The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College
108%
Capacity
1,573
Pupils
2.6x
Demand
About The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College
The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College sits within the Swindon local authority, where it ranks 4th out of 13 secondary schools by Progress 8 score. That places it ahead of the local average, which sits at -0.06, and puts it in the top half of schools in the South West region. Among its closest competitors in the area, the school is outperformed by New College Swindon and St Joseph's Catholic College, but sits just ahead of Lydiard Park Academy. With a Progress 8 score of 0.18, Ridgeway is comfortably above the national average, and its ranking banding is classed as 'Above average'. The school is a mixed, non-denominational state secondary for pupils aged 11 to 18, and it is significantly oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 690 applications for 270 places, with 259 first-preference offers made from 330 first-preference applications. That oversubscription ratio of 2.56 tells you this is a school local families actively want.
Academically, Ridgeway delivers solid results across both key stages. At KS4, the school's Attainment 8 score is 53, and 76.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, with 62.5% reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 4.61, though only 17.4% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. Progress 8 is strongest in maths, where the school scores 0.52, and weakest in the open bucket at -0.12. At KS5, the sixth form has 107 pupils and achieves a points per entry grade of B-, with an average points per entry of 38.12. The best three A-levels average out at a grade B, and 23.3% of entries achieved AAB or higher. The value added score is 0.07, placing the sixth form in the 'Average' progress banding. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated overall effectiveness as Good, with leadership and management and quality of education both judged Outstanding.
The school is well equipped, with facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, science labs, and a dedicated sixth form centre. It offers a broad range of sports from rugby and hockey to martial arts, and clubs such as Model UN, coding, and eco club. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs, alongside a resourced provision. With 16.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a reasonably diverse intake. Ridgeway is a good fit for families who want a large, oversubscribed secondary with strong academic outcomes, particularly in maths, and a sixth form that performs solidly above the local average. The school's size — 1,573 pupils against a capacity of 1,450 — means it is operating above capacity, so early application is essential.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Inverary Road, Swindon, Swindon, SN4 9DJ |
| Headteacher | Adrian Cush |
| Local Authority | Swindon |
| Number of Pupils | 1,573 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 16.5% |
| School Capacity | 1,573 / 1,450 (108% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
18 Apr 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 14 Jun 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.18)
1122nd of 3,141
Nationally
97th of 306
In South West
4th of 13
In Swindon
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
37.8
'22/23
36.6
'23/24
38.1
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2337%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 270 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)37%
- FE college30%
- Sixth form college18%
- Not sustained5%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment4%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2373%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 116 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
26%
Russell Group
27%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)73%
- Employment16%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Not sustained3%
- Other education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Mathematics33
- Biology21
- Psychology20
- Sociology20
- History18
- Chemistry15
- Physics15
- Government and Politics11
- Law10
- Computer Studies / Computing9
- Economics9
- Mathematics (Further)9
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed270
690
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
330 families put this school as their 1st choice (48% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:35 – 15:10
Source: ridgewayschool.com. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Better than half 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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British73.8%
- Asian9.1%
- Mixed5.8%
- White (other)4.2%
- Black1.3%
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
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
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.
4
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
3
Primary
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Inverary Road, Swindon
Swindon, SN4 9DJ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College!
Write a Review