Abbey Park School

Abbey Park School has been evaluated as good overall, demonstrating a solid performance across key areas such as the quality of education, behaviour, and leadership. The school, which has not been previously inspected under section 5, exhibits a positive and focused learning environment that fosters pupil pride and ambition through its 'Abbey Park Proud' vision. While most pupils respond well to high expectations, a small minority exhibit challenging behaviours, which are effectively managed by the leadership team.

Strengths

• Leaders have established high expectations for pupil behaviour and engagement.
• Curriculum is broad, ambitious, and well-sequenced, catering to diverse needs.
• Effective monitoring ensures targeted support for reading and phonics.
• Strong emphasis on personal development through various extracurricular programs.
• Pupils have good relationships with staff and feel safe and supported.

Areas for Improvement

• Certain pupils receive additional help during modern foreign language classes, leading to gaps in language learning.
• Management does not evaluate the effectiveness of behaviour strategies adequately.

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 Abbey Park School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.5% 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, 5.3% of pupils at Abbey Park School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Abbey Park School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.3% 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, 17.2% of pupils at Abbey Park School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.8% 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 Abbey Park School received £8,082 and spent £7,787 for each of its 1,183 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £969,000 (£819 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of The Park Academies Trust, income was £8,113 and spending £8,070 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

Abbey Park School is part of The Park Academies Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Red Oaks Primary School Swindon
• Orchid Vale Primary School Swindon
• Bridlewood Primary School Swindon
• Lydiard Park Academy Swindon
• The Deanery CofE Academy Swindon
• Kingfisher CE Academy Swindon
• Highworth Warneford School Swindon

What is Abbey Park School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Abbey Park School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Abbey Park School last inspected by Ofsted?

Abbey Park School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Abbey Park School have?

Abbey Park School has 1,193 pupils on roll.

What age range does Abbey Park School cover?

Abbey Park School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Abbey Park School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.4, and 49% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Abbey Park School?

Abbey Park School is at The Learning Campus, Redhouse Way, Swindon, SN25 2ND.