Ruskin Junior School

Ruskin Junior School is performing well after its first inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving a 'Good' rating across all key areas. The school demonstrates a strong commitment to nurturing pupils' academic and personal development through its well-structured curriculum and supportive environment. Pupils generally feel safe, are engaged in lessons, and maintain positive relationships with staff, although some parents have expressed concerns regarding communication and follow-up on issues raised.

Strengths

• Pupils form positive and respectful relationships with staff.
• Leaders effectively use training and advice from the trust to enhance the curriculum.
• There is a clear focus on essential skills in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• The school promotes an inclusive culture, celebrating the work of young carers.
• Strong communication systems are in place for pupils in the specialist resource base.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment processes in some wider curriculum subjects are not well developed.
• Communication with parents regarding concerns can be inconsistent and incomplete.

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 Ruskin Junior School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.1% 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, 0.3% of pupils at Ruskin 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 Ruskin Junior School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.8% 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, 21.6% of pupils at Ruskin Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 9 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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Ruskin Junior School received £7,544 and spent £7,485 for each of its 327 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £380,000 (£1,162 per pupil).

Across all 25 schools of The Blue Kite Academy Trust, income was £6,244 and spending £6,337 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

Ruskin Junior School is part of The Blue Kite Academy Trust, which runs 27 schools. The nearest others:

• Beechcroft Infant School Swindon
• Colebrook Infant Academy Swindon
• Greenmeadow Primary School Swindon
• South Marston Church of England Primary School Swindon
• Abbey Meads Community Primary School Swindon
• Ferndale Primary School & Nursery Swindon
• Covingham Park Primary School Swindon
• Catherine Wayte Primary School Swindon
• St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy Swindon
• Oaktree Nursery and Primary School Swindon

What is Ruskin Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ruskin Junior School is Good, from an inspection in October 2022.

When was Ruskin Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ruskin Junior School was last inspected in October 2022.

How many pupils does Ruskin Junior School have?

Ruskin Junior School has 333 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ruskin Junior School cover?

Ruskin Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

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

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ruskin Junior School?

Ruskin Junior School is at Wordsworth Drive, Upper Stratton, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 7NG.