Swinton Academy
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Swinton Academy is a sponsored academy in Mexborough for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 870 pupils and room for 1,130. About 35 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 38 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
East Avenue, Swinton, Mexborough, S64 8JW01709 570586swintonacademy.orgMrs Chela Wilson headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 27 June 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
163 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Rotherham | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 163 | 181 | 177 | 169 | 136 | 134 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 41.1 | 39.6 | 41.1 | 43.5 | 48.2 | 40.0 | 42.4 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.21 | -0.15 | -0.24 | +0.19 | -0.13 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 42% | 33% | 36% | 31% | 49% | 33% | 38% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 61% | 58% | 59% | 60% | 70% | 57% | 58% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.57 | 3.40 | 3.55 | 3.71 | 4.13 | 3.49 | 3.58 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 41% | 46% | 41% | 41% | 25% | 23% | 28% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 30.3 | 29.6 | 27.7 | 34.9 | 38.4 | 31.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 44.6 | 43.5 | 45.4 | 47.3 | 52.6 | 44.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 24.9 | 22.5 | 28.7 | 31.0 | 22.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 61.0 | 65.7 | 68.3 | 61.6 | 62.6 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 14 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Religious Studies (29% here, 60% across England), Combined Science (5% here, 36% across England), Biology (57% here, 82% across England), Chemistry (57% here, 81% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 163 | 15% | 45% | 65% | 53% | 2,096 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 163 | 14% | 56% | 71% | 54% | 1,301 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 157 | 9% | 50% | 64% | 58% | 2,011 of 3,202 |
| Religious Studies | 141 | 6% | 29% | 47% | 60% | 1,752 of 1,825 |
| Combined Science | 96 | 0% | 5% | 26% | 36% | 3,056 of 3,084 |
| History | 87 | 10% | 32% | 45% | 52% | 2,683 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 68 | 15% | 41% | 56% | 51% | 2,044 of 3,116 |
| Spanish | 66 | 11% | 58% | 82% | 54% | 897 of 1,941 |
| Biology | 58 | 10% | 57% | 90% | 82% | 2,293 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 56 | 9% | 57% | 82% | 81% | 2,246 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 56 | 16% | 63% | 89% | 82% | 2,161 of 2,546 |
| Art and Design | 28 | 0% | 43% | 61% | 58% | 2,139 of 2,818 |
| Drama | 7 | 0% | 57% | 57% | 60% | – |
| Computer Science | 7 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 56% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
44 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 44 | 39 | 45 | 6 | 43 | 64 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 32.73 | 23.68 | 28.39 | – | 23.18 | 26.90 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | D+ | C | – | D+ | C- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 37.11 | 24.81 | 34.56 | – | 33.13 | 27.62 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 20% | 0% | 16% | – | 0% | 5% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.30 | -0.28 | – | – | -0.11 | -0.33 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 32.50 | 31.81 | 32.50 | 37.92 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 86% | 97% | 94% | – | 93% | 85% |
A level subjects
6 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
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. None of the 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 GCSE, 2025
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.
339 places were empty (26% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 4% since 2021/22.
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 Rotherham 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.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 11 pupils, for autism.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Rotherham with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (83), Autistic spectrum disorder (50), Specific learning difficulty (45), language and communications needs (23), Moderate learning difficulty (12), Other difficulty or disability (11).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 870 | 991 | 995 | 978 | 946 | 883 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 34% | 30% | 28% | 25% | 25% | 22% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 6% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 18% | 17% | 15% | 15% | 13% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 9.8% | 10.4% | 8.9% | 9.6% | 5.8% | 5.4% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.9% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 6.1% | 4.1% | 3.3% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.9% | 4.8% | 3.8% | 3.6% | 1.7% | 2.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 29.3% | 30.4% | 28.7% | 31.8% | 15.3% | 13.9% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 78.1 | 26.8 | 28.1 | 17.2 | 6.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 177 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 86%, compared with 96% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 93% | 89% | 90% | 91% |
| Education | 84% | 81% | 77% | 83% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 5% | 8% | 3% |
| Work | 4% | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Not in education, work or training | 6% | 10% | 8% | 6% |
After sixth form
Where the 41 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Where the ones heading for university went
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 90% | 100% | – | – |
| Education | 71% | 83% | – | – |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 0% | 0% | 2% |
| Work | 12% | 17% | – | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 10% | 0% | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
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
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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in Humanities | Academy | 0.9 miles | 687 | Requires improvement 2024 | – | Compare |
| Wath Academy | Academy | 1.2 miles | 2,104 | Good 2023 | 48 | Compare |
| Rawmarsh Community School | Academy | 1.6 miles | 1,067 | Report card 2026 | 14 | Compare |
| The Laurel Academy | Academy | 1.7 miles | 755 | Good 2023 | 75 | Compare |
| Thrybergh Academy | Academy | 2.4 miles | 525 | Requires improvement 2023 | 2 | Compare |
| Astrea Academy Dearne | Academy | 3.2 miles | 1,071 | Good 2023 | 15 | Compare |
| De Warenne Academy | Academy | 3.4 miles | 762 | Report card 2026 | 73 | Compare |
| Wingfield Academy | Academy | 3.5 miles | 990 | Report card 2026 | 72 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Swinton Academy with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 38 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 38% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 28 to 48. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.13 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 163 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.09 | DfE progress measure; 163 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.01 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.10 | 2024/25; 962 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.08 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 163 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | +0.01 | 177 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Swinton Academy a good school?
It is about average. Swinton Academy scores 38 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 28 to 48, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Swinton Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Swinton Academy good at its last full inspection on 27 June 2023.
How good are Swinton Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 42% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 41.1, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Swinton Academy have?
870 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,130 places, so it is 77% full.
Is Swinton Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 339 places were empty in 2024/25 (26% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Swinton Academy?
Pupils were in school 90.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 29% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Swinton Academy?
The average class had 18.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 9% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Swinton Academy have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Swinton Academy have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 93% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- East Avenue, Swinton, Mexborough, S64 8JW
- Telephone
- 01709 570586
- Website
- www.swintonacademy.org
- Headteacher
- Mrs Chela Wilson
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Aston Community Education Trust (12 schools)
- Local authority
- Rotherham
- Ward
- Swinton Rockingham
- Constituency
- Rawmarsh and Conisbrough
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 October 2016 (new provision)
- URN
- 143141 · LAESTAB 3724004 · UKPRN 10057549
- Formerly
- Swinton Community School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.