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Watling Academy

Watling Academy logo
AcademySecondarySixth Form

Watling Academy

Ages1118
1,500 pupils
Outstanding· Jul 2023
Get notified about changes
Get notified about changes

Details

Type

Free School

Local Authority

Milton Keynes

Academy Trust

THE ALLIANCE SCHOOLS TRUST

Head Teacher

Mrs Emma Anderson

Gender

Mixed

Admissions

Non-selective

Religious Character

Does not apply

Opened

September 2020

Website

watlingacademy.net

Reference Number

147860

Additional Provisions

Sixth Form

About This Data

  • School information is sourced from Get Information About Schools (GIAS), the official UK government register maintained by the Department for Education.

Admissions

How many families applied and received places

Year 7 entry for 2024/25

On Time Applications

Oversubscribed
Count
Total applications1,188
As 1st preference444
As 2nd preference320
As 3rd preference241
From another local authority61

Offers on National Offer Day

Count
Total offers299
To 1st preference272
To 2nd preference12
To 3rd preference7
To any preference299
To another local authority1

About This Data

  • Data sourced from the DfE "Primary and secondary school applications and offers" statistics.
  • Total applications includes all preferences (1st through 6th), not just those shown in the breakdown above.
  • Applications and offers from/to another local authority may also appear in preference rows (e.g., a 1st preference from another local authority counts in both rows).
  • "Oversubscribed" means the school received more 1st preference applications than places offered.
  • This school is a free school, admissions are controlled by the school itself, we advise you contact the school or check their website for further information. This school's local authority is Milton Keynes.

Pupils

Summary

Total Pupils1,500 (67% of capacity)
Age Range11 – 18
GenderMixed
Boys / Girls51% / 49%
Free School Meals22.8%
English as Additional Language25.3%
SEN Support9.9%
SEN with EHCP2.7%
Overall Attendance92.9%
Persistent Absence20.2%

Class Sizes

Overall Average26.9
Key Stage 10.0
Key Stage 20.0

Total Pupils

Cohort Sizes

Year 7301
Year 8359
Year 9359
Year 10297
Year 11184

Pupil Ethnicities

White British41.7%
Indian9.5%
African9.3%
White Other9.2%
Pakistani7.6%
Asian Other4.7%
Mixed Other4.0%
White & Asian2.6%
White & Black Caribbean2.1%
Chinese1.9%
White & Black African1.6%
Black Other1.5%
Other1.5%
Caribbean1.1%
Bangladeshi0.5%
Unclassified0.5%
Irish0.3%
Gypsy/Roma0.3%
Traveller0.1%

About This Data

  • Data sourced from the National School Census for 2024/25, collected each January.
  • This is not live data. For current availability of places, contact the school or local authority directly.
  • Capacity refers to the maximum number of pupils a school can accommodate. Schools may operate above or below capacity, and spare places may only be available in certain year groups.
  • Persistent absence means a pupil missed 10% or more of their possible sessions during the academic year. Absence rates during 2020–2022 were significantly higher due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Inspections

Ofsted Inspections

1 inspection on record

Current Rating
Outstanding· Jul 2023
  • 2023

    School Inspection

    3 July 2023

    View report
    Outstanding

    Category Judgements

    CategoryJudgement
    Quality of educationOutstanding
    Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
    Personal developmentOutstanding
    Leadership and managementOutstanding

    AI-Generated Insights

    SEND
    2
    • Pupils with SEND learn and achieve very well.
    • Pupils with reading difficulties receive targeted support.
    Curriculum
    2
    • Curriculum is highly inclusive and well-sequenced.
    • Teachers make effective adaptations for SEND pupils.
    Leadership
    2
    • Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils.
    • Leaders and governors support and challenge effectively.
    Safeguarding
    2
    • Safeguarding arrangements are effective and well-organised.
    • There is a culture of vigilance and care for pupils.
    Pupil Progress
    2
    • Pupils achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum.
    • School has a strong culture of reading and support.
    Teaching Quality
    2
    • Teachers deliver the curriculum skilfully and adapt teaching.
    • Pupils benefit from routine feedback and practise.
    Personal Development
    2
    • Staff inspire pupils to be confident and resilient.
    • A well-considered careers programme supports future education.
    Behaviour & Attendance
    2
    • Pupils display excellent manners and respect.
    • Pupils enjoy coming to school with high attendance.

    Insights are generated by AI from the inspection report and may not be fully accurate.

About This Data

  • Inspection data is sourced from Ofsted, the official schools inspectorate for England.
  • Ratings may have changed since the last inspection. Always check the latest report for current information.
  • Some inspections (monitoring visits, academy conversions) do not result in a graded judgement.

Destinations

Where students go after finishing their studies

Destination data is not available for this school

Workforce

Staff numbers and pupil-to-teacher ratios

Pupils per Teacher or Teaching Assistant

Shows how many children each teacher looks after on average. The lower line includes teaching assistants, giving you a better picture of the adult support available in classrooms.

Total Pupils

The number of children enrolled at this school over time. These figures come from financial records and may differ slightly from other pupil numbers on this site due to when data was collected.

Total Number of Teachers

The total teaching capacity at this school, including classroom teachers and senior staff who also teach. Part-time teachers are counted based on their working hours.

Teaching Assistants

Support staff who work directly with children in classrooms. This includes regular TAs, higher-level TAs with more responsibilities, and specialist support for children with additional needs.

Teachers with Qualified Teacher Status (%)

The percentage of teachers who have completed official teacher training in England. A higher percentage typically indicates a more experienced and formally trained teaching team.

Senior Leadership

The school's leadership team, including the headteacher, deputy heads and assistant heads. These staff manage the school and often still spend time in classrooms.

Non-classroom Support Staff and Auxiliary Staff

Office and admin staff who keep the school running smoothly, plus auxiliary staff like catering teams and site maintenance who look after the building and meals.

Total Headcount and Workforce

Two ways of counting staff: headcount shows total people employed (including part-timers), while workforce counts the equivalent number of full-time positions.

About This Data

  • Data sourced from the DfE School Workforce Census. Numbers may not match exactly other data shown on this site due to different collection timings within the academic year.
  • FTE = Full-time equivalent, representing the total working hours divided by standard full-time hours. Headcount = total number of individuals employed.
  • Senior leadership includes headteachers, deputy headteachers and assistant headteachers.
  • Teachers with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) have completed accredited initial teacher training in England.

Finances

2024/25

Income per Pupil (£)

In 2024/25 the revenue reserve was £974,079 or £648 p/pupil. Schools maintain reserves for unexpected costs, but these funds are ultimately meant to benefit pupils.

Expenditure per Pupil (£)

In 2024/25 the in-year balance was £1,456,166 or £968 p/pupil. A positive balance means the school had money left over, which goes into reserves for future use.

About This Data

  • Financial data comes from the DfE School Financial Benchmarking service. Schools report their income and spending each year.
  • Revenue reserve is the money a school has saved up over time. Schools keep reserves to cover unexpected costs, though funds are meant to benefit current pupils.
  • In-year balance shows whether a school spent more or less than it received in a single year. A positive balance means the school had money left over; a negative balance means it dipped into savings.

Contact Information

Address

Barrosa Way
Milton Keynes
MK8 1EP

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