School profile

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College

Secondary · Academy converter · Swindon, SN4 9DJ

Good

Map showing The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#852 of 3,312

Better than 74% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#727 of 2,536

Better than 71% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 18 Apr 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,616
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Adrian Cush
TrustTHE WHITE HORSE FEDERATION
Local authoritySwindon
Opened01 Aug 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 137160.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolSwindonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.51, better than England, better than Swindon44.246.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.77.8%, better than England, better than Swindon63.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.60.9%, better than England, better than Swindon44.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.20.3%, better than England, better than Swindon10.5%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths70.7%, better than England, better than Swindon57.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4266--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolSwindonEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.37.3, better than England, better than Swindon29.3235
Average A-level gradeB---
Average points, best three A-levels39.58, better than England, better than Swindon29.6135.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB--
AAB or better28.2%, better than England, better than Swindon8.6%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.07, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study109--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist+--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,616
Girls772
Boys844
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.16.2%
First language not English12%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,610
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
Sixth form places2024/25300
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.209
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.74
Average class size23.8

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

White British
74.5%
Other White
4.1%
Other mixed
3%
Indian
3%
African
3%
Other Asian
2.5%
White and Black Caribbean
1.5%
Pakistani
1.4%
White and Asian
1.2%
Bangladeshi
1.2%

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 teacher20
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.4
Teachers (FTE)80.9
Teaching assistants (FTE)33.78
Support staff (FTE)58.75
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2577.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2572.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254.4

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 (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.270
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.646
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.300
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.262
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)15

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 absence7.8%, similar to England, similar to Swindon7.9%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.18.8%, better than England, better than Swindon21.7%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.3%, similar to England, better than Swindon4%3.6%

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 rate11.6%
Pupils with one or more suspensions5%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions3

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

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.93.2%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.87.5%
School sixth form37.5%
Further education34.5%
Sixth form college14%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.3.8%
Apprenticeship3%
Employment2.7%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.90.5%
Higher education63.8%
Employment19%
Apprenticeship7.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6%
Further education0%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 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.

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Frequently asked questions about The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College

What is The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College's Ofsted rating?

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 18 Apr 2023.

How does The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College rank in England?

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College ranks 852 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 74% of schools) and 727 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 71% of schools).

What are The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 60.9% of pupils at The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 51 (England 46.2).

What are The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College was B-, and 28.2% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College made 270 offers from 646 applications (2.4 per offer), and 262 of 300 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College?

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College has 1,616 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College?

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College had 1,610 school places in 2024/25.

Does The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College have a sixth form?

Yes, The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College has a sixth form with 300 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College?

At The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College, the average class had 23.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 20 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College?

In 2025/26, pupils at The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College missed 7.8% of sessions (England 8%), and 18.8% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

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.