Great Western Academy Review 2026: A newer Swindon secondary with a longer day and strong enrichment

Great Western Academy is a purpose-built secondary and sixth form serving Tadpole Garden Village and wider North Swindon. It opened as a new free school on 01 September 2018, adding a new year group annually, with sixth form following in 2019.

Two design choices shape daily life here. First, the academy runs a longer school day than many local alternatives, with compulsory enrichment for Year 7 and Year 8 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Second, reading is treated as a whole-school priority, with a dedicated daily reading session and structured literacy support.

Leadership is currently headed by Principal David Clarke, who notes he has been part of the academy since its first day in September 2018.

The academy’s identity is closely tied to being a new school built from the ground up. External evaluation describes ambitious expectations, strong staff-student relationships developed as each year group was added, and a curriculum that makes the academy’s values visible through day-to-day routines.

A notable feature for families weighing “fit” is how deliberately structured the day is. The published timetable sets out an 08:30 start, six 50-minute lessons, and a daily 20-minute reading session, then enrichment or independent study after standard lessons. For Year 7 and Year 8, enrichment is compulsory on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and runs to 16:15.

That structure tends to suit students who benefit from predictable rhythm and who like having organised, staff-led options after the last lesson, rather than relying on informal hanging around.

Pastoral systems combine a tutor group model with a house system that is used to build belonging and healthy competition. The academy also runs student leadership roles, including school parliament and ambassador-style responsibilities, plus sixth form leadership positions such as head students.

On behaviour and safety culture, the academy’s own pastoral information is explicit about reporting routes and safeguarding roles. Its anti-bullying work is unusually detailed for a school website and includes named Anti-Bullying Ambassadors plus a stated focus on online safety, alongside recognition through a Diana Award wellbeing badge.

Great Western Academy’s GCSE outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle tier of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), based on FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings built from official data. Specifically, it is ranked 1,651st in England and 4th in Swindon for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking).

Within the GCSE metrics provided, the Attainment 8 score is 47.7. Progress 8 is +0.12, which indicates students make above-average progress from their starting points. The average EBacc APS score is 4.3, above the England average of 4.08 for this measure.

EBacc entry and EBacc grade profile suggest a more selective EBacc approach than many schools. The percentage of pupils entering EBacc is 40.5% in England, while the academy’s EBacc grade 5+ figure is 18.5% for this specific measure.

A-level performance also sits in the middle band nationally (25th to 60th percentile), again based on FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking. Ranked 1,426th in England and 3rd in Swindon for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking).

For grade distribution, 6.33% of entries achieved A*, 15.19% achieved A, and 20.25% achieved B. In total, 41.77% achieved A* to B. Compared with the England average A* to B figure of 47.2% for this metric, the academy is somewhat below the England benchmark, although still with a substantial proportion achieving strong grades.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to review GCSE and A-level outcomes side-by-side against other Swindon schools using the same underlying data set.

Curriculum sequencing is a headline strength in external evaluation, with the reported intent that pupils revisit key knowledge and practise skills across subjects so learning consolidates over time.

The “longer day” model is not simply an operational detail, it is part of the learning design. The academy day description sets out a broad Key Stage 3 curriculum across 15 subjects, with enterprise-themed work running through subjects and a daily reading session that reinforces literacy.

The practical implication is extra timetable space for the pieces that often get squeezed, literacy, wider curriculum opportunities, and targeted intervention where needed.

Reading is a defining thread. The academy’s literacy approach includes 20 minutes of daily reading for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, supported by Accelerated Reader to guide book choice and Bedrock Vocabulary to build word knowledge. It also references author visits, book clubs, and reading and spelling competitions, plus regular reading and spelling age assessments.

A key additional element is the peer reading model, where sixth form students train as reading “buddies” and listen to younger pupils read, a practical way of making the sixth form part of the wider school culture rather than a separate bubble.

For students with SEND, external evaluation reports that teachers receive information that helps them plan support and that pupils with SEND receive the help they need and do well.

Where Students Go Next

Because Great Western Academy is a relatively young school, destination narratives are still developing. The academy’s own communications around early cohorts emphasise a mix of university and apprenticeship outcomes, and its A-level results press release (15 August 2024) reports that Alicja became the fourth academy student in four years to take up a place at Oxford or Cambridge, and references medicine and apprenticeship pathways alongside university progression.

This matters because it shows the sixth form is already producing competitive applications, even while cohort sizes remain modest compared to longer-established sixth forms.

For the most recent DfE 16–18 leavers destination cohort available in the data provided (2023/24, cohort size 53), 58% progressed to university, 9% to apprenticeships, 15% into employment, and 4% into further education.

The most useful takeaway is breadth. The figures point to multiple “next step” routes being taken up, which often reflects a sixth form that treats university, apprenticeships and employment as real options rather than a hierarchy.

Year 7 admission is coordinated through the local authority. For entry in September 2026, the academy’s Year 7 admissions guidance states that applications must be made via the home local authority, with the deadline for on-time applications being 31 October 2025.

The same page sets out the oversubscription priorities: children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the academy, looked-after and previously looked-after children, children of staff, siblings, then other applications, with distance used as the tie-break within categories.

