Ridgeway Academy vs Waterside Academy
Side-by-side comparison of key school data
Ridgeway Academy
Welwyn Garden City
Waterside Academy
Welwyn Garden City
Overview
Phase
Secondary
Primary
Type
Academy sponsor led
Academy converter
Age Range
11–18
3–11
Gender
Mixed
Mixed
Religious Character
Does not apply
Does not apply
Admissions
Non-selective
-
Local Authority
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Pupils & Capacity
Pupils
875
166
Capacity
1220
210
Occupancy
72%
79%
FSM %
33.5%
43.9%
Nursery
Sixth Form
Boarding
Ofsted
Overall Rating
-
-
Quality of Education
Good
Requires Improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Good
Personal Development
Good
Requires Improvement
Leadership & Management
Good
Requires Improvement
Last Inspected
Jun 2025
Feb 2026
Performance (2026)
Progress 8
-
-
Attainment 8
37.4
-
GCSE Eng+Maths 5+
27.3%
-
KS2 Reading
-
75%
KS2 Maths
-
64%
KS2 Writing
-
71%
A-Level Performance (2024/25)
Average Grade
C-
-
Points Per Entry
27.7
-
Best 3 A-Levels
C-
-
AAB+ %
0%
-
Value Added
Below average
-
A-Level Students
34
-
Retention
90%
-
University Destinations (2022/23 cohort)
Top-third university
8%
-
Degree course
46%
-
Any L4+ destination
46%
-
Apprenticeships
0%
-
Cohort size
26
-
A-Level Subjects
Subjects offered
15
0
Top subjects
History (32)
Business Studies (18)
Sociology (14)
English Literature (14)
Media / Film / TV Studies (14)
English Literature (12)
Photography (12)
Physics (5)