swindon secondary schools.

You don't want to go living in Swindon! It's pants.

Lots of nice places around though, with excelent schools.

I have two DDs in Royal Wootton Bassett Academy - and are extemely pleased with the school. It was judged outstanding by Ofsted a couple of years ago, with the highest mark achieved by any school in England. It has sucked in lots of pupils from Swindon, and numbers in the lower years, year 10 and Sixth Form have increased since the Ofsted

Results are well above average, though there is room for improvement, but discipline is good, staff dedicated and lovely, and there are lots of extra-curricular activities.

It also has a Sixth Form, which (all things being equal) would give it the edge over Braden Forest and other nearby schools which are 11-16 only.

Other good places to live with good schools are Marlborough (St John's School), Malmesbury (Malmesbury School), Wroughton (Ridgeway School). Wroughton is in Swindon LA though, which I think is not as good as Wiltshire LA.

I looked at wichelstowe primary- nothing special! Results are a reflection of the intake.

I am always pleasantly surprised about swindon primaries too. My dcs primary is in top 200 in country, and many of the primary school problems I see on here I just can't imagine happening in our school.

go swindon!

I am a maths tutor in the Swindon area and from students views I would say the following. Wootton Bassett, St. John's Marlborough good. Ridgeway doesn't deserve it's good reputation- lots of uninspiring teaching. Farmers is good. Isaambard avoid- they have done wierd practices!

I think if I was considering moving to Swindon I would seriously look at Wichelstowe. New primary has very good results, in catchment for Ridgeway Secondary, Waitrose being built in Wichelstowe and not far from Old Town.

thanks

Sorry I can't link from my phone. BBC school league tables and then search by local authority,

Just looked at results for Highworth and Farmors and they are still not as good as Swindon's top 3.

Good news for Swindon as they always had a reputation for poor secondary schools.

do you have link snooty fox?

Depends where you are going to live but Warneford in Hoghworth is excellent. They have a number of places for kids from the NorthSwindon area but obviously precedence is given to Highworth residents. But, Highworth is a great commuter town for Swindon with a regular bus route and is a lovely place. Swindon is a bit dull but the north Swindon developments are nice. For town centre Commonwheel and St Joseph's are good.

Wootton Bassett and Bradon Forest are listed on the Wiltshire table. They used to be a lot higher in terms of results than Swindon schools but not so much these days. The top 3 in Swindon are higher than both WB and BF. Churchfields is higher than BF which might surprise a lot of people.

I know a lot of people like St Josephs, but I thought their results weren't great and that results table shows it.

I am assuming that those are swindon results?

The only reason I ask is because wootton, bradon forest, farmers and Highworth are all outside of swindon. (wilts and Glos) so you may need to check several places to get the results to compare.

personally I would also look at the area around the school, it gives you some idea of where most kids come from

Interesting that people list Lydiard Academy as a no go. I don't know myuch about it, but have a friend whose kids went/go there are said it was lovely school (but not very academic!)

Kingsdown going downhill, only 45% getting good GCSEs. Churchfields has 56% getting good GCSEs and if you take the demographics into account I think that demonstrates that Churchfields is doing something right!

In order of GCSE results:

Top 3:

1. Ridgeway
2. Isambard
3. Commonweal

Bottom 3:

1. Swindon Academy
2. Nova Herod
3. St Joesphs

Isambard is a new school and I haven't yet seen any exam results from it (last years maybe out now??) So it is untested

sorry for typos

sorry I wouldn't touch Nova Hreod and Isambard (very popular new school, but I don't like all I have heard about it)

If you move to west swindon, then I would go for busing to Bradon Forest.
If near Highworth, there is a good secondary there too.
Farmors is good but a bus ride away and you need to be near where the bus goes from (Farmers is in Fairford)

Actually I totally endorse what Tallulah says, depends if you need to ne in, on the outskirts or nearby (likw Wootton Bassett)

Ridgeway has great results, but when we visited we didn't like it. Maybe just hit a bad day

I would suggest Commonweal, Ridgeway, St Joseph's and Kingsdown in Swindon and Bradon Forest, Warneford, Farmors and Wootton Bassett outside Swindon. I personally would avoid Churchfields, Dorcan, Swindon Academy (at all costs), Lydiard Park Academy and Nova Hreod (not unless you really have to). I would also avoid Isambard as I also know some people who took their children out. I don't think that any school in Swindon is brilliant but the ones I suggested are all above average. If I was choosing from scratch like you though, I would definitely be looking at Wootton Bassett. It is a very attractive school with a good reputation and performs well in the league tables. My daughter went to Commonweal and we were more than happy (moving to avoid Churchfields) and I have another starting there this September.

from what I know, Commnweal in Old Town, Ridgeway in nearby Wroughton, St Josephs (Catholic) all have good reputations. Wotton Bassett just a few mins drive from Swindon also has an excellent reputation and Ofstead report.

Swindon is huge and there are nice parts with great facilities, but nearby you have stunning towns like Marlborough and Cirencester and loads of nearby villages with very good schools and only a 20 min drive away.

Hi, just to clarify re Isambard. No personal experience of the school myself but have 4 closeish friends who have all removed their children from there.

Various reasons I think although seem to remember poor teaching was mentioned and issues re exams. I agree that every school has it's ups and downs though

It's good to hear that your children are doing well there

I have 3 children at Isambard and all are doing fantastically and love it there.

Wootton Bassett has a very good reputation.

I would go and visit schools. All have their pluses and minuses.

Betty, my DS is Y8 at Isambard and doing really well. It's not perfect but is any school? My DD (Y5) will follow him there and I have no qualms.... Why do you say to avoid? I'm not being funny or defensive, I'm genuinely interested

Do you have to live in Swindon or can he be in commutable distance? Chippenham is quite nice and has very good secondary schools. Would take 30 mins to commute on the M4 or back roads. As others have said Marlborough is another very nice place.