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Bradon Forest School

Ofsted: Good · February 2023State secondary · 11 to 16Mixed987 pupils
The Peak, Purton, Swindon, SN5 4AT · Wiltshire
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COULD YOUR CHILD GET A PLACE? · YEAR 7 2027

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Summary

The key facts, in one place
GCSE (key stage 4) Kinplace league tables rank state schools on three years of DfE results for the phase. Band: Lower half.
15thof 28 in Wiltshire
1,702ndof 3,292 in England
Lower halfband
See the Wiltshire league table →
Inspection
Good, February 2023
Getting in
Not full for Year 7 2026
Results
-0.08 progress 8; 43.5 attainment 8
Size
987 pupils; 174 places a year; classes of 26
Run by
The Athelstan Trust
Type
Academy converter
Ages
11 to 16 · Mixed
Ofsted, February 2023The judgements from the school's latest inspection. Reports from November 2025 use Ofsted's new report card, with different headings; we show whichever the latest report uses.Read the report ↗
Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Leadership and managementGood
Strengths, and things to check
  • Persistently absent: 20.5%, against 22.8% in Wiltshire.
  • Progress 8: -0.08, against +0.03 in Wiltshire.
  • Attainment 8: 43.5, against 46.3 in Wiltshire.
  • Suspensions per 100 pupils: 24.2, against 14.2 in Wiltshire.
Schools for usRank every school near you by the measures that matter to your family, each reason shown.Rank schools →

At a glance

Against Wiltshire and England
This schoolWiltshireEnglandHover or tap a bar for the figures
Academic
Progress 8How far pupils progressed between the end of primary school and GCSEs, against pupils across England who started at the same level. 0 is average; +0.5 means half a grade better in each subject.
-0.08
Worse than Wiltshire
Attainment 8The average GCSE score across eight subjects, including English and maths counted twice. A grade 5 in all eight would score 50.
43.5
Worse than Wiltshire
English and maths, grade 5+The share of pupils with grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE (a strong pass).
44%
In line with Wiltshire
Attendance and behaviour
Sessions missedHalf-day sessions missed, authorised or not, as a share of all sessions in the school year (DfE pupil absence). Lower is better.
8.8%
In line with Wiltshire
Persistently absentPupils who missed one session in ten or more. Lower is better.
20.5%
Better than Wiltshire
Suspensions per 100 pupilsSuspensions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. Lower is better; one or two incidents move a small school a lot.
24.2
Worse than Wiltshire
Pupils and classes
Average class sizeAverage pupils per class, from the school census. Shown for context, not as a score.
26.0
Context
Free school mealsPupils eligible for free school meals. Context for reading the results, not a measure of the school.
18%
Context
Pupils for each teacherPupils on roll for each full-time teacher, from the school workforce census. Shown for context.
18.4
Context
Demand for places
First choices per placeFamilies who put this school first, for each Year 7 place in 2026 (DfE applications and offers). Above 1 means more first choices than places.
0.9
In line with Wiltshire
Wiltshire and England: DfE's own averages for results. For the rest, the middle state secondary school of the same phase, from every school we hold, since DfE publishes no council figure we hold.Guide: what these measures mean →

Overview

Getting in

  • 163 families put it first for 174 places; 162 of them got in DfE, school applications and offers · Year 7 2026
  • We hold a catchment map for this school.
  • We can't tell how far Year 7 places reached: we hold no offer-day figures for this school. Ask the council or the school for the last distance offered.

Quality

  • Good Ofsted · inspected 28 February 2023
  • Progress 8: -0.08 (England +0.01) (county +0.03) DfE school performance tables · 2023/2024
  • Attainment 8: 43.5 (England 47.4) (county 46.3) DfE school performance tables · 2025/2026
  • English and maths grade 5 or above: 44% (England 48%) (county 45%) DfE school performance tables · 2025/2026
  • Progress, set against pupils who started with the same results: average DfE school performance tables · 2023/2024

Daily life

  • Absence: 8.8% of sessions missed; 20% of pupils miss 1 in 10 or more. Schools with a similar intake: 7.4% and 19% DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level · 2024/25
  • Suspensions: 24 per 100 pupils (schools with a similar intake: 9); 0 permanent exclusions DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level · 2024/25
  • Classes average 26.0 pupils; 13% of classes have more than 30 DfE, school workforce and pupil census · 2025/26
  • 18.4 pupils for each teacher DfE, school workforce · November 2025
  • Nearest stops, in a straight line: bus 64 m DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes) · within 800 m
  • 5 police-reported road collisions within 500 m (0 fatal, 0 serious) DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years · 2021 to 2025
  • Air: nitrogen dioxide 5.0 µg/m³, PM2.5 6.1 (1 km square, background level) DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps · 2024

Who runs it

  • The Athelstan Trust, with 10 schools DfE, Get Information about Schools: group links · joined September 2015
  • Opened as an academy (converter) on 1 September 2015 DfE, open academies list
  • Replaced Bradon Forest School (URN 126503) DfE, Get Information about Schools: links · 1 September 2015
  • We can't compare results before and after it converted: we hold results for only one side of the date, because DfE publishes a few years at a time.

