St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy, Retford

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy on 7 areas: 6 needs attention and 1 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Pupils' attendance is improving."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses in the school's curriculum."

Early years - Needs attention. "Staff build warm and positive relationships with children in the early years."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders show commitment to supporting pupils with additional needs or specific vulnerabilities."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders know that while the school is improving, there is still the need for further improvements in many areas."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Leaders place increasing importance on pupils' personal development and wellbeing."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Pupils' achievement across the curriculum, and over time, is weak."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should raise expectations in reading, writing and mathematics so that gaps in pupils' basic skills narrow quickly, allowing them to achieve and secure the knowledge they need to be well prepared for the next stage of their education. • Leaders should check that staff apply strategies to support vulnerable pupils consistently, so that those with additional needs and specific vulnerabilities receive a high quality of support in all classes. • Leaders should ensure that pupils benefit from a consistent quality of teaching that helps them to learn and remember the intended curriculum. • Leaders should ensure that behaviour expectations are applied with consistency so that routines are followed and learning is not disrupted. • Leaders should ensure that teaching enables pupils to recall content from the personal development programme, including around protected characteristics and fundamental British values, to help prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. • Leaders should strengthen early years teaching so that children, including those with low starting points, receive appropriate support while also benefiting from greater challenge and clear progression from Nursery into the Reception Year. • Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, should continue to act with speed and rigour to address school improvement priorities so that pupils benefit from higher standards throughout the school".

The school runs a breakfast club, from £3.00 per session.

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils at St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 25% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Nottinghamshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 55% in reading and 55% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 8 families put St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy as their first choice and 13 named it as one of their preferences, for 8 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy are Carr Hill Primary and Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good, 47% reading, 38% maths); St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 80% reading, 73% maths); Bracken Lane Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths); and Thrumpton Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 75% reading, 96% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy.

St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy is one of 24 schools run by Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy (as of April 2026): 40% would recommend the school, 47% say their child is happy there and 19% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (60%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (19%).

44.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 14 pupils (15.2%) received SEN support and 2 (2.2%) 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.

St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Retford Low Level Rail Station, about 980 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Retford Bus Station (bay e), 160 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 199 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Nottinghamshire (101), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy issued 12 suspensions, 13.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy are Retford Oaks Academy (0.8 miles) and The Elizabethan Academy (0.8 miles).