Kingsdown School, Swindon

In its own words: "“I am very impressed with how fast the school has switched over to online learning. I have some understanding of what is needed to be done and this is no small feat."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Kingsdown School . We are located in Stratton St Margaret, North Swindon. As Headteacher I am immensely proud of all the teams that support and champion our school - our teaching staff, our professional support staff, our Governors, the RLT [River Learning Trust], our parents and, most notably, our students."

Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 22 June 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Kingsdown School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Swindon and 47 across England.

40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Swindon and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 41.4.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.36: pupils made below 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 30, against 47.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 17.2 points.

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

For September 2026 entry, 237 families put Kingsdown School as their first choice and 393 named it as one of their preferences, for 232 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 21 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Kingsdown School are Swindon Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); St Joseph's Catholic College (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.2); Nova Hreod Academy (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.6); and The Dorcan Academy (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.2).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Kingsdown School.

Kingsdown School is one of 31 schools run by River Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.3 in 2024/25.

216 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kingsdown School (as of September 2025): 60% would recommend the school, 65% say their child is happy there and 49% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (80%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (49%).

Of the 173 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 54% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

9.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (5%).

Kingsdown School has a resourced provision for autism: 15 places, 15 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Swindon Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kingsdown School (nw-bound), 130 metres away.

In 2024/25, Kingsdown School issued 251 suspensions, 24.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Kingsdown School are St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Swindon (under 0.1 miles); Ruskin Junior School (0.3 miles); Beechcroft Infant School (0.5 miles); and Grange Infants' School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.