Swanlea School was one of the first schools in the country to be awarded Business and Enterprise specialist status by the DCFS in 2002, and after inspection by OFSTED (April 2024) Swanlea was judged to be outstanding in all areas for the third consecutive time.

[citation needed] Swanlea School has had two Headteachers, Linda Austin and Brenda Landers.

Brenda Landers became the Executive Headteacher in 2023, and Kabir Miah was appointed to the Head of School role in 2024.

Swanlea School was designed by Percy Thomas Partnership with Hampshire County Architects.

[1] The school was built around a central covered 'street' with a dramatic curved glass roof and was passively heated and ventilated.