Drove Primary School, Swindon
Drove Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Swindon, part of The White Horse Federation. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 26th-highest of the 65 schools in Swindon with published results, and 6,834th of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Swindon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Drove Primary School in detail
Drove Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "We believe that our colleagues are among the finest in the country, and we are proud to empower them through support, training, and career opportunities. With such outstanding staff, we are able to ensure that every student achieves all that they are capable of and more, regardless of background, culture, heritage, or ability."
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open evening on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 4pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Swindon
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Drove Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Swindon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Drove Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 79 families put Drove Primary School as their first choice and 154 named it as one of their preferences, for 79 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Drove Primary School are Holy Cross Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 62% reading, 72% maths); Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery (0.3 miles, Good, 62% reading, 50% maths); Holy Rood Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 88% reading, 93% maths); and Mountford Manor Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 77% reading, 71% maths).
Drove Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Holy Cross Catholic Primary SchoolLainesmead Primary School and NurseryHoly Rood Catholic Primary SchoolMountford Manor Primary School
The trust
Drove Primary School is one of 30 schools run by The White Horse Federation, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
12.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 79.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (77%), Black (7%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 47 pupils (6.7%) received SEN support and 22 (3.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swindon Rail Station, about 1030 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fire Station (w-bound), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 769 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Swindon (132), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Drove Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 0.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Drove Primary School are St Joseph's Catholic College (0.4 miles), Lawn Manor Academy (0.6 miles), UTC Swindon (1 mile) and The Commonweal School (1.1 miles).
St Joseph's Catholic CollegeLawn Manor AcademyUTC SwindonThe Commonweal School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils at Drove Primary school are polite and welcoming. Staff and pupils are proud to be part of a large, but close-knit, community that is working together for a common purpose. Everyone is valued. Pupils attend happily and are safe. They appreciate the warm relationships they have with staff.
The school's vision of 'roots to grow, wings to fly' is woven through school life. Many pupils join at different points of the school year. Each new pupil gets the help they need to settle in swiftly. Pupils quickly learn the school's behaviour routines that help everyone learn well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum is well planned from Reception Year to Year 6. It sets out the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which they do so. Subject content is broken down into small steps, which helps pupils to learn the curriculum successfully. In most subjects, the curriculum is taught in a way that supports pupils to learn more over time. Pupils use subject-specific vocabulary to explain what they have learned. In mathematics, for instance, pupils refer to numerators and denominators when solving problems containing fractions. The improvements that have been made to the curriculum have benefited current pupils but are not reflected in the school's published outcomes.
Pupils remember what they have been taught and are able to apply their knowledge. For example, pupils use what they have learned in computing to write programmes, compose music and edit videos. However, in some subjects, the way in which the curriculum is taught is not fully effective. It does not help pupils to learn the knowledge and skills they need. Where this is the case, pupils do not build confidently on what they already know.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
12.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 80% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 84% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 76% to 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
28.4
Infant (KS1)
28.4
KS2
20
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Drove Primary School
TWHF gifts educational book bag to new reception pupils
27 Jul 2026
TWHF Primary Sporting Excellence 2026
16 Jul 2026
A Proactive Approach to Allergy Management
30 Jun 2026
Changes to Free School Meals Guidance
12 Jun 2026
Our Schools celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday
8 May 2026
TWHF Shortlisted for Two Awards at ‘The Oscars of Education’
8 May 2026
From Drove Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Drove Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Drove Primary School.
- Just for Fun Holiday Club290m away · Not yet graded
- The Big Adventure Club Ltd (Holy Rood)570m away · Not yet graded
- Stagecoach Swindon - St Joseph's Catholic College660m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Drove Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Swindon's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Drove Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Drove Primary School is in Swindon; for families living there:
- Swindon's school travel policy: School travel support
- How to apply: Apply for school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 94
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 16
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 94 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 78 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 7 in a vehicle or otherwise.
21 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Swindon is 15.5 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Drove Primary School
Will you get a place at Drove Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Drove Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Drove Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Drove Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Swindon, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Drove Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Swindon got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
610 pupils
630 places
20 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Swindon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Swindon
Across Swindon council
Places available
3,059
Applications
2,416
Got 1st preference
95.6%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Swindon council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
47
SEN Support
22
EHC Plans
9.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
706
Total Pupils
356
Boys
350
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
27.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,251
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,125
Per pupil
£3465k
Total funding
£135k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
14.5%
Persistent absence
578
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Drove Primary School
Questions parents ask about Drove Primary School
What are SATs results like at Drove Primary School?
Of the pupils at Drove Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Drove Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Drove Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Drove Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Drove Primary School is oversubscribed, Swindon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Drove Primary School?
Drove Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Drove Primary School?
Classes at Drove Primary School average 26.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Drove Primary School?
Drove Primary School has around 706 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Drove Primary School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Drove Primary School in 2024/25. 14.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Drove Primary School?
Apply through Swindon's coordinated admissions process, naming Drove Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Drove Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Drove Primary School: Just for Fun Holiday Club (290m away, registered, not yet graded), The Big Adventure Club Ltd (Holy Rood) (570m away, registered, not yet graded) and Stagecoach Swindon - St Joseph's Catholic College (660m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Drove Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 94 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 78 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 7 in a vehicle or otherwise. 21 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Swindon is 15.5 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Drove Primary School?
Drove Primary School is at Drove Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 3AH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)