Nova Hreod Academy

Nova Hreod Academy is maintaining its status as a good school, marked by a friendly and welcoming environment where leaders set high expectations based on core values. The school emphasizes a rich and ambitious curriculum, helping all pupils, including those with special educational needs, to develop their knowledge over time. While the majority of parents support the school, there are some concerns regarding communication from the staff to parents. Furthermore, pupils feel safe and engaged, reporting that bullying is rare and that they enjoy a sense of belonging through various opportunities offered by the school.

Strengths

• Leaders have high expectations based on core values.
• The school provides a calm and purposeful learning environment.
• Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and effective teaching.
• Pupils are respectful and well-behaved throughout the school.
• The curriculum offers opportunities for personal development and character education.
• The school provides effective support for pupils with SEND.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack opportunities for discussion and debate.
• A minority of parents feel communication from staff could be improved.

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 Nova Hreod Academy attended 88.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.8% 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, 19.1% of pupils at Nova Hreod Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 11 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 Nova Hreod Academy had 17.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.1% 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, 10.2% of pupils at Nova Hreod Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 Nova Hreod Academy received £8,132 and spent £8,001 for each of its 1,060 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £947,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 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

Nova Hreod Academy is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• Swindon Academy Swindon
• Windale Primary School Oxford
• Orchard Meadow Primary School Oxford
• Pegasus School Oxford
• North Oxfordshire Academy Banbury
• Hill View Primary School Banbury
• Hanwell Fields Community School Banbury
• Gillingham School Gillingham
• Regents Park Community College Southampton
• Campion School Northampton

What is Nova Hreod Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Nova Hreod Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Nova Hreod Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Nova Hreod Academy was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Nova Hreod Academy have?

Nova Hreod Academy has 1,044 pupils on roll.

What age range does Nova Hreod Academy cover?

Nova Hreod Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Nova Hreod Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.6, and 50% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Nova Hreod Academy?

Nova Hreod Academy is at Akers Way, Moredon, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 2NQ.