Getting in

How far offers reached

How far away the last child offered a place under the distance rule lived, as the council measures it. It changes every year with who applies: a record, not a promise. Children with a higher priority can be offered places from further away.

Year 7. Distance of the last child offered a place on offer day. How places are offered →

Applications and offers, DfE

EntryYearPlacesFirst choicesAny choiceFirst choices offered
Year 72026174163394162
Year 72025198155431155
Year 72024185163415163
Year 72023188128425128
Year 72022183122358122
Year 72021143110443110
Year 72020136121368121
Year 72019185152433152
Year 72018228183506181
Year 72017214163458163

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school level, Open Government Licence), 2016 to 2026. Families name up to three schools, so most applications are somebody's second or third choice.

Could you get in?Enter a home or postcode: we set it against every year's last offer and this school's rules.

Results

Results

MeasureThis schoolEnglandCouncilYear
Progress 8-0.08+0.01+0.032023/2024
Attainment 843.547.446.32025/2026
English and maths grade 5 or above44%48%45%2025/2026

Source: DfE school performance tables, 2023/2024, 2025/2026.

League table place

TableBandEnglandCouncil
GCSE (key stage 4)Lower half1,702 of 3,29215 of 28

Source: kinplace league tables, from three years of DfE results.

Inspections

DateKindOutcome
28 February 2023Graded inspectionGood
11 November 2021Ungraded visitSchool remains Good (Concerns)

Source: Ofsted, 2023.

Where leavers go

StageLeavers inPupilsIn a sustained placeOf which
After GCSEs2023/2418593%In education 86%; Apprenticeship 3.8%; Employment 3.2%
After GCSEs2022/2320494%In education 84%; Apprenticeship 4.9%; Employment 4.9%
After GCSEs2021/2220794%In education 87%; Apprenticeship 3.9%; Employment 2.9%

Source: DfE, destination measures. A figure DfE hides for a small group is left out, not shown as nought. The newest year may be provisional.

Wiltshire league tableEvery school of this phase in the council on these results.See the table →

Daily life

Absence

YearSessions missedAuthorisedUnauthorisedPupils missing 1 in 10Pupils missing 1 in 2
2024/258.8%6.8%2.0%20%4.9%
2023/248.5%6.3%2.2%22%4.5%
2022/239.0%7.3%1.6%26%3.1%
Schools with a similar intake7.4%19%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level, 2024-25. Similar intake: state schools of the same phase with free school meals in the same band (10-20%), the median of 831 schools.

Suspensions and exclusions

YearSuspensions per 100 pupilsPupils suspendedSuspensionsPermanent exclusions
2024/2524.26.8%2250
2023/2413.35.6%1220
2022/239.54.7%860
Schools with a similar intake8.9

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level, 2024-25.

Class sizes and staff

MeasureFigureYear
Average class size26.02025/26
Classes over 30 pupils13%2025/26
Pupils for each teacher18.4November 2025

Source: DfE, school workforce; school census, 2025/26.

Stops nearby

KindNearest (metres, straight line)
bus64

Source: DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes), current. A stop across a railway or main road may be a long walk. Bus frequency is not held.

Road collisions within 500 m

YearCollisions
20251
20240
20233
20221
20210

Source: DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years, 2021 to 2025. 0 serious and 0 fatal in all; 1 involved a pedestrian, 0 a cyclist. Only collisions with an injury reported to police are counted.

Air quality

PollutantAnnual mean (µg/m³)Year
NO25.02024
PM109.82024
PM256.12024

Source: DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps. A 1 km background figure: not the air at the school gate beside a busy road.

Pupils

Who goes there

MeasureShare of pupilsYear
Eligible for free school meals18%2025/26
First language other than English6.1%2025/26
SEN support14%2025/26
Education, health and care plan5.9%2025/26
Girls47%2025/26

Source: DfE, schools, pupils and their characteristics; special educational needs, 2025/26.

Who runs it

Who runs it

  • The Athelstan Trust, with 10 schools DfE, Get Information about Schools: group links · joined September 2015
  • Opened as an academy (converter) on 1 September 2015 DfE, open academies list
  • Replaced Bradon Forest School (URN 126503) DfE, Get Information about Schools: links · 1 September 2015
  • We can't compare results before and after it converted: we hold results for only one side of the date, because DfE publishes a few years at a time.

Area

Homes in reach of this schoolLook up any home near here: its sales, an open-data valuation, and which schools it keeps in reach.Search homes →

Sources

  • DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps
  • DfE school performance tables
  • DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school level, Open Government Licence)
  • DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level
  • DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level
  • DfE, destination measures
  • DfE, school workforce; school census
  • DfE, schools, pupils and their characteristics; special educational needs
  • DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes)
  • DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years
  • Kinplace league tables, from three years of DfE results
  • Ofsted
  • School register: DfE Get Information about Schools (this school)
  • How we check these figures: How we know

More in schools in Swindon and the Wiltshire league table. School register: DfE Get Information about Schools, updated 17 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources are named beside each figure. All sources.