Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy, Swindon
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Swindon, part of The Blue Kite Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 40th-highest of the 65 schools in Swindon with published results, and 9,982nd of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wiltshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 73% in Wiltshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy
For September 2026 entry, 32 families put Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy as their first choice and 57 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy are Peatmoor Community Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 59% reading, 63% maths); Brook Field Primary School (0.7 miles, 77% reading, 82% maths); St Francis CofE Primary School (1 mile, Good, 78% reading, 78% maths); and Shaw Ridge Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 89% reading, 79% maths).
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Peatmoor Community Primary SchoolBrook Field Primary SchoolSt Francis CofE Primary SchoolShaw Ridge Primary School
The trust
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy is one of 27 schools run by The Blue Kite Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
91 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 73% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (73%).
Who goes there
12.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 19 pupils (9%) received SEN support and 17 (8.1%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swindon Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ridgeway Farm Academy (n-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy issued 10 suspensions, 4.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy are Nova Hreod Academy (1.3 miles), Bradon Forest School (1.5 miles) and Lydiard Park Academy (1.7 miles).
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; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a calm, orderly school where children thrive in a supportive environment. The school excels at teaching reading through systematic phonics and creates enthusiastic young learners who view reading as 'a holiday in your head'. Pupils with additional needs receive excellent support through well-trained staff, and the school has successfully improved attendance through positive relationships with families.
Key Strengths
- Excellent reading programme with effective phonics teaching and strong pupil engagement - pupils read widely and enthusiastically
- Effective support for pupils with SEND through staff training and tailored provision
- Exceptionally polite and well-mannered pupils who demonstrate positive behaviour and respect throughout the school
- Strong personal development programme teaching respect, tolerance and understanding of equality
- Effective curriculum design in most subjects helping pupils build knowledge well
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment in some wider curriculum subjects is not precise enough, meaning pupils do not build knowledge sequentially and historical gaps remain
- Some pupils are given work that is too complex before they have secured foundational skills, preventing them from deepening their knowledge
- Writing skills in areas beyond story writing need further development to match the progress in reading
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and prioritise pupils' wellbeing and mental health support.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, origami, school council, reading champions, eco-club, trips and visits, playground leader roles, before- and after-school club
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy is a warm and welcoming primary school where pupils enjoy attending and feel safe. The school has been rated Good across all key areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
At a Glance
12.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
91 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 declined from 80% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 73% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.1
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy is in Wiltshire; for families living there:
Apply to Wiltshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Wiltshire is 4 (the median across 265 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 Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy
Will you get a place at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wiltshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy for 2016 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wiltshire 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
100%
Full
210 pupils
210 places
No 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 Wiltshire council
Places available
6,156
Applications
4,455
Got 1st preference
95.6%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Wiltshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
17.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
211
Total Pupils
112
Boys
99
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
23.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,781
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,107
Per pupil
£1175k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
9.8%
Persistent absence
184
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
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy
Questions parents ask about Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy
What are SATs results like at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy?
Of the pupils at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy is oversubscribed, Wiltshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy?
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy?
Classes at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy average 30.1 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy?
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy has around 211 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy in 2024/25. 9.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy?
Apply through Wiltshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy 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.
How many road collisions happen near Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Wiltshire is 4 (the median across 265 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy?
Ridgeway Farm CofE Academy is at The Buffer, Purton, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 4GT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)