Offer timing is also clearly stated. The academy references the national offer day for secondary places as 02 March 2026, and notes the right of appeal, with an appeal lodging date of 30 March 2026 for this cycle.

Where this becomes practical for families is planning. If you are deciding whether to rely on a place here, use FindMySchoolMap Search early to understand how distance compares to local patterns, then confirm the current-year position using local authority information.

For sixth form, applications are made directly to the academy. The sixth form application page (last updated 07 October 2025) gives a clear starting point: an online application form, an open evening in October, and a 1:1 guidance meeting after application submission to discuss subject choices and pathways.

The sixth form curriculum offer is broad for a newer school, described as “over 30” A-level and vocational courses, with students encouraged to begin with four subjects in Year 12 before continuing with three into Year 13.

The 10 and 11 January 2023 Ofsted inspection rated Great Western Academy Good overall, with Good judgements in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

Beyond the headline grade, the safeguarding picture is strong. Safeguarding arrangements were found to be effective, with staff training described as regular and responsive to local and national issues, and with a trained safeguarding team that includes a social worker and works with external agencies to support vulnerable pupils and families.

Bullying is treated as a core pastoral topic. External evaluation reports that pupils learn about bullying and know how to report concerns, with staff acting promptly, while also noting that some derogatory language persists among a small minority and is not always reported by peers.

This is useful for parents because it suggests two things at once: reporting systems are understood and action follows, but families should also ask how the academy encourages students to challenge unkind language and how that is reinforced in tutor time and assemblies.

Enrichment is not an optional add-on here, it is part of the planned week for younger years. The academy states that enrichment for Year 7 and Year 8 is compulsory on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with enrichment running from 15:10 to 16:15.

The implication is simple. Students do not need to be the type who independently seeks clubs, the timetable prompts participation early on.

The enrichment programme itself includes a mix of creative, academic, and practical options. The academy lists activities such as Design ACE, Mathematical Art, Chess, Science Fair and Choir within a termly enrichment brochure cycle.

That range matters because it supports different “profiles” of student: those who want making and designing, those who like structured academic extension, and those who prefer performance and group activities.

Several school-specific opportunities add distinctiveness:

• Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is offered across all three levels, Bronze in Year 9, Silver in Year 10, and Gold in Year 12, with expedition preparation included through targeted enrichment covering navigation, cooking, tent craft and first aid.

• A named Great Works of Art exhibition showcases work across Art and Design Technology from Years 7 to 13, including live music contribution from Year 10 students at the opening night.

• The academy is a Stimulating Physics Network lead school, providing an expert physics coach to support partner schools in improving physics teaching, which is a credible marker of subject confidence and staff expertise.

• Student leadership routes include school parliament and ambassador roles, and sixth form students contribute through peer reading support.

The published academy day is 08:30 to 15:10 on standard days, with Tuesday and Wednesday extending to 16:15 for compulsory enrichment in Years 7 and 8. The academy also states that students can access the site from 08:00, and it publishes a detailed lesson-by-lesson timetable.

On wraparound care, Swindon’s secondary admissions guide for September 2026 lists Great Western Academy as having no breakfast club and no after-school club.

Families who need supervised provision at both ends of the day should factor this in early, particularly given the academy’s longer day structure.

Travel planning is straightforward for many local families. The academy notes that a large majority of students live close and walk or cycle, with cycle shelters provided and helmet storage in lockers. Public bus options listed include Stagecoach services to Tadpole Garden Village (4 and 57) and Swindon Bus Company routes to Oakhurst (11, 12 and 15). The academy also discourages routine car drop-off, noting limited capacity for safe collection and that car park access is restricted at the end of the day.

• A newer school with evolving track record. Opened in 2018, Great Western Academy does not yet have decades of alumni outcomes to draw on. The upside is modern systems and facilities built for current expectations; the trade-off is shorter historical comparators.

• A longer day changes family logistics. The academy day runs later on key days because enrichment is built in, and there is no breakfast club or after-school club listed in the local authority guide. This suits some households very well; others may need alternative childcare arrangements.

• Careers provision is stronger post-16 than in earlier years. External evaluation identified that careers guidance was not comprehensive enough for younger pupils at the time of inspection, even while sixth form careers planning was clearer. Parents of Years 7 to 11 students should ask how the earlier-years careers programme has been updated since 2023.

• Behaviour culture is positive, but language standards need reinforcing. The inspection described students as respectful and friendly, but also noted that some derogatory language persists among a small minority and is not always reported. Families should explore how reporting and restorative work operate in practice.

Great Western Academy is a solid Swindon option with a clear structural identity: a longer day, compulsory enrichment in the early years, and an unusually explicit approach to literacy and reading routines. Outcomes sit broadly in line with the mid-range of schools in England, with above-average Progress 8 and a sixth form that offers a wide curriculum for a younger provider.

Best suited to families in North Swindon who value structure, time for enrichment, and a school that has deliberately built reading and personal development into the timetable. Admission remains the main hurdle for Year 7, so families should plan early and use distance-checking tools alongside the local authority process.