Dormers Wells High School, Southall

Ofsted's report card from its 3 February 2026 inspection grades Dormers Wells High School on 7 areas: 1 exceptional, 5 strong standard and 1 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Exceptional. "Leaders place inclusion at the heart of their work."

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils achieve highly across the curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have very high expectations of pupils' behaviour and attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have established a broad, ambitious and imaginative curriculum that is designed carefully to meet the needs of all pupils and prepare them well for their adult lives."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders, trustees and governors share a common, ambitious vision for the school and its future."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Personal development and wellbeing are a high priority at this school."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "The school operates a highly inclusive post-16 provision that offers a broad range of A-level subjects, alongside level 3 applied courses."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should ensure that the impact of the taught curriculum is of a consistently high level across all subjects within the post-16 provision. • Leaders should sustain and build on the high standards in all curriculum subjects to make sure that pupils' knowledge gaps are eliminated so that they can achieve their full potential".

In 2026, pupils at Dormers Wells High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 53.2 in Ealing and 47 across England.

55% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 58% in Ealing and 47% in England.

That is up from 49.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.63: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 47.8, against 52.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Social Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 174 families put Dormers Wells High School as their first choice and 553 named it as one of their preferences, for 228 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Dormers Wells High School are Villiers High School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 50.8); The Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 58.1); Greenford High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.6); and Brentside High School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.3).

Dormers Wells High School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Dormers Wells High School is one of 2 schools run by Dormers Wells Learning Trust, an academy trust.

15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Dormers Wells High School (as of April 2026): 67% would recommend the school, 53% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (73%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).

Of the 234 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 27% to a further education college and 0% into work.

Of the 140 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 81% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 3% into work. 15% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

35.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 83.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (68%), other ethnic groups (13%) and Black (11%).

In 2026, 86 pupils (5.9%) received SEN support and 29 (2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Southall Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dormers Avenue, 130 metres away.

In 2024/25, Dormers Wells High School issued 67 suspensions, 4.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Dormers Wells High School are Allenby Primary School (0.1 miles), Dormers Wells Primary School (0.3 miles), North Primary School (0.5 miles) and Lady Margaret Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.