The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College

Academy converter·Secondary school Swindon·SN4 9DJ
Composite score
66.9
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#572
National rank
#37
In South West
#1
In Swindon
Top 18%
Nationally

Performance (KS4 GCSE)

Attainment 8 score
53.5
National avg ≈ 46
Progress 8 score
—
% achieving 9–5 in English & Maths
62%
% achieving 9–4 in English & Maths
78%
% EBacc grade 5+
29%
EBacc average points score
5.08

Ofsted judgements

Legacy framework · Read full report ↗

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Safeguarding effective?
Yes
Sixth form provision
Good

Getting a place

Offered a place after putting it first
87%
300 first choices, 270 places
First choices per place
1.11
more first choices than places
Applications naming the school
646
any preference, for 270 places
Last place offered lived
2.52 mi
straight line, 2026 intake · 4051 m
Applications from another council area
2%
First preferences per place, last five years▼ 0.11
00.511.5
1 per place
1.2620221.2620231.1620241.2220251.112026

Red dashed line = one first choice per place. How to read this

The cut-off distance is how far the last child offered a place lived, not a catchment boundary: it moves every year with the number of applicants. Published by the council in its 2026 allocation figures, and checked against that document before we show it.

Application figures: DfE, school level applications and offers (2026 intake).

School profile

Age range
11–18
Pupils on roll
1,573
Gender
Mixed
Admissions
Non-Selective

Pupil background

% FSM ever-6
16.9%
Typical secondary: 27.5%
% EAL
12.5%
Typical secondary: 12.0%

Special educational needs

% SEN support
12.0%
Typical secondary: 13.7%
% with an EHC plan
4.3%
Typical secondary: 2.9%

Attendance

Overall absence
8.1%
Typical secondary: 8.9%
Persistently absent
21.4%
Typical secondary: 25.7%

Staffing & funding

Pupils per teacher
20.3
Typical secondary: 16.7
Spend per pupil
£6,734
Typical secondary: £7,815

“Typical” = the median secondary school in England. What this means

What pupils do next

The share of this school's Year 11 leavers in education, training or employment for at least two terms afterwards.

In education, training or work
94%
302 pupils tracked
Stayed in education
90%
Apprenticeship
3%

DfE, KS4 destination measures.

Nearby secondary schools

Location

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College at a glance

Located in Swindon, The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College is a secondary school, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. The school educates roughly 1,573 pupils aged 11 to 18. Ofsted judged the school to be 'Good' at its most recent inspection. In the most recent GCSE results, pupils achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 53.5, above the national average of 46. That marks an improvement of 0.5 points in its Attainment 8 score on the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it among the top 18% of secondary schools in England.

62% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, well above the national average of about 45%. 78% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. Competition for places is real here - 87% of first-choice applicants were offered a Year 7 place for September 2026 (300 first choices for 270 places). The council's own allocation figures show the last child offered a place for 2026 lived 2.52 miles away in a straight line — that distance is not a fixed catchment and moves each year. After Year 11, 94% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 8.1%. There are about 20.3 pupils per teacher. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.

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