School profile

Kingsdown School

Secondary · Academy converter · Swindon, SN2 7SH

Good

Map showing Kingsdown School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,365 of 3,312

Worse than 71% of schools in England

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

Kingsdown School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 28 Jan 2020

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

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,108
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Emma Leigh-Bennett
TrustRIVER LEARNING TRUST
Local authoritySwindon
Opened01 Sept 2017
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 145139.

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.41.9, worse than England, worse than Swindon44.246.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.57.1%, worse than England, worse than Swindon63.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.40.2%, worse than England, worse than Swindon44.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.10.3%, worse than England, similar to Swindon10.5%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths52.2%, worse than England, worse than Swindon57.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4184--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,108
Girls547
Boys561
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.30.1%
First language not English9.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,260
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.12.1%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.187
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.56
Average class size25.9

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
80.1%
Other White
4.9%
Indian
3.1%
African
2.4%
White and Asian
1.5%
White and Black Caribbean
1.4%
Other Asian
1.4%
Other ethnic group
1.4%
Other mixed
1.2%
White and Black African
0.9%

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 teacher17.9
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11
Teachers (FTE)61.87
Teaching assistants (FTE)19.56
Support staff (FTE)59.54
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2555.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2545.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.9

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.232
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.393
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.237
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.216
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)3

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 absence7.5%, better than England, similar to Swindon7.9%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.22.2%, similar to England, similar to 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 rate24.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions9.1%
Permanent exclusion rate0.1%
Permanent exclusions1

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.85%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.79.2%
Further education54.3%
Sixth form college22%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.9.8%
School sixth form2.9%
Apprenticeship2.9%
Employment2.9%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 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.

Schools near Kingsdown School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimarySt Catherine's Catholic Primary School, SwindonAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimaryRuskin Junior SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.5 miPrimaryBeechcroft Infant SchoolAcademy converter
Unrated
0.6 miPrimaryGrange Infants' SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryGrange Junior SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.1 miPrimarySeven Fields Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement
1.4 miAll-throughSwindon AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.5 miPrimaryGorse Hill Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.5 miPrimaryAbbey Meads Community Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.5 miPrimaryGreenmeadow Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Kingsdown School

What is Kingsdown School's Ofsted rating?

Kingsdown School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 28 Jan 2020.

How does Kingsdown School rank in England?

Kingsdown School ranks 2,365 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 71% of schools).

What are Kingsdown School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 40.2% of pupils at Kingsdown School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 41.9 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Kingsdown School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Kingsdown School made 232 offers from 393 applications (1.7 per offer), and 216 of 237 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Kingsdown School?

Kingsdown School has 1,108 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Kingsdown School?

Kingsdown School had 1,260 school places in 2024/25.

Does Kingsdown School have a sixth form?

No, Kingsdown School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Kingsdown School?

At Kingsdown School, the average class had 25.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.9 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Kingsdown School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Kingsdown School missed 7.5% of sessions (England 8%), and 22.2% 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.