Nova Hreod Academy, Swindon
Nova Hreod Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Swindon, part of United Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 3rd-highest of the 16 schools in Swindon with published results, and 1,041st of 3,298 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Swindon (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Nova Hreod Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Nova Hreod Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Swindon and 47 across England.
50% 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 49.1.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.09: pupils made about 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 36.4, against 53.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16.7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Nova Hreod Academy
For September 2026 entry, 153 families put Nova Hreod Academy as their first choice and 332 named it as one of their preferences, for 228 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Nova Hreod Academy are Swindon Academy (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); UTC Swindon (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 32.3); Abbey Park School (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.4); and St Joseph's Catholic College (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.2).
Nova Hreod Academy's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Swindon AcademyUTC SwindonAbbey Park SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic College
The trust
Nova Hreod Academy is one of 98 schools run by United Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 162 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 62% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 106 pupils (10.2%) received SEN support and 18 (1.7%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swindon Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Manor Crescent (w-bound), 150 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Nova Hreod Academy issued 1104 suspensions, 104.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 11 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Nova Hreod Academy are Moredon Primary School (0.2 miles), Rodbourne Cheney Primary School (0.5 miles), Haydon Wick Primary School (0.7 miles) and St Mary's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Moredon Primary SchoolRodbourne Cheney Primary SchoolHaydon Wick Primary SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary 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 destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from January 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2017 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
About
Nova Hreod Academy is a mixed secondary school with academy status, in Swindon, Wiltshire, England, for students aged 11 to 16.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
23.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.27 to -0.09 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 43.9 to 49.6 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 35% to 50% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 49.6 | 49.7% |
| Disadvantaged(36) | - | 36.4 | 19.4% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(135) | - | 53.1 | 57.8% |
| Boys(90) | - | 46.8 | 46.7% |
| Girls(81) | - | 52.8 | 53.1% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(37) | - | 60.0 | 67.6% |
| Non mobile(159) | - | 50.3 | 50.3% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 162 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
11
Permanent exclusions
1.04%
Exclusion rate
1104
Suspensions
104.25%
Suspension rate
202 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,059 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Nova Hreod Academy
Term dates
Nova Hreod Academy 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 Nova Hreod Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Nova Hreod Academy 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
- 19
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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 Nova Hreod Academy
Will you get a place at Nova Hreod Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Nova Hreod Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Nova Hreod Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Nova Hreod Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Swindon, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Nova Hreod Academy 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
87%
Available places
1,043 pupils
1,200 places
157 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
2,867
Applications
2,914
Got 1st preference
90.5%
Got preferred school
97.9%
All secondary applications across Swindon council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
106
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
11.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,044
Total Pupils
510
Boys
534
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
60
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,160
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,400
Per pupil
£8447k
Total funding
£311k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.7%
Overall absence
32.8%
Persistent absence
1,147
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Nova Hreod Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Nova Hreod Academy
What are GCSE results like at Nova Hreod Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Nova Hreod Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 49.6. 50% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Nova Hreod Academy's Ofsted rating?
Nova Hreod Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Nova Hreod Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Nova Hreod Academy is oversubscribed, Swindon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Nova Hreod Academy?
Nova Hreod Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 1200 places.
How big are the classes at Nova Hreod Academy?
Classes at Nova Hreod Academy average 23.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Nova Hreod Academy?
Nova Hreod Academy has around 1044 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Nova Hreod Academy?
11.7% of sessions were missed at Nova Hreod Academy in 2024/25. 32.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Nova Hreod Academy?
Apply through Swindon's coordinated admissions process, naming Nova Hreod Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Nova Hreod Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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 Nova Hreod Academy?
Nova Hreod Academy is at Akers Way, Moredon, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 2NQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)