St Francis CofE Primary School, Swindon
St Francis CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Swindon. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 26th-highest of the 65 schools in Swindon with published results, and 6,834th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- 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
St Francis CofE Primary School in detail
St Francis CofE Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "We believe that children are a gift from God and each one is unique with their own potential and character."
From the headteacher's welcome: "St Francis C of E School opened in September 2004 and provides education for children from nursery up to the age of 11 years and the end of Key Stage 2. Our main aim is to give all children the opportunity to develop their full potential. The school welcomes children with a range of backgrounds, abilities and talents."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at St Francis CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Swindon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 74% in reading and 68% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Francis CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 45 families put St Francis CofE Primary School as their first choice and 73 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 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 St Francis CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Francis CofE Primary School are Orchid Vale Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 63% reading, 67% maths); Haydonleigh Primary School (0.6 miles, 87% reading, 79% maths); Oakhurst Community Primary School (0.7 miles, 86% reading, 84% maths); and Red Oaks Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 71% reading, 66% maths).
St Francis CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Orchid Vale Primary SchoolHaydonleigh Primary SchoolOakhurst Community Primary SchoolRed Oaks Primary School
Who goes there
3.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swindon Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Aiken Road (n-bound), 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Francis CofE Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Francis CofE Primary School are Abbey Park School (0.7 miles), Nova Hreod Academy (1.2 miles) and Great Western Academy (1.4 miles).
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
3.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 74% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 68% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 65% to 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.6
Avg class size
26.3
Infant (KS1)
29.6
KS2
10
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 St Francis CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Francis CofE Primary School.
- The Big Adventure Club Ltd (Haydonleigh school)890m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Francis CofE Primary School is a voluntary aided school, 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 St Francis CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Francis CofE 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
0 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 St Francis CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at St Francis CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Francis CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Francis CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Francis CofE 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 St Francis CofE 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
98%
Near capacity
411 pupils
420 places
9 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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
71
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
19.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
432
Total Pupils
210
Boys
222
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
18.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,847
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,973
Per pupil
£2192k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
5.2%
Persistent absence
368
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
St Francis CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Francis CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Francis CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Francis CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.
What is St Francis CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Francis CofE Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Francis CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Francis CofE 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 St Francis CofE Primary School?
St Francis CofE Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Francis CofE Primary School?
Classes at St Francis CofE Primary School average 28.6 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 St Francis CofE Primary School?
St Francis CofE Primary School has around 432 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Francis CofE Primary School?
3.9% of sessions were missed at St Francis CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 5.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Francis CofE Primary School?
Apply through Swindon's coordinated admissions process, naming St Francis CofE 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 St Francis CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Francis CofE Primary School: The Big Adventure Club Ltd (Haydonleigh school) (890m 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 St Francis CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 0 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 St Francis CofE Primary School?
St Francis CofE Primary School is at Aiken Road, Taw Hill, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 1UH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)