School Chooser

Bishopstone Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England35 pupilsSwindon
School Chooser Score
0
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 0 to 1
Out of 100. Better than 2% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedRequires improvementLast Ofsted inspection, April 2024
Attendance93.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families23%About the same as most schools in England
Places14 spare35 pupils, 49 places
Pupils per teacher10.9School workforce census
Pupils on roll35Census January 2026

Bishopstone Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Swindon for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 35 pupils and room for 49. About 23 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 0 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2024.

Bishopstone, Bishopstone CE Primary, Swindon, SN6 8PW01793 790521bishopstone.swindon.sch.ukHeadteacher Robin Smith headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 23 April 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Requires improvement overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Requires improvement
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

5 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 11Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected levelOfficial name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017SwindonEngland
Pupils tested595574
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths89%14%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0106.0104.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.095.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0101.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard89%71%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard89%14%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)89%86%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-9.6
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged14%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places33 pupils for 49 places, 2024/25
67% full

16 places were empty (33% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 30% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Swindon council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll35Census January 2026
Places4971% full
Pupils from low-income families23%23% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support29%10 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%0 pupils with a plan
Average class size11.73 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)21%£10,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls22 / 13
White British pupils97%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (3), Specific learning difficulty (2), language and communications needs (2), Hearing impairment (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1), Severe learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll353341434546
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals23%27%20%30%16%26%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%5%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%17%19%13%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.4%5.8%3.9%5.7%1.8%2.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.4%4.9%3.6%5.1%1.6%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.0%0.8%0.3%0.6%0.2%0.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.4%12.8%2.4%7.1%2.3%6.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers3.2full-time equivalent, 4 people
Pupils per teacher10.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,751
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.12022/23

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£12,307England £7,738. Total £406k
Income per pupil£11,760England £7,697. Total £388k
Spent on teachers per pupil£7,236England £3,480
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £34k, £1,018 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£18kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£12,307spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate70 per 1,000 people23% lower than the England average
Typical house price£280,000Swindon
Nearest bus stop30 mBishopstone Pond, 6 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Ashbury With Compton Beauchamp Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles48Report card 202611Compare
Wanborough Primary SchoolAcademy2.3 miles201Good 202288Compare
Shrivenham Church of England SchoolAcademy3.5 miles245Good 202221Compare
Liden AcademyAcademy3.6 miles395Good 202342Compare
Eldene Nursery and Primary SchoolCouncil3.9 miles327Good 202215Compare
Covingham Park Primary SchoolAcademy3.9 miles361Good 202011Compare
Watchfield Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles315Report card 202612Compare
Badbury Park Primary SchoolFree school4.1 miles397Good 202462Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Bishopstone Church of England Primary School with the 42 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 42 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats2%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 0 is 24 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 24 · highest 90100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 0 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 0% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 0 to 1. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-1.35
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.49
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.16
2024/25; 36 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Bishopstone Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Bishopstone Church of England Primary School scores 0 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 0 to 1, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Bishopstone Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Bishopstone Church of England Primary School requires improvement at its last full inspection on 23 April 2024.

How many pupils does Bishopstone Church of England Primary School have?

35 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 49 places, so it is 71% full.

Is Bishopstone Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 16 places were empty in 2024/25 (33% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Bishopstone Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Bishopstone Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 11.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Bishopstone, Bishopstone CE Primary, Swindon, SN6 8PW
Telephone
01793 790521
Website
www.bishopstone.swindon.sch.uk
Headteacher
Headteacher Robin Smith
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Bristol
Local authority
Swindon
Ward
Ridgeway
Constituency
East Wiltshire
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
126300 · LAESTAB 8663009 · UKPRN 10075453

Where these figures come from