Uplands School, Swindon
Uplands School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Swindon, part of Brunel Academies Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Uplands School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Uplands School are Brimble Hill Special School (0.2 miles, Good); Churchward School (0.9 miles, Good); Compass Community School Wheatley Park (1.7 miles, Good); and St Luke's Academy (2.2 miles, Good).
Brimble Hill Special SchoolChurchward SchoolCompass Community School Wheatley ParkSt Luke's Academy
The trust
Uplands School is one of 8 schools run by Brunel Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 16 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
42.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 24.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Uplands School has an education, health and care plan (172 of 172 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Uplands School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swindon Rail Station, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is North Swindon Learning Campus (e-bound), 230 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Uplands School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Care and kindness are at the heart of Uplands School. Pupils' mental and physical health needs are prioritised. The school focuses on preparing pupils for the next step of their education and adulthood. However, further work remains to ensure that all pupils get the most from their time here.
The school's new curriculum is designed to help its pupils with severe, profound and complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) become independent and resilient young people. Pupils learn how to be safe in the home and online. The curriculum is raising expectations of what pupils can achieve. Students in the sixth form are well supported to secure new knowledge, skills and vocabulary.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Staff are proud to work at Uplands. Since the previous inspection, the school has developed its curriculum and assessment. New subject leaders increasingly support staff to know and understand their subject's curriculum. There are pockets of strong practice in the school. Sixth-form students are enthused and challenged by most subject curriculums. They want to achieve well. For example, students enjoy carefully planned practical mathematics lessons. Mock interviews, work experience and enterprise projects help students to practise knowledge and skills that develop independence.
Nevertheless, significant staff changes have hindered the effective implementation of the curriculum. For pupils in Years 7 to 11, there is too much variation in the quality of education they receive. The school uses pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plans and curriculum to set appropriate next steps for pupils' learning. However, in many cases, lessons are focused on completing activities rather than learning the intended curriculum.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Sixth form.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
42.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Uplands School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Uplands School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Uplands 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
172 pupils
173 places
1 spare place
as recorded on GIAS
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.
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
172
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Uplands School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
172
Total Pupils
129
Boys
43
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
7.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,787
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.6%
Overall absence
28.9%
Persistent absence
121
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
Uplands School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Uplands School
What is Uplands School's Ofsted rating?
Uplands School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2014 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Uplands School?
No fixed boundary. When Uplands School is oversubscribed, Swindon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Uplands School?
Uplands School has around 172 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Uplands School have specialist SEN provision?
Uplands School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Uplands School?
10.6% of sessions were missed at Uplands School in 2024/25. 28.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Uplands School?
Apply through Swindon's coordinated admissions process, naming Uplands School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Uplands School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle. 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 Uplands School?
Uplands School is at The Learning Campus, Tadpole Lane, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN25 2NB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)