Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

Swindon · SN3 1AR

General information Primary School · 4-11 years Who goes here 371 pupils, 10.5% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 5.9% on SEN support Behaviour 5.2% absence rate Staff 12.9% turnover Financials £5,921 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

General Information

Address: Queens Drive, Swindon, SN3 1AR – View on map
Phone: 01793527679
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Samantha Dowdeswell
Age range: 4-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 24 families put it first for 25 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

371 pupils out of 420 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 39
% eligible for free school meals: 10.5%
Pupil mix: 5 in 10 (similar to the Swindon average)
English as an additional language: 74% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 12.9% a year (Swindon 14%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 15% moved to another school, 85% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Swindon: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Swindon, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 5.2%
Persistently absent pupils: 11.0%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 5.9%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 3.2%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 13 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 5 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 2 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 1 pupil
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 6 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 4 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 48% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 7% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 12 percentage points below the Swindon average (60%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well below (3-year average 50% against an expected 76%)
3-year average (expected standard): 50%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 62% · Writing 52% · Maths 72% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 75%
Average test scores: reading 103, maths 103
Based on: 60 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolSwindon averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was 12 percentage points below the Swindon average (60%).

Year 6 SATs: 45th of 54 junior and primary schools in the area

=43Oliver Tomkins Church of England Junior School50%
=43Westlea Primary School50%
#45Holy Cross Catholic Primary School48%
#46Tadpole Farm CofE Primary Academy45%
=47Colebrook Junior School44%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

=1Moredon Primary School83%
=1Tregoze Primary School83%
#3Abbey Meads Community Primary School81%
=4Holy Rood Catholic Primary School80%
=4Lift Hazelwood80%
=4Rodbourne Cheney Primary School80%
=4The Croft Primary School80%
#8Wanborough Primary School77%
#9Lethbridge Primary School75%
#10Gorse Hill Primary School74%
=11Haydonleigh Primary School72%
=11Oakhurst Community Primary School72%
#13Drove Primary School71%
=14Brook Field Primary School70%
=14Shaw Ridge Primary School70%
=14Southfield Junior School70%
=14St Francis CofE Primary School70%
=14St Mary's Catholic Primary School70%
#19Robert Le Kyng Primary School69%
=20Ferndale Primary School & Nursery68%
=20Greenmeadow Primary School68%
=20St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Swindon68%
=23Catherine Wayte Primary School67%
=23Mountford Manor Primary School67%
=25Lawn Primary and Nursery School65%
=25Wroughton Junior School65%
#27Westrop Primary & Nursery School63%
#28Chiseldon Primary & Nursery School62%
=29Grange Junior School61%
=29Liden Academy61%
=29Millbrook Primary School61%
=32Bridlewood Primary School60%
=32South Marston Church of England Primary School60%
#34Goddard Park Community Primary School59%
#35Holy Family Catholic Primary School58%
#36Ruskin Junior School56%
#37Orchid Vale Primary School54%
=38Haydon Wick Primary School53%
=38St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy53%
#40King William Street Church of England Primary School52%
=41Covingham Park Primary School51%
=41Red Oaks Primary School51%
=43Oliver Tomkins Church of England Junior School50%
=43Westlea Primary School50%
#45Holy Cross Catholic Primary School48%
#46Tadpole Farm CofE Primary Academy45%
=47Colebrook Junior School44%
=47Peatmoor Community Primary School44%
=47Swindon Academy44%
=50Nythe Primary School38%
=50Seven Fields Primary School38%
#52Eldene Nursery and Primary School37%
#53Oaktree Nursery and Primary School36%
#54Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery35%

View full Ofsted inspection report

14th of 41 primary schools in Swindon for Ofsted rating

#12Goddard Park Community Primary SchoolGood
#13Gorse Hill Primary SchoolGood
#14Holy Cross Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#15Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#16Holy Rood Catholic Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Haydon Wick Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2Lift East WichelOutstanding
#3Rodbourne Cheney Primary SchoolOutstanding
#4Abbey Meads Community Primary SchoolGood
#5Badbury Park Primary SchoolGood
#6Chiseldon Primary & Nursery SchoolGood
#7Covingham Park Primary SchoolGood
#8Drove Primary SchoolGood
#9Eldene Nursery and Primary SchoolGood
#10Even Swindon Primary SchoolGood
#11Ferndale Primary School & NurseryGood
#12Goddard Park Community Primary SchoolGood
#13Gorse Hill Primary SchoolGood
#14Holy Cross Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#15Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#16Holy Rood Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#17King William Street Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#18Lainesmead Primary School and NurseryGood
#19Lawn Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#20Lethbridge Primary SchoolGood
#21Liden AcademyGood
#22Lift HazelwoodGood
#23Moredon Primary SchoolGood
#24Mountford Manor Primary SchoolGood
#25Orchid Vale Primary SchoolGood
#26Peatmoor Community Primary SchoolGood
#27Red Oaks Primary SchoolGood
#28Shaw Ridge Primary SchoolGood
#29South Marston Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#30St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, SwindonGood
#31St Francis CofE Primary SchoolGood
#32St Leonard's Church of England Primary AcademyGood
#33St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#34Tadpole Farm CofE Primary AcademyGood
#35Wanborough Primary SchoolGood
#36Westlea Primary SchoolGood
#37Westrop Primary & Nursery SchoolGood
#38William Morris Primary SchoolGood
#39Bishopstone Church of England Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#40Kingfisher CE AcademyRequires improvement
#41Seven Fields Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £5,921 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

36th of 53 primary schools in Swindon for spending per pupil

#34Ferndale Primary School & Nursery£6,055
#35Orchid Vale Primary School£5,977
#36Holy Cross Catholic Primary School£5,921
#37William Morris Primary School£5,897
#38Lethbridge Primary School£5,815

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Bishopstone Church of England Primary School£12,307
#2Westlea Primary School£9,910
#3Goddard Park Community Primary School£9,342
#4Kingfisher CE Academy£9,186
#5Seven Fields Primary School£8,783
#6Eldene Nursery and Primary School£7,989
#7Abbey Farm Educate Together Primary£7,843
#8Red Oaks Primary School£7,378
#9Greenmeadow Primary School£7,248
#10Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery£7,176
#11Millbrook Primary School£7,171
#12Mountford Manor Primary School£7,082
#13Liden Academy£7,003
#14Oaktree Nursery and Primary School£6,883
#15St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Swindon£6,797
#16Nythe Primary School£6,793
#17Chiseldon Primary & Nursery School£6,690
#18Covingham Park Primary School£6,579
#19Moredon Primary School£6,529
#20Wanborough Primary School£6,527
#21Robert Le Kyng Primary School£6,517
#22Peatmoor Community Primary School£6,479
#23King William Street Church of England Primary School£6,453
#24Abbey Meads Community Primary School£6,446
#25Westrop Primary & Nursery School£6,317
#26Holy Rood Catholic Primary School£6,295
#27Bridlewood Primary School£6,252
#28St Mary's Catholic Primary School£6,215
#29Lawn Primary and Nursery School£6,177
#30St Francis CofE Primary School£6,156
#31Catherine Wayte Primary School£6,147
#32Holy Family Catholic Primary School£6,104
#33Lift Hazelwood£6,068
#34Ferndale Primary School & Nursery£6,055
#35Orchid Vale Primary School£5,977
#36Holy Cross Catholic Primary School£5,921
#37William Morris Primary School£5,897
#38Lethbridge Primary School£5,815
#39Badbury Park Primary School£5,769
#40Brook Field Primary School£5,586
#41Haydonleigh Primary School£5,551
#42Shaw Ridge Primary School£5,533
#43Oakhurst Community Primary School£5,522
#44Tregoze Primary School£5,376
#45Haydon Wick Primary School£5,366
#46The Croft Primary School£5,122
#47Rodbourne Cheney Primary School£5,119
#48Even Swindon Primary School£5,038
#49South Marston Church of England Primary School£5,010
#50Gorse Hill Primary School£4,950
#51Drove Primary School£4,838
#52St Leonard's Church of England Primary Academy£4,510
#53Tadpole Farm CofE Primary Academy£2,038

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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