Great Western Academy

Great Western Academy has demonstrated a strong performance since its establishment, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspected areas, including the quality of education, behaviour, and leadership. The school is committed to providing a comprehensive educational experience, with a broad curriculum and numerous extracurricular opportunities that promote both academic and personal development. The positive relationships between staff and students contribute to a respectful and engaged school community, with pupils actively participating in school governance and enrichment activities. Despite its successes, the academy does face some challenges. Certain assessments in the curriculum are deemed unnecessary, and the careers program requires enhancement to ensure younger pupils receive adequate information about future options. Overall, while the school is on a positive trajectory and has strong leadership, addressing these specific areas will be crucial for further improvement as it continues to grow and serve its students effectively.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and management contribute to a positive school culture.
• Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum supports effective learning.
• Broad enrichment program includes various clubs and activities.
• High expectations from staff lead to focused student learning.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils foster engagement.

Areas for Improvement

• Some assessments in the curriculum are unnecessary or not useful.
• The careers program lacks comprehensiveness for younger pupils.

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 Great Western Academy attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.2% 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, 7.4% of pupils at Great Western Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Great Western Academy had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.4% 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, 11.3% of pupils at Great Western Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.6% 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 Great Western Academy received £7,514 and spent £7,686 for each of its 1,025 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £682,000 (£665 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

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What is Great Western Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Great Western Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Great Western Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Great Western Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Great Western Academy have?

Great Western Academy has 1,039 pupils on roll.

What age range does Great Western Academy cover?

Great Western Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Great Western Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.8, and 47% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Great Western Academy?

Great Western Academy is at William Morris Way, Tadpole Garden Village, Swindon, SN25 2PP.