Holy Rood Catholic Primary School, Swindon
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Swindon. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 65 schools in Swindon with published results, and 1,455th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School in detail
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and athletics.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care, from £5.00 per day.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Swindon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (92% in reading, 90% in maths).
Getting a place at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Holy Rood Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 111 named it as one of their preferences, for 39 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Holy Rood Catholic Primary School are King William Street Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 68% reading, 68% maths); Drove Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 80% maths); Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery (0.5 miles, Good, 62% reading, 50% maths); and Lethbridge Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 90% reading, 88% maths).
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
King William Street Church of England Primary SchoolDrove Primary SchoolLainesmead Primary School and NurseryLethbridge Primary School
Who goes there
14.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 84% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (69%) and Black (18%).
In 2026, 52 pupils (13.6%) received SEN support and 10 (2.6%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swindon Rail Station, about 910 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Holy Rood Church (w-bound), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 738 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, Holy Rood Catholic Primary School issued 21 suspensions, 5.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Holy Rood Catholic Primary School are UTC Swindon (0.7 miles), Lawn Manor Academy (0.7 miles), The Commonweal School (0.7 miles) and St Joseph's Catholic College (0.8 miles).
UTC SwindonLawn Manor AcademyThe Commonweal SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic College
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
14.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 92% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.9
Avg class size
26.7
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Holy Rood Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Holy Rood Catholic Primary School.
- Little Voices Swindon540m away · Not yet graded
- The Big Adventure Club Ltd (Holy Rood)600m away · Not yet graded
- Just for Fun Holiday Club880m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Holy Rood 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 Rood Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Holy Rood 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
- 76
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 14
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 76 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 62 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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 Rood Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Holy Rood Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Holy Rood Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Holy Rood 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 Rood 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
95%
Near capacity
398 pupils
420 places
22 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
52
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
381
Total Pupils
204
Boys
177
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
21.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,879
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,443
Per pupil
£2369k
Total funding
£77k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
5.3%
Persistent absence
357
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 Rood Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about Holy Rood Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is Holy Rood Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2018 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Holy Rood Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Holy Rood 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 Rood Catholic Primary School?
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School?
Classes at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School average 25.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Holy Rood Catholic Primary School?
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School has around 381 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 5.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Holy Rood Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Swindon's coordinated admissions process, naming Holy Rood 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 Rood Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Holy Rood Catholic Primary School: Little Voices Swindon (540m away, registered, not yet graded), The Big Adventure Club Ltd (Holy Rood) (600m away, registered, not yet graded) and Just for Fun Holiday Club (880m 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 Holy Rood Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 76 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 62 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 Rood Catholic Primary School?
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School is at Groundwell Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 2LU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)