St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy

St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy is currently under significant improvement as inspectors found it is performing notably below expected standards. While there have been some positive changes in attendance, with systems being put in place to support families, academic achievement across the curriculum is still weak. Pupils are not achieving the knowledge and skills necessary for their next stages of education, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics, with national test outcomes significantly below average. Although the school is in a phase of transition with new leadership and support from the trust, key areas need urgent enhancement to provide a suitable educational environment for all students.

Strengths

• The school has established an open culture of safeguarding where pupils feel safe and cared for.
• Leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses in the school’s curriculum and are taking steps towards improvement.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of enrichment opportunities, contributing to their personal development and confidence.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupil achievement across the curriculum is weak, with significant gaps in basic skills.
• Inconsistency in the application of behaviour expectations affects student focus and learning.
• The quality of support for pupils with additional needs varies greatly across the school.

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 St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 24.4% 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, 5.6% of pupils at St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy 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 St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 34.6% 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, 15.2% of pupils at St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy received £10,557 and spent £9,664 for each of its 85 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £30,000 (£350 per pupil).

Across all 23 schools of Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,940 and spending £8,035 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 Retford · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy is part of Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 24 schools. The nearest others:

• Gamston St Peter's CofE Primary School Retford
• Leverton Church of England Academy Retford
• Worksop Priory Church of England Primary Academy Worksop
• St John's CofE Academy Worksop
• Harworth Church of England Academy Doncaster
• Haggonfields Primary and Nursery School Worksop
• St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe Mansfield
• Kneesall CofE Primary Academy Select
• Sherwood Church Academy Mansfield
• St Peter's CofE Primary Academy, Mansfield Mansfield

What is St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy have?

St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy has 92 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy cover?

St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 17% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy?

St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy is at Grove Street, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 6LD.