UTC Swindon

UTC Swindon is currently performing at a level that requires improvement, a grade it previously received. The inspection identified notable strengths in the school’s career education provision, with pupils benefiting from strong industry connections and guidance. The sixth form is well-regarded for preparing students for their future paths, whether in university or apprenticeships. However, the school is grappling with challenges in delivering consistent quality of education, particularly in behaviour management and attendance, which have impacted overall pupil achievement and experience. Recent leadership changes have instigated a period of instability, but prompt actions by the trust are in place to address these issues.

Strengths

• High-quality resources and strong relationships with industry support pupil learning.
• Strong and well-developed career education provision for all pupils.
• Pupils enjoy their specialist studies in engineering and digital technologies.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements are in place.
• The school has raised expectations for the standards of pupils' writing.

Areas for Improvement

• Too many pupils do not attend school regularly.
• Some pupils do not behave well, impacting the learning environment.
• Inconsistent application of behaviour management systems across the school.
• Disrupted implementation of some key subjects prevents optimal pupil progress.
• Some staff do not consistently check for pupil 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 UTC Swindon attended 89.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 36.8% 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, 17.8% of pupils at UTC Swindon were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 UTC Swindon had 11.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.8% 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, 20.9% of pupils at UTC Swindon were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.9% 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 UTC Swindon received £10,733 and spent £11,342 for each of its 191 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £1,009,000 (-£5,284 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Activate Learning Education Trust, income was £8,774 and spending £8,593 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

UTC Swindon is part of Activate Learning Education Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• UTC Oxfordshire Didcot
• Theale Green School Reading
• The Bicester School Bicester
• UTC Reading Reading
• UTC Heathrow Northwood

What is UTC Swindon's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for UTC Swindon is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was UTC Swindon last inspected by Ofsted?

UTC Swindon was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does UTC Swindon have?

UTC Swindon has 182 pupils on roll.

What age range does UTC Swindon cover?

UTC Swindon for pupils aged 14 to 19.

Where is UTC Swindon?

UTC Swindon is at Bristol Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 5ET.