Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Swindon
Holy Family Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Swindon, part of Holy Family Catholic Primary and Nursery School. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 38th-highest of the 65 schools in Swindon with published results, and 9,801st of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Swindon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Holy Family Catholic Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Holy Family Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 70% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Swindon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 59% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Holy Family Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Holy Family Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 46 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Holy Family Catholic Primary School are Goddard Park Community Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 70% reading, 72% maths); Nythe Primary School (0.3 miles, 52% reading, 48% maths); Covingham Park Primary School (0.5 miles, 67% reading, 60% maths); and Eldene Nursery and Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 53% reading, 49% maths).
Holy Family Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Goddard Park Community Primary SchoolNythe Primary SchoolCovingham Park Primary SchoolEldene Nursery and Primary School
The trust
Holy Family Catholic Primary School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
What parents say
84 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Holy Family Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 58% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (58%).
Who goes there
63.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (36%), White British (28%) and Black (14%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swindon Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Holy Family School (se-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Holy Family Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 254 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. 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, Holy Family Catholic Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Holy Family Catholic Primary School are The Dorcan Academy (0.5 miles), St Joseph's Catholic College (1 mile) and Lawn Manor Academy (1 mile).
The Dorcan AcademySt Joseph's Catholic CollegeLawn Manor Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Holy Family creates a caring, inclusive environment where children thrive academically and develop strong character values. The school has invested in staff training so teachers deliver the curriculum well, with particular strength in early reading and early years education. Pupils take pride in their learning, enjoy talking about their understanding in class, and develop as compassionate, active citizens who feel part of the school family.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding early years provision where children learn exceptionally well and develop confidence in basic skills like writing and counting
- Strong focus on reading from Nursery onwards, with pupils developing fluency and analytical skills
- Inclusive environment with strong relationships between pupils and staff, where bullying is rare
- Broad, balanced curriculum that meets needs of most pupils including those with special educational needs
- Excellent promotion of personal development and character building, with pupils demonstrating kindness, compassion and active citizenship
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, pupils struggle to recall previous learning because teachers do not identify and address gaps in knowledge effectively
- Sometimes expectations of what pupils can achieve are not ambitious enough, limiting challenge for deeper learning
- School needs to ensure staff have expertise to implement curriculum with appropriate ambition and enable pupils to secure and deepen knowledge
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils feeling safe and able to rely on teachers to support them with any concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Pupils' chaplaincy team, peer mentors, speaking to local MP about community issues, Christmas cards for local older residents
Holy Family Catholic Primary School is an inclusive school where pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and achieve well. The school has improved significantly from its previous 'Requires Improvement' rating, with outstanding early years provision.
At a Glance
19.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
84 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 59% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 63% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 66% to 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.3
Avg class size
26.8
Infant (KS1)
22.4
KS2
12
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Holy Family Catholic Primary School.
- Premier Education At Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- Just for Fun Holiday Club490m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Holy Family Catholic 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Holy Family Catholic 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
4 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at Holy Family Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Holy Family Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Holy Family Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Holy Family Catholic 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 Holy Family Catholic 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
88%
Available places
277 pupils
315 places
38 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(5)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
16.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
312
Total Pupils
149
Boys
163
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,793
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,594
Per pupil
£1708k
Total funding
£89k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
7.1%
Persistent absence
255
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
Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about Holy Family Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at Holy Family Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 70% did so in maths.
What is Holy Family Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Holy Family Catholic 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
Classes at Holy Family Catholic Primary School average 25.3 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School has around 312 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Holy Family Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 7.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Swindon's coordinated admissions process, naming Holy Family Catholic 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Premier Education At Holy Family Catholic Primary School (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 4 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School is at Marlowe Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN3 2PT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)