Swinford Church of England Primary School

About Swinford Church of England Primary School

Swinford Church of England Primary School is a small village primary in Harborough, Leicestershire, running at near-full capacity with 104 pupils against a published capacity of 105. Its intake is notably less disadvantaged than the national picture: just 2.9% of pupils qualify for free school meals, compared with a national primary average that typically sits around 23-24%. That low FSM figure is a strong signal of the local demographic, and it's reflected in the school's popularity — for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 28 applications for just 11 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.55. All 10 first-preference applicants were offered a place, meaning the remaining 18 applicants who listed it lower on their form missed out. This is a school where demand far outstrips supply, and families living close to the village or with a church connection will likely have the strongest chance of securing a spot.

Academically, Swinford performs well above the local authority average. At Key Stage 2, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, against a Leicestershire average of 62%. Reading and writing both saw 88% of pupils at expected, while maths was slightly lower at 82%. The school also pushes pupils beyond the baseline: 18% achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, with reading the strongest at 47% reaching that higher threshold. Average scaled scores were 109 in reading and 108 in maths, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. In the Harborough local authority rankings, Swinford sits 7th out of 32 primary schools, placing it in the top 25% nationally. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025 confirmed a Good rating, with leadership and management also judged Good — a clear improvement from the Requires Improvement grade it received back in 2010.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a Forest School, ICT suite, chapel and outdoor playground. Sports provision covers dance, swimming, cricket, netball, football, tennis and cross country, while clubs include book club, choir, drama and gardening. SEND support is listed for a broad spectrum of needs, from dyslexia and moderate learning difficulties to speech and language, hearing impairment and social, emotional and mental health needs. However, the Parent View responses suggest some mixed feelings: while 91% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 99% felt their child is safe, only 40% agreed that SEND children get the support they need, with 53% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing. The school's oversubscription means it's best suited to families who live very locally or have a strong church connection, and who value strong academic outcomes in a small, community-focused setting.

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