Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
Queens Drive, Swindon, SN3 1AROpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is a primary school in Swindon for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 90 schools in Swindon. It ranks 48th of 64 primary schools in Swindon. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 3 July 2023, report published 27 September 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 3 July 2023
Pupils are proud and happy to come to Holy Cross Catholic Primary School. They talk about how the school's values support them to be kind, respectful and show tolerance. They know that all people should be treated equally, regardless of differences. Pupils are polite and considerate towards adults and each other. Adults' expectations of behaviour are high. Pupils respond well to this and say that they feel safe. Bullying is rare, but if it does happen, pupils are confident that adults will deal with it. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. They talk about the wide range of books they study as they progress through the school. They understand how these link to learning in other subjects. Pupils take part in a wide range of activities beyond the academic curriculum. This helps to develop their talents and interests. For example, pupils take part in chaplaincy, dance, chess and sports clubs. Trips support learning across the curriculum. Pupils develop their leadership skills through their roles as librarians and school councillors.
What the school should improve
- Subject leadership is underdeveloped. As a result, leaders do not have a secure enough understanding of how well the curriculum is implemented across all subjects. This can hinder pupils' learning. Leaders need to evaluate the impact of the whole curriculum to ensure that it is leading to improvements in pupils' learning.
- In the wider curriculum, assessment is not effective in identifying what pupils know and can do and what gaps they have in their learning. Leaders need to ensure that assessment leads to pupils building knowledge and that gaps are addressed effectively.
- In a few subjects, leaders have not given enough thought to the subject-specific vocabulary that pupils should learn. This hampers pupils' ability to talk, read and write about these subjects. Leaders should identify the subject-specific vocabulary pupils need to know so that pupils learn well across the wider curriculum.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
60 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
371 pupils on roll, with places for 420
Schools near Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drove Primary School | 0.2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 71% met the expected standard |
| Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery | 0.3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 35% met the expected standard |
| Mountford Manor Primary School | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 67% met the expected standard |
| Holy Rood Catholic Primary School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 80% met the expected standard |
| Gorse Hill Primary School | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Good | 74% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Samantha Dowdeswell
- Phone
- 01793527679
- Address
- Queens Drive, Swindon, SN3 1AR
- Local authority
- Swindon
- URN
- 136981
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.