School profile

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

Primary · Academy converter · Swindon, SN3 1AR

Good

Map showing Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#12,596 of 15,057

Worse than 83% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 3 Jul 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages4 to 11
Pupils371
GenderMixed
Religious characterRoman Catholic
Head teacherMrs Samantha Dowdeswell
TrustHOLY CROSS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Local authoritySwindon
Opened01 Aug 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136981.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolSwindonEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths48%, worse than England, worse than Swindon60%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.7%, similar to England, similar to Swindon8%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.103, worse than England, worse than Swindon105106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.103, worse than England, similar to Swindon104105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, similar to Swindon105105
Expected standard in reading62%, worse than England, worse than Swindon73%76%
Expected standard in writing52%, worse than England, worse than Swindon73%73%
Expected standard in maths72%, similar to England, similar to Swindon72%75%
Pupils taking tests60--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils371
Girls188
Boys183
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.10.5%
First language not English74.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.452
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.17.9%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.22
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.12
Average class size26.3

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

Indian
66.6%
African
14.3%
White British
5.1%
Other White
5.1%
Other Asian
3.2%
White and Black Caribbean
1.3%
White and Asian
1.3%
Other mixed
0.8%
Pakistani
0.8%
Bangladeshi
0.8%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher21.7
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.5
Teachers (FTE)17.1
Teaching assistants (FTE)12.65
Support staff (FTE)18.91
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2516.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2513.9
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252.2

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.25
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.75
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.24
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.24
Applications from another local authority (Reception)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolSwindonEngland
Overall absence4.6%, similar to England, similar to Swindon4.7%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.10.7%, better than England, similar to Swindon11.2%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1.2%, similar to England, similar to Swindon0.9%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate0%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miSecondarySt Joseph's Catholic CollegeAcademy converter
Good
0.2 miPrimaryDrove Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimaryLainesmead Primary School and NurseryCommunity school
Good
0.4 miPrimaryMountford Manor Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miSecondaryLawn Manor AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimaryHoly Rood Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryGorse Hill Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryKing William Street Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miPrimaryGoddard Park Community Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryLethbridge Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

What is Holy Cross Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 3 Jul 2023.

How does Holy Cross Catholic Primary School rank in England?

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School ranks 12,596 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (worse than 83% of schools).

What are Holy Cross Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 48% of pupils at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Holy Cross Catholic Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Holy Cross Catholic Primary School made 25 offers from 75 applications (3 per offer), and 24 of 24 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Holy Cross Catholic Primary School?

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School has 371 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of Holy Cross Catholic Primary School?

Holy Cross Catholic Primary School had 452 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School?

At Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, the average class had 26.3 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.7 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School missed 4.6% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 10.7% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.