Waterside Academy vs Ridgeway Academy
Side-by-side comparison of key school data
Waterside Academy
Welwyn Garden City
Ridgeway Academy
Welwyn Garden City
Overview
Phase
Primary
Secondary
Type
Academy converter
Academy sponsor led
Age Range
3–11
11–18
Gender
Mixed
Mixed
Religious Character
Does not apply
Does not apply
Admissions
-
Non-selective
Local Authority
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Pupils & Capacity
Pupils
166
875
Capacity
210
1220
Occupancy
79%
72%
FSM %
43.9%
33.5%
Nursery
Sixth Form
Boarding
Ofsted
Overall Rating
-
-
Quality of Education
Requires Improvement
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Good
Personal Development
Requires Improvement
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires Improvement
Good
Last Inspected
Feb 2026
Jun 2025
Performance (2025)
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
0
15
Top subjects
History (32)
Business Studies (18)
Sociology (14)
English Literature (14)
Media / Film / TV Studies (14)
English Literature (12)
Photography (12)
Physics (5)