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Oliver Tomkins Church of England Infant and Nursery School

Oliver Tomkins Church of England Infant and Nursery School

Swindon, SN5 8LWPrimary School·Ages 3-7
Goodby Ofsted

66%

Capacity

152

Pupils

2.4x

Demand

About Oliver Tomkins Church of England Infant and Nursery School

Oliver Tomkins Church of England Infant and Nursery School is a smaller-than-average primary in Swindon, with 152 pupils on roll against a capacity of 230. That leaves significant room for growth, but the school is already oversubscribed for Reception places in the 2025/26 intake: 59 applications were received for just 25 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.36. All 25 first-preference applicants received offers, so while demand is strong, families who put it first are in a good position. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 6.6%, well below the national average and notably lower than many schools in the local authority. This suggests an intake that is relatively advantaged, which may reflect the school's Church of England foundation and its appeal to families seeking a faith-based start for their children aged 3 to 7.

Academically, Oliver Tomkins holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. The most recent graded inspection took place in November 2014, with an ungraded visit in November 2023 confirming the school remains Good. In the 2014 inspection, leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness were all rated Good. The school does not publish Key Stage 2 results because its age range ends at Year 2, so there are no SATs scores to compare against the Swindon local authority average of 62. For families focused on early years and infant education, the Good rating across early years provision is the most relevant metric. The school's nursery provision means children can join from age 3, giving a smooth transition into Reception.

The school offers a solid set of facilities for its size, including a library, ICT suite, sports hall, music rooms and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, swimming, gymnastics and tennis, and there are clubs for drama, choir and chess. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication difficulties, and physical disability. With no official sixth form and a finish point at age 7, families will need to plan for a transition to a junior school, but the oversubscription data suggests Oliver Tomkins is a popular choice for the infant phase. It suits families who value a Church of England ethos, want nursery provision on site, and are looking for a school where demand is high but first-preference applicants are likely to get a place.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range3 to 7 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressBeaumaris Road, Swindon, Swindon, SN5 8LW
HeadteacherKatie Cook
Local AuthoritySwindon
Number of Pupils152
Free School Meals (FSM)6.6%
School Capacity152 / 230 (66% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

15 Nov 2023
View Report

Overall Effectiveness

Good

Latest inspection (15 Nov 2023): School remains Good

Unchanged
Leadership & Management
Good

Additional Provisions

Early Years Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 18 Dec 2014. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

SEND Support

DyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguagePhysical

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

Facilities

5
LibraryICT SuiteSports HallMusic RoomsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

7

Sports

NetballSwimmingGymnasticsTennis

Clubs & Activities

DramaChoirChess

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

Admissions

2025/26Oversubscribed
Places

25

Applications

59

Good Demand

Popular school with more applications than places

Applications to places ratio2.4x
0x1x2x3x5x+

25 families put this school as their 1st choice (42% of all applications)

Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:30 – 15:00

Source: olivertomkinsschools.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Class profile

2024/25
Pupils per teacherTop 25% of schools
16.7pupils per qualified teacher

Better than 75% of schools in England.

Average class sizeTop 25% of schools
20.5pupils per class

Better than 75% of schools in England.

Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.

Pupils & demographics

2024/25
Free school meals6.6%

Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).

English as additional language33.6%

Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.

Ethnic background

  • White British43.4%
  • White (other)16.4%
  • Mixed13.8%
  • Asian10.5%

Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.

Attendance & Behaviour

2024/25
Overall attendanceBelow average
93.3%

Half of schools in England do better than this.

Persistent absenteesBottom 25% of schools
22.7%

75% of schools in England do better than this.

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

Fixed-period suspensionsBelow average
5.1 per 100

Half of schools in England do better than this.

A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.

Permanent exclusionsLike most schools
None

Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.

Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.

Catchment & Local Competition

Loading map...
1 mile reference · no real data

No catchment data published for this school

The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.

⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.

Schools within 1 mile (reference area)

1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.

8

Total schools

7

Oversubscribed

7

Primary

High competition area

Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Oliver Tomkins Church of England Infant and Nursery School

Oliver Tomkins Church of England Infant and Nursery School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.

Contact Information

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Beaumaris Road, Swindon

Swindon, SN5 8LW

Journey to School

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Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.

Opening Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

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