Overview

We are passionate about learning. We develop character, compassion and service. We are a leading, established school with a 90-year history. We aim for our young people to look back on an educational experience which had inspired and challenged them. We are Commonweal.

About Us

Academic Excellence. Performing Arts.

Commonweal is a very special place. With a 90-year history, Commonweal is a leading and established, genuinely comprehensive 11-19 mixed secondary school in the Old Town community of Swindon. We are passionate about learning both in and outside of the classroom; we steer the enthusiasm and energy of our students to develop character, compassion and service.

Currently there are 1419 students on roll who come from a diverse range of backgrounds, both socio-economically and linguistically; over 40 nationalities are represented. We are oversubscribed in lower school and currently have 247 students studying in Commonweal Sixth across 31 Level 3 qualifications. Our sixth form is housed in our purpose-built £7m modern Commonweal Sixth building which opened in 2014. In addition we jointly deliver the Swindon Town FCITC Professional Football programme and run a Foundation course in Year 12 in collaboration with Swindon College. As a result staffing has increased by over 30% in the last four years. Students in C6 come from across Swindon and beyond, including a small number of international students.

Students are drawn principally from 4 feeder schools within the designated catchment area: Lethbridge, Robert Le Kyng, King William Street & Even Swindon School. We also recruit students from a further 36 primary schools in the area. The school reserves up to 15 places per cohort for students who able to demonstrate a talent in Performing Arts. The school was granted specialist Performing Arts College status in 2004.. We have also held the Artsmark Gold Award since 2003, hold the Geography Quality mark, have Healthy Schools Status, Fair Trade status and Dyslexia Friendly status. We became an Academy in August 2011, shortly after an Ofsted inspection in which we were judged Outstanding overall, and in 16 out of 22 categories. Following a February 2014 Ofsted inspection we were adjudged Good in all areas, under what was a significantly more challenging framework. We were again rated ‘Good’ in all areas in November 2017 Ofsted inspection.

Strong relationships are fostered between staff and students to create a purposeful, inclusive and progress-led atmosphere at Commonweal. We aim for our young people to look back on an educational experience which had inspired and challenged them.

Join Us

CURRENT OPENINGS



  • Job Title

    Head of Department: Catering/Food Technology

  • Location

    Swindon, Wiltshire

  • Posted

    27th March 2024

  • Salary

    Main Scale 1-6 or Upper Payscale 1-3 as applicable

  • Hours

    Full Time, Part Time

  • Description

    Head of Department: Catering/Food Technology Working Hours: Full Time (part time hours would be considered for the right candidate) Contract Type: Permanent Salary: Main Scale 1-6 ...

  • Job Title

    Head of Computer Science

  • Location

    Swindon, Wiltshire

  • Posted

    27th March 2024

  • Salary

    MS 1-6 or UPS 1-3 as applicable plus TLR2(1)

  • Hours

    Full Time, Part Time

  • Description

    Head of Computer Science Working Hours: Full Time, part time hours would be considered for the right candidate Contract Type: Permanent Salary: Main Scale 1-6 or Upper Pay Scale 1 ...

  • Job Title

    Science Technician

  • Location

    Swindon, Wiltshire

  • Posted

    27th March 2024

  • Salary

    NJC Scale K

  • Hours

    Full Time, Part Time, Term Time

  • Description

    Science Technician (Full or Part Time) Hours: 37 hours per week / term time only plus training days - Monday to Friday. Part time and job share working hours are also welcomed for ...

  • Job Title

    2nd in Modern Foreign Languages

  • Location

    Swindon, Wiltshire

  • Posted

    21st March 2024

  • Salary

    Main Scale 1-6 or Upper Payscale 1-3 as applicable

  • Hours

    Full Time, Part Time

  • Description

    Second in Modern Foreign Languages Working Hours: Full Time Contract Type: Permanent Salary: Main Scale 1-6 or Upper Pay Scale 1-3 as appropriate plus TLR 2(1) Closing Date: Monda ...

Why work at Commonweal?

Our staff numbers have risen significantly with the opening of our new Sixth Form in September 2014. Set in a brand new 3 storey, state of the art building, we aim to recruit 300+ students and offer a high quality, academic curriculum – see our website for more details.

