School Chooser

St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyChurch of England140 pupilsSwindon
School Chooser Score
28
Below
similar schools
Likely range 13 to 52, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, July 2024
Reached the expected level at 1153%England 63%
Attendance95.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places70 spare140 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher23.3School workforce census

St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy is a converter academy in Swindon for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 140 pupils and room for 210. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 28 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Linley Road, Blunsdon, Swindon, SN26 7AP01793 721423stleonardsblunsdon.org.ukMrs Clare Johnson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 2 July 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

30 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1153%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 63%63%20172018: 52%52%20182019: 50%50%20192023: 48%48%20232024: 67%67%20242025: 53%53%2025
Since 2017: -10%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†SwindonEngland
Pupils tested303029293130
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths53%67%48%50%52%63%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%0%3%0%6%10%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0107.0104.0106.0106.0106.0104.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0102.0102.0102.0101.0105.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0104.0104.0105.0104.0108.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard67%90%76%79%81%70%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard67%70%72%55%61%77%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)73%80%69%71%77%77%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.3-0.8-0.8+0.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.6-4.7-4.8-0.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged38%50%17%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged59%71%57%

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.

† These results are for St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy, Blunsdon, the school this one replaced in May 2020. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
38%59%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%55%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%7%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

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 places144 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
69% full

66 places were empty (31% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 19% 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 roll140Census January 2026
Places21067% full
Pupils from low-income families17%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%21 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.33 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils33%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)18%£37,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls76 / 64
White British pupils84%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (8), Specific learning difficulty (7), emotional and mental health (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Other difficulty or disability (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll140145163174175184
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%17%11%13%12%8%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%6%4%6%4%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%12%10%6%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%2%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.0%6.4%5.0%4.9%4.1%2.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.5%4.2%3.5%3.9%3.3%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%2.2%1.5%1.0%0.7%0.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.9%15.4%12.6%12.0%8.6%6.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.40.60.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy, Blunsdon, the school this one replaced in May 2020. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers6.0full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher23.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,094
Teachers who left in the year14%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.62024/25

Money

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

Money in reserve-1%In the red: -£9,506, -£66 per pupil
Money in against money out+£34kit took in more than it spent this year

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 m4812 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 stop160 mBlunt Rise, 13 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
Abbey Farm Educate Together PrimaryFree school0.9 miles184No overall grade 202586Compare
Abbey Meads Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles417Good 202387Compare
Bridlewood Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles213Report card 202530Compare
William Morris Primary SchoolFree school1.5 miles462Good 202394Compare
Catherine Wayte Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles339Not inspected70Compare
Tadpole Farm CofE Primary AcademyAcademy1.6 miles419Good 202414Compare
Seven Fields Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles235Requires improvement 20232Compare
St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, SwindonAcademy1.7 miles209Good 202451Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats22%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 28 is 17 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 12 · middle 44 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Lawrence Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy6.8 miles151Good 202256Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 28 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 28% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 13 to 52. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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 years25%in line
-0.08
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.17
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.03
2024/25; 138 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 pupils
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 St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy scores 28 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 13 to 52, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy good at its last full inspection on 2 July 2024.

How good are St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 53% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy have?

140 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 67% full.

Is St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 66 places were empty in 2024/25 (31% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 95.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy?

The average class had 28.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 33% of classes 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
Linley Road, Blunsdon, Swindon, SN26 7AP
Telephone
01793 721423
Website
www.stleonardsblunsdon.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Clare Johnson
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Bristol
Multi-academy trust
The Blue Kite Academy Trust (25 schools)
Local authority
Swindon
Ward
Blunsdon and Highworth
Constituency
Swindon North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2020 (fresh start)
URN
148009 · LAESTAB 8662023 · UKPRN 10086039
Formerly
St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy, Blunsdon

Where these figures come from