Crowdys Hill School, Swindon

Good
Special
Community special school
Mixed
Ages 419

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Gemma Meiklejohn
Pupils:348 / 226 capacity
LA:Swindon
Phone:01793332400
Address:Jefferies Avenue, Swindon, SN2 7HJ
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Sixth Form

Inspected 17 June 2025View full report
URN:126549
UKPRN:10015414
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Swindon North
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Crowdys Hill School creates a warm, supportive environment where all pupils with SEND thrive and feel genuinely cared for. The school offers an ambitious curriculum that develops life skills for adulthood, with particularly strong focus on communication and reading. Beyond the classroom, pupils access exceptional enrichment through the school farm, outdoor activities, and community projects that build their confidence and independence.

Key Strengths

  • Ambitious, well-designed curriculum tailored to pupils' individual needs and Education, Health and Care plans
  • Strong emphasis on communication skills development, with reading taught effectively across all phases
  • Rich enrichment activities including school farm, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and outdoor adventures that build independence and confidence
  • Skilled staff who work collaboratively with therapists to support pupils' development
  • Sixth-form students successfully progress into further training or employment through work preparation activities

Areas for Improvement

  • Some staff lack thorough understanding of their subject areas, limiting their ability to adapt learning to the right level for pupils
  • Assessment information is not used effectively enough to inform and improve curriculum development in some subjects
  • Attendance remains inconsistent, particularly among sixth-form students, hindering progress through the curriculum

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with school leaders creating an open and positive culture that prioritises pupils' interests.

Extracurricular Activities

School farm, Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, adventurous outdoor activities, firefighting course, conference presentations, local homeless charity work

Crowdys Hill School is a special school for pupils with moderate and severe learning difficulties that provides a nurturing environment where all pupils feel safe and well supported. The school maintains high expectations for achievement across all age groups from Reception to sixth form.

At a Glance

43.7%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

59 responses
Would recommend92%
Child is happy92%
Well taught90%
Good progress78%
Feels safe92%
Well behaved85%
Bullying dealt with14%
Kept informed92%
Handles concerns68%
Wider development85%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
ReadingMathsWriting

Reading has remained stable at around 0%. Maths has remained stable at around 0%. Writing has remained stable at around 0%.

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Marsland Road (W-bound)
245m · 4 min walk
Cherry Orchard (N-bound)
284m · 5 min walk
Wheeler Avenue (N-bound)
306m · 5 min walk
Poplar Avenue (N-bound)
309m · 5 min walk
Headlands Grove (E-bound)
314m · 5 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

154%

Over capacity

348 pupils

226 capacity

122 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Swindon

Low pressure
New homes approved:3,754
Projected new pupils:676

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Swindon

Admissions Demand - Swindon

Low demand1.05x oversubscription

Places available

2,816

Applications

2,957

Got 1st preference

87.0%

Got preferred school

97.3%

Secondary admissions across Swindon (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

17 June 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Sixth FormGood
8 May 2024
26 February 2019
Leadership & ManagementGood

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

Pupil Absence
2024/25

8.71063%

Overall absence

24.30279%

Persistent absence

251

Enrolments

Authorised7.07284%
Unauthorised1.63779%
Persistent (10%+)24.30279%
Severe (50%+)2.39044%

Absence trend

6.56944%
18/19
21.89154%
20/21
11.14114%
21/22
9.75858%
22/23
10.41439%
23/24
8.71063%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Feeder Primary Schools

Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity

Showing 10 of 15 linked schools

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.