Swindon students see stronger results as next steps begin

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-13 19:17 3 min read

Empty classroom with rows of desks bathed in warm, natural afternoon sunlight.

By demoduck.co.uk Local News Desk | 13 August 2026

More than 1,500 young people are moving on to university, apprenticeships and work after Swindon’s A-Level and T-Level results showed a small improvement on last year.

Swindon Borough Council said 1,128 students completed A-Levels this summer, while 454 achieved qualifications through T-Levels. The borough-wide A-Level pass rate, covering grades A* to E, was 95.4% — 0.3 percentage points higher than in 2025.

The proportion of A-Level entries awarded A* to B also rose, reaching 37.8%, up 0.6 percentage points on last year. Those figures point to a modest year-on-year improvement, although the council’s release does not provide a school-by-school breakdown for every provider or a separate T-Level grade profile.

Swindon’s A-Level figures show a rise in top grades

The overall pass rate means that just over 95 in every 100 A-Level entries received a grade from A to E. The 37.8% figure measures the share of entries receiving the higher A to B grades, rather than the share of individual students.

That distinction matters when reading borough-wide results: one student can take several subjects, so entry-based figures show how individual qualifications performed across the cohort.

The results published by Swindon Borough Council also include local students who attend Cirencester College. The release records completed A-Levels and achieved T-Level qualifications, giving a combined picture of the routes being taken by Swindon students at post-16 level.

Lydiard Park Academy reports a full pass rate

Lydiard Park Academy Sixth Form reported a 100% pass rate across its academic and vocational qualifications.

The academy said 76% of its grades were A to C. Among vocational qualifications, 63% of grades were Distinction or Distinction.

Gary Pearson, principal of Lydiard Park Academy, said the outcomes reflected both students’ work and staff support. “We are incredibly proud of our students, not just for the grades they’ve achieved, but for the journey they’ve taken to get there,” he said.

Gemma Piper, chief executive of The Park Academies Trust, said the trust was pleased by the range of results and thanked students and teachers for their dedication.

University places, apprenticeships and work are the next destinations

Students are now progressing to destinations including Cardiff University, the University of Bristol, the University of Reading and the University of Gloucestershire, according to the council. Others are beginning apprenticeships or entering employment.

Councillor Kate Tomlinson, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Education, congratulated students and said their results reflected years of commitment and perseverance.

“For young people heading to university, starting an apprenticeship or beginning work, the results mark the completion of one stage of education and the start of their next confirmed route,” the council said in its results update.

Borough-wide data includes more than one education provider

These are borough-wide results rather than a ranking of Swindon schools. They include local students at Cirencester College alongside outcomes reported by providers in Swindon, so individual sixth forms’ published figures should be read in that wider context.

For families and students, the immediate confirmed picture is a higher A-Level pass rate and a rise in A* to B entries, with post-results progression already under way across higher education, apprenticeships and employment.

Source: Swindon Borough Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source checks

This report uses Swindon Borough Council’s published figures and keeps borough-wide results separate from individual provider outcomes.

Checks

Confirmed the published date as 13 August 2026.
Checked the A-Level cohort total of 1,128 and T-Level qualification total of 454.
Checked the 95.4% A-Level pass rate and its 0.3-point increase on last year.
Checked that the borough figures include local students attending Cirencester College.

Swindon Borough Council Check wider results coverage