Great Western Academy

Type Secondary / Free schools
Age Range 11-18
Religion Unknown
Address William Morris Way
Tadpole Garden Village
Swindon
SN25 2PP
Phone 01793209700
Reference Number 145883

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.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 1025
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 50.83%
Girls: 49.17%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 15.7%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 11.2%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 19.3

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 91 89 180
8 110 65 175
9 86 72 158
10 80 74 154
11 67 90 157
12 49 65 114
13 38 49 87

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 70.5%
White, Other 8.8%
African 4.6%
Unclassified 3.2%
Indian 2%
Mixed, Other 1.7%
White & Black (African) 1.6%
Asian, Other 1.4%
White & Black (Caribbean) 1.2%
White & Asian 0.9%
Pakistani 0.6%
Chinese 0.5%
Caribbean 0.4%
Irish 0.2%

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
 >  Quality of education Good
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Good
  >  Personal Development Good
  >  Leadership & Management Good
  >  Sixth Form Provision Good
Last Report Date 10 Jan 2023
Date Report
10 Jan 2023 School inspection:

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.

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

  • English
  • Maths
  • 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
  • 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education

Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.

School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
45.5

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 41.3%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 60%

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

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GCSE Results

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Points

Points Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Average Points 31.55
Average Points (best 3) 33.33

Grades

School Local Nationwide
Average Grade C C C+
Average Grade (best 3) C+ C+ C+
Percentage Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Students getting AAB or better 12.3%
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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 206 6
Third Preference 119 3
From another Local Authority 5 1

Previous Years

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Destinations after GCSE's

Staying in Education
 >  Further Education
 >  School Sixth Form
 >  Sixth Form College
 >  Other Education
Apprenticeships
Employment
Not in education or employment
Unknown

Name Distance
William Morris Primary School
William Morris Way, Tadpole Garden Village, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 2PP
0.01 miles
Abbey Farm Educate Together Primary
Diamond Crescent, Abbey Farm, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 2SJ
0.67 miles
Tadpole Farm CofE Primary Academy
Greene Street, Tadpole Garden Village, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 2QS
0.71 miles
Red Oaks Primary School
Redhouse Way, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 2AN
0.81 miles
Brimble Hill Special School
Tadpole Lane, Redhouse, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 2NB
0.85 miles
Bridlewood Primary School
Chartwell Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 2EX
0.9 miles
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1.02 miles
Orchid Vale Primary School
Torun Way, Haydon End, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 1UG
1.16 miles
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Hugo Drive, Abbey Meads, Hugo Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 4GY
1.38 miles
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Aiken Road, Taw Hill, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 1UH
1.45 miles
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Elstree Way, Abbey Meads, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 4TA
1.46 miles
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1.46 miles
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1.5 miles
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1.77 miles
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2.01 miles
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2.11 miles
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2.19 miles
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Name Distance
Churchward School
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0.21 miles
Uplands School
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0.67 miles
Abbey Park School
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0.74 miles
Compass Community School Wheatley Park
25-27 Moredon Road, Rodbourne Cheney, Swindon, SN25 3DF
2.24 miles
St Luke's Academy
Cricklade Road, St Lukes Academy, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 7AS
2.39 miles
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2.56 miles
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2.71 miles
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2.94 miles
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3.15 miles
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3.72 miles
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St Joseph's Catholic College
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4.05 miles
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4.09 miles
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4.54 miles
New College Swindon
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4.59 miles
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4.63 miles
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