Nova Hreod Academy Review 2026: Values-led secondary with a distinctive STEM stream

Nova Hreod Academy is a large, mixed 11–16 secondary serving Moredon and the wider Swindon area. It is part of United Learning and sits on a modern campus with capacity for 1,200 pupils.

Parents looking for clear routines and a purposeful culture will recognise the school’s stated priorities quickly. The official day structure begins with roll call at 08:20, followed by tutor time and a six-period timetable. For Year 11, the day can extend to a sixth period on Tuesday to Thursday.

The most recent Ofsted visit (15–16 November 2022) was an ungraded inspection that confirmed the academy continues to be Good, alongside a detailed set of strengths and two specific improvement priorities.

The school’s own language emphasises high standards, strong relationships, and a shared set of values, presented publicly as Excellence, Hard Work, and Kindness.

External evidence points to a calm, purposeful tone. Pupils are described as moving around site sensibly, and social times are structured enough that pupils can choose quieter spaces such as the library or more active options on the playground.

Pastoral identity is reinforced through a house model. Weekly inter-house competitions are positioned as a core belonging mechanism, and pupils can take up responsibility through roles such as prefects, house representatives, a green team, and global ambassadors.

There is also a candid strand in the official picture, a minority of parents wanted stronger communication, and leaders were described as addressing incidents of derogatory language between pupils. Those are useful cues for families who prioritise regular, proactive home-school updates.

For families comparing outcomes locally, Nova Hreod’s GCSE position is clear in the FindMySchool ranking: ranked 1485th in England and 3rd in Swindon for GCSE performance (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

At GCSE level, the headline Attainment 8 score is 45.9. The Progress 8 figure of -0.09 suggests progress is close to, but slightly below, the England benchmark overall.

For EBacc, 27.2% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above across the EBacc pillars, and the average EBacc APS is 4.21.

What this means in practice is that outcomes appear competitive within the local context, with a strong enough baseline for many learners to move on confidently at 16. For higher-attaining pupils, the key question is likely consistency across subjects, and whether teaching is stretching students into deeper thinking rather than surface recall. That aligns closely with the improvement focus flagged in the most recent inspection, which highlighted the need for more structured discussion and debate in some subjects to secure deeper understanding over time.

Parents comparing nearby schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to view these GCSE indicators side-by-side against other Swindon secondaries.

The most recent official evidence describes a “rich and ambitious curriculum” that includes pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with careful planning to build knowledge over time. Teachers are described as having strong subject knowledge and applying consistent routines that maximise learning time.

Two aspects stand out for learning culture. First, reading support is described as targeted for pupils who are earlier in their reading journey, alongside exposure to a wider reading curriculum that uses diverse texts. Second, the classroom climate is described as settled, with low-level disruption uncommon.

The clearest “next step” for the school, based on the same evidence, is to make sure classroom talk is doing more of the heavy lifting in every subject. The inspection identified that, in some areas, pupils did not consistently have enough structured opportunity to discuss and debate what they were learning, which can limit long-term recall.

A distinctive local offer sits alongside the mainstream curriculum: the Catalyst STEM Stream, which welcomed its first Year 7 cohort in September 2022. It is positioned as an accelerated, interest-led pathway for pupils with strong STEM aptitude, linked to co-curricular expectations and longer-term progression to competitive university routes and STEM careers.

Nova Hreod is an 11–16 school, so students move on to post-16 providers at the end of Year 11.

Careers education is described as structured across year groups, with a detailed programme of careers advice and employer encounters, including an “Our World Week” experience for Year 10. The school also confirms compliance with the Baker Clause, which matters for families who want clear visibility of technical routes and apprenticeships, not just sixth form pathways.

The practical implication is that the school’s “next steps” work should help students keep multiple routes open. For some, that will be A-level study elsewhere. For others, it will be a technical or vocational pathway, with earlier, more informed decision-making supported through encounters with employers and training providers.

Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through Swindon Borough Council as part of the normal secondary admissions round. The council’s published timeline for September 2026 entry opens applications on 01 September 2025, with the on-time closing date 31 October 2025. Offers are issued on 02 March 2026.

Nova Hreod’s own admissions policy sets the Published Admissions Number (PAN) for September 2026 at 240.

As an academy, the oversubscription rules are important reading. The council’s summary for the school lists priority for looked-after children, then siblings, then allocation by distance.

Because the dataset provided does not include the last offered distance for Year 7 entry, families should treat distance as a likely deciding factor in oversubscription years, but verify practical chances through the council’s published admissions material and the school’s policy. Parents can also use FindMySchoolMap Search to check how their address compares to typical distance-based allocation at comparable local schools.

Open events are actively promoted on the school website, and recent years show an “open evening” pattern in September, which is broadly consistent with the timing families usually need for Year 6 decision-making.

The safeguarding picture is clearly stated in the most recent inspection evidence, alongside an outline of systems, training, and how leaders work with external agencies to secure support. Pupils are also described as learning about risk, including online safety, plus age-appropriate relationships and consent.

Beyond safeguarding, the wider personal development strand is framed as practical and life-oriented, including financial education and basic first aid, with broader themes of inclusion and understanding different cultures and religions.

For families, the key “fit” question is how much structure your child benefits from. The school’s routines and expectations are presented as consistent, and that tends to suit pupils who prefer clarity, predictable consequences, and a settled classroom climate. For pupils who struggle when relationships feel transactional or communication home feels limited, it is worth probing how feedback and parent contact works day-to-day.

Co-curricular life is organised under the SuperNova banner, a termly updated enrichment programme that expects students to participate regularly. The school encourages pupils to attend at least two clubs per term, and frames the programme as character development rather than simply “extra activities”.

Two concrete examples illustrate what that looks like in practice. The inspection evidence links SuperNova to clubs and volunteering in the community, plus curriculum-linked trips such as a Cadbury World visit for business studies. Separately, curriculum documentation shows SuperNova includes a Textiles club that works collaboratively to create pieces for display around school, which is a useful signal that enrichment is not limited to sport.

Performing arts also appear visible in school life. A recent Christmas concert write-up references solos, group performances, and songs from the school choir, alongside SuperNova clubs.

For STEM-leaning pupils, Catalyst adds a further layer, with the stream positioned as both an academic accelerator and a co-curricular commitment tied to research, engineering, and computing themes.

The published school day begins at 08:20 with roll call, then tutor time, followed by periods through to 15:00, with a sixth period to 16:00 on Tuesday to Thursday for Year 11.

Swindon’s admissions guide indicates there is no breakfast club, and that after-school provision is available, though the exact shape of that offer can vary term to term. Public transport links in the same guide reference bus routes 15 and 16, which is relevant for older pupils travelling independently.

• Progress is close to the England benchmark, but slightly below. A Progress 8 score of -0.09 suggests outcomes are near average overall; families of higher-attaining pupils may want to ask how stretch and depth are secured across all subjects, not only in the strongest departments.

• Communication expectations. The most recent inspection evidence notes a minority of parents wanted clearer communication about expectations and next steps. Families who rely on frequent, proactive updates should explore how feedback cycles work in practice.

• Behaviour culture includes active management of language. The same evidence references derogatory language incidents between pupils, with leaders taking action to address it. Ask how reporting works, and what follow-up looks like after incidents.

• No sixth form on site. Students transfer at 16, so post-16 planning needs to start earlier than it would in an 11–18 setting, especially for competitive pathways and specialist technical routes.

Nova Hreod Academy offers a structured, values-led 11–16 education with a clear emphasis on routines, personal development, and careers guidance. The presence of a dedicated Catalyst STEM Stream adds a distinctive route for pupils with strong STEM interests, while SuperNova signals an expectation that students will contribute beyond lessons.

Best suited to families who want a purposeful school culture, a clear behaviour framework, and a strong personal development model, and who are comfortable planning for a post-16 move at the end of Year 11.