at Southfield Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% 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 2024–25 Southfield Junior School received £6,817 and spent £6,697 for each of its 169 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £228,000 (£1,348 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Grove Learning Trust, income was £6,237 and spending £6,421 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

Southfield Junior School is part of Grove Learning Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Eastrop Infant School Swindon
• Haydonleigh Primary School Swindon
• Oakhurst Community Primary School Swindon
• Peatmoor Community Primary School Swindon
• Shaw Ridge Primary School Swindon
• Wroughton Junior School Swindon
• Millbrook Primary School Swindon
• Wroughton Infant School Swindon

What is Southfield Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Southfield Junior School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Southfield Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Southfield Junior School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Southfield Junior School have?

Southfield Junior School has 160 pupils on roll.

What age range does Southfield Junior School cover?

Southfield Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Southfield Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Southfield Junior School?

Southfield Junior School is at Shrivenham Road, Highworth, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN6 7BZ.