A first-rate set of students. With 1400 students on roll – and many more wishing to join us – we believe that our students are a credit to themselves and to the school. They work hard, are frequently praised for their good behaviour, love being given responsibility and invariably serve as good ambassadors for the school. Relationships between students and staff are excellent.

Professional working conditions. We are committed to ensuring that teaching loads are kept as low as possible, with a major investment in supply teaching and Cover Supervisors to ensure that non-contact periods are safeguarded wherever possible. Classes in KS3 average 25 whilst in KS4 the average is 20. There is an established network of support for new colleagues, whether through our highly praised NQT support programme or through our new teacher Induction package. CPD is key to our recruitment and retention policy, and is our number one priority. We have fully implemented the Workforce Remodelling Agenda and all staff have significantly more than the minimum allotted PPA time, alongside low-key weeks at the end of each half term. We recognise the need to involve all staff in making crucial decisions, who contribute to the planning and development of the school through a range of consultative mechanisms, from formal meetings to working groups and attitudinal surveys.

A supportive community. We cannot imagine another school which has such a vibrant and committed PTA, who actively support our efforts by raising funds and enhancing the life of our wider community. Equally, we have an oversubscribed Governing Body who work hard to ensure that the school functions effectively. Our broader community links are strong and will inevitably become stronger as we continue life as a Performing Arts College.

Firm foundations. Our most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2017 judged us Good in all categories. Given the significantly more rigorous nature of this framework compared to that in place in 2014 – when we were also judged Good – we are happy that inspectors considered us ‘well on the way to excellence’. We do, however, aspire to become Outstanding again by the time of the next inspection and are working hard to ensure that this is so.

Self Evaluation. We have a comprehensive programme of self evaluation and monitoring strategies which enable us to plan effectively and reflect upon our practice. Faculties have regular internal inspections & their own SEFs which help provide the evidence on which to base our overall view that this is a good school: a view supported by all our stakeholders.

A lot to look forward to. This is an incredibly exciting time for the school now that we have opened our new Sixth Form. We also intend to build on recent 11-16 successes and seek new challenges in the years ahead, whist ensuring that we do not lose sight of our primary purpose which is to sustain and improve the quality of teaching and learning.

If you're searching for your next teaching post, why not contact us now? You'll be working at a great school and be part of a friendly, helpful team. We're always interested to hear from enthusiastic, committed teachers - send us your CV now via our School Talent Pool and say what sort of role you're looking for.

Talent Pool

Join Our Talent Pool

History of Commonweal

Local folklore had it that the great Reuben George himself chose the name ‘Commonweal’ for the ‘common good’ that was always close to his heart. Certainly the school which opened in 1927 was referred to as the ‘people’s school’, the name justified by ‘mixing children from the town and the country around it’ and to create ‘large-minded, broad-minded citizens of good judgement’.

Most of the 280 pupils who were the very first Commonwealeans had been transferred from the College and Euclid Street secondary schools. As their transfer had long been planned, students came in at every level and the school was ‘ready-made’ with every year represented. Mr ‘Tam’ Hartley became the first Headteacher and a number of staff also came from the existing secondary schools. The building was designed for 410 pupils in total but it was not long before the numbers began to rise.

September 1939 saw a sudden expansion in numbers, as about half of East Ham Grammar School, plus some thirty ‘detached’ evacuees arrived, bringing the school population up to 530. The hall became a second gym and every available space was converted into classrooms.

In the mid-sixties, government policy decreed that the 11+ exam should disappear and Swindon should adopt the comprehensive system where the first 14+ intake arrived in September 1965. 1983 saw another major reshuffle as most Swindon schools adopted an 11-16 system, the sixth form being phased out over the next two years (as New College became established).

In September 2011, The Commonweal School became an Academy while still retaining the Performing Arts specialism. This gave increased flexibility to ensure we can cater for the ever-changing world of Education.

The most recent visible change has come in the form of a brand new Sixth Form building, which opened its doors to Year 12 students in September 2014, thus heralding the start of another unique chapter in the school’s history. As a School with a long tradition we believe strongly in encouraging all students to make the most of their time with us, both academically and socially. This is achieved through a combination of a caring staff, modern teaching & learning methodologies such as TEEP and PIXL, modern resources, a relevant curriculum and an ethos of reflection and improvement..