Great Western Academy, Swindon

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is an absolute privilege to introduce myself as Principal of Great Western Academy."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include gymnastics, eco club, debating and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at Great Western Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Swindon and 47 across England.

47% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Swindon and 47% in England.

That is up from 45.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.12: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 38.2, against 48.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and History.

For September 2026 entry, 162 families put Great Western Academy as their first choice and 524 named it as one of their preferences, for 180 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Great Western Academy are Abbey Park School (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.4); Nova Hreod Academy (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.6); Swindon Academy (2.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); and Kingsdown School (2.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.9).

Great Western Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Of the 151 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 29% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 58 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 59% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 17% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

15.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 11.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (67%), Black (7%) and Asian (6%).

Great Western Academy had 78 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Great Western Academy.

1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Great Western Academy (sw-bound), 40 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 70 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Swindon (132).

In 2024/25, Great Western Academy issued 182 suspensions, 17.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Great Western Academy are William Morris Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Abbey Farm Educate Together Primary (0.7 miles), Tadpole Farm CofE Primary Academy (0.7 miles) and Red Oaks Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.