Academy converter · Wiltshire

Bradon Forest School

11–16Ages
987Pupils
SecondaryPhase
142316URN

The Peak, Purton, Swindon, SN5 4AT · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Feb 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.3per place

0.7 above Wiltshire median (1.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in WiltshireSelective

394 applications for 174 places · 3rd of 27 in Wiltshire

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

43.5of 90

Wiltshire 45.5 England 46.0

17th of 27 in Wiltshire

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 28 February 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good

Inspection history

28 February 2023
Graded inspection: Good
11 November 2021
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.3applications per place, Year 7

0.7 above Wiltshire median (1.6) close to England median (2.2)

394 applications · 174 places offered · 163 named it first

2026 2.3; Wiltshire median median 1.6
2025 2.2; Wiltshire median median 1.7
2024 2.2; Wiltshire median median 1.5
2023 2.3; Wiltshire median median 1.5
2022 2.0; Wiltshire median median 1.6
2021 3.1; Wiltshire median median 2.4
2020 2.7; Wiltshire median median 1.6
2019 2.3; Wiltshire median median 1.5
2018 2.2; Wiltshire median median 1.6
2017 2.1; Wiltshire median median 1.8
2016 2.4; Wiltshire median median 1.6
2015 2.4; Wiltshire median median 1.5; as the previous school
2014 2.5; Wiltshire median median 1.6; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Wiltshire median in 11 of 11 years.

This school
Wiltshire median

Dashed bars: as Bradon Forest School (URN 126503), the previous school.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	174	394	2.3	163	0.94
Sep 2025	198	431	2.2	155	0.78
Sep 2024	185	415	2.2	163	0.88
Sep 2023	188	425	2.3	128	0.68
Sep 2022	183	358	2.0	122	0.67
Sep 2021	143	443	3.1	110	0.77
Sep 2020	136	368	2.7	121	0.89
Sep 2019	185	433	2.3	152	0.82
Sep 2018	228	506	2.2	183	0.80
Sep 2017	214	458	2.1	163	0.76
Sep 2016	197	474	2.4	162	0.82
Sep 2015 *	175	426	2.4	146	0.83
Sep 2014 *	162	403	2.5	135	0.83

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

177 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)43.517th of 27 in Wiltshire

Wiltshire 45.5 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths44%13th of 27 in Wiltshire

Wiltshire 42% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths66%

Wiltshire 64% England 66%

This school
Wiltshire median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.08

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	177	43.5	44%	66%	–
2024/25	134	48.1	45%	69%	–
2023/24	185	46.0	50%	71%	−0.08
2022/23	204	49.6	54%	76%	+0.24

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Bradon Forest SchoolThis school
This school

Good2023

2.3applications per place 43.5Attainment 8
Lydiard Park Academy
3.6 km · Swindon

Remains Good2023

1.7applications per place 47.1Attainment 8
Abbey Park School
4.2 km · Swindon

Good2023

2.4applications per place 45.4Attainment 8
Nova Hreod Academy
4.5 km · Swindon

Remains Good2022

1.5applications per place 49.6Attainment 8
Royal Wootton Bassett Academy
4.7 km · Wiltshire

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.6applications per place 50.3Attainment 8
Great Western Academy
5.1 km · Swindon

Good2023

2.9applications per place 46.8Attainment 8
Swindon Academy
5.9 km · Swindon

2026

2.2applications per place 48.3Attainment 8
UTC Swindon
6.0 km · Swindon

Requires improvement2024

32.3Attainment 8
The Deanery CofE Academy
6.2 km · Swindon

Special measures Inadequate2023

2.0applications per place 47.6Attainment 8

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy converter
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 142316 · 865/5408
Trust: The Athelstan Trust
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Capacity: 1,260 pupils · 987 on roll
Free school meals: 18.2% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 September 2015
Replaced: Bradon Forest School (URN 126503)
Address: The Peak, Purton, Swindon, SN5 4AT
Local authority: Wiltshire

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources