Our School
School History
In 1880, Even Swindon School opened to educate children of the local community. As the community grew, Jennings Street Mixed School was opened in 1904. It was joined with Westcott Secondary Modern School in 1964 to form Westbourne Secondary Modern School.
Mr Henry Day was the first Headmaster of Even Swindon School from 1880 to 1919, serving for 39 years. His legacy remains today in our current school, with the annual celebration of awarding 'The Henry Day Award' to children who represent the qualities that Mr Day was associated with; namely helping and supporting others, overcoming adversity to succeed, and demonstrating exceptional commitment and support to the school community as a whole.
As the school population in Rodbourne continued to grow over the years, the need for further school expansion and more modern facilities and buildings became apparent. In the mid 1990's, land was purchased at the junction of Bruce Street and Morrison Street. Our current school was built and officially opened in 1998 for the Juniors, with an expansion in 2007 for the Infants. With this new expansion and joining of the Infants and Juniors, the school was renamed Even Swindon Primary School. A further expansion took place in 2014 where our current Year 5 and 6's are now based.
Westbourne Secondary Modern School was demolished in 1987 and Even Swindon Community Centre was opened on that site in 1990.
The previous Even Swindon School was left derelict for a few years before a fire caused further demise in 2013, resulting in it's demolition. The supermarket ALDI was built and opened on the existing site in October 2018.
Stone plaque that was salvaged from the demolition and is currently on display in our current school Reception area.
In 2024, Even Swindon Primary School joined the The Blue Kite Academy Trust. Currently, twenty-five schools from Swindon and Wiltshire are part of this Multi Academy Trust.
Our connection to the Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) manufacturing works were established in Swindon in the early 1840's and by 1898, 12,198 people were employed by GWR, becoming one of Europe's largest engineering works of it's kind at that time. The GWR built accommodation for it's workers in the parish of Even Swindon. The homes of the GWR workers and their families were protected on two sides by the red brick walls of the GWR works.
As the number of families in Even Swindon increased, the education facilities at the Great Western Railway Company's School became inadequate and a new school was proposed by the Rodbourne School Board. This was the birth of education in Even Swindon.
Even Swindon Primary School has remained true to it's original railway beginnings, honoring our heritage and the many families of Railway workers whose children have been educated over the years in our school community. Our classes are named after cities and towns on the GWR line - starting in Penzance, St Ives and St Erth classes for our nursery children - through to Didcot, Reading and Paddington classes for our Year 6's.
Our halls are named after the great British Railway Engineers of that time - George Churchward, Frederick Hawksworth and of course Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Our school has train memorabilia, collage's and souvenirs adorned throughout it's buildings....
