Seven Fields Primary School

Seven Fields Primary School is a happy and inclusive school where pupils feel safe, valued and supported, and safeguarding standards are met. Its strongest work is in the early years, where leadership is highly effective, the curriculum is carefully planned, and children—including disadvantaged children and those with SEND—often make accelerated progress from low starting points. Attendance and behaviour have improved significantly, with strong work with families, low suspension rates and pupils reporting that bullying is uncommon. Published absence figures remain above national averages, but current attendance for vulnerable groups, including pupils eligible for free school meals, is a clear strength. Most other areas of the school meet expected standards. The curriculum and teaching have improved following historical weaknesses, especially in reading, writing and mathematics, and pupils with SEND are well supported. Inclusion is a strength, with needs identified quickly and external alternative provision used appropriately. Leaders are passionate advocates for their community and have an accurate grasp of priorities; governors and trust leaders are increasingly effective, and parental engagement is a significant strength. Personal development is also well designed and inclusive. The main area for improvement is achievement. Key stage 2 outcomes have historically been weak and remain below national averages in published data, although there are signs of improvement. Older pupils do not always gain secure knowledge across foundation subjects, delivery of some wider curriculum subjects is inconsistent, and teachers do not always check understanding before moving on. Leaders also need to monitor the impact of inclusion and curriculum work more consistently. The school is part of River Learning Trust and serves a community with well-above-average levels of disadvantage and SEND need.

Strengths

• Highly effective early years leadership with an ambitious, meticulously planned curriculum.
• Children, including disadvantaged children and those with SEND, often make accelerated progress from low starting points.
• Early years outcomes are above national averages, with disadvantaged children performing particularly well.
• A highly effective attendance strategy has secured sustained improvements, with free-school-meal pupils' attendance above national averages.
• Pupils typically behave very well and benefit from clear routines and trusting relationships.
• Bullying and suspensions have reduced over time, and pupils feel confident staff will help with worries.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and pupils feeling safe.
• Inclusion is a strength: SEND needs are identified quickly and pupils receive well-targeted support.
• Pupils with SEND and those who have fallen behind are well supported in class and small-group interventions.
• Leaders are passionate advocates for pupils and have an accurate understanding of the school's priorities.
• Governors and trust leaders are increasingly effective in supporting and challenging the school.
• Parental engagement and support for families are significant strengths.
• Personal development is responsive and inclusive, with electives, trips, leadership roles and wellbeing support.
• The breakfast club provides a positive, settled start to the day for many pupils.
• Improvements in reading, writing and mathematics are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils' learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Published key stage 2 outcomes remain below national averages, despite some signs of improvement.
• Older pupils do not consistently develop secure knowledge across the full breadth of the curriculum.
• Delivery of some foundation subjects is not consistently effective.
• Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding before moving on, so misconceptions can persist.
• Leaders and governors do not consistently evaluate the impact of inclusion work.
• Assessment and delivery of foundation subjects are not yet robust enough.
• Some pupils' knowledge of equality, diversity and other cultures is limited.
• Overall absence and persistent absence remain above national averages, although current attendance is improving.

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 Seven Fields Primary School attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.9% 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, 2.2% of pupils at Seven Fields 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 Seven Fields Primary School had 13.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.7% 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, 28.1% of pupils at Seven Fields Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.9% 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 Seven Fields Primary School received £9,258 and spent £9,111 for each of its 249 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £111,000 (£447 per pupil).

Across all 30 schools of River Learning Trust, income was £8,007 and spending £7,763 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.

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

Seven Fields Primary School is part of River Learning Trust, which runs 30 schools. The nearest others:

• Kingsdown School Swindon
• Edith Moorhouse Primary School Carterton
• Windrush Church of England Primary School Witney
• Tower Hill Community Primary School Witney
• Witney Community Primary School Witney
• Madley Brook Community Primary School Witney
• Charlbury Primary School
• Wolvercote Primary School Oxford
• Rose Hill Primary School Oxford
• Larkrise Primary School Oxford

What is Seven Fields Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Seven Fields Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Seven Fields Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Seven Fields Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Seven Fields Primary School have?

Seven Fields Primary School has 235 pupils on roll.

What age range does Seven Fields Primary School cover?

Seven Fields Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Seven Fields Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Seven Fields Primary School?

Seven Fields Primary School is at Leigh Road, Penhill, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 5DE.