Walthamstow Academy, London
Walthamstow Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in London, part of United Learning Trust. It has a Christian religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 105th-highest of the 266 schools in London with published results, and 650th of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 104% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Waltham Forest (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Walthamstow Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Walthamstow Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.7 in Waltham Forest and 47 across England.
63% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Waltham Forest and 47% in England.
That is up from 49.2 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.49: pupils made 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 47.4, against 57.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 20 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at Walthamstow Academy
For September 2026 entry, 221 families put Walthamstow Academy as their first choice and 712 named it as one of their preferences, for 171 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 72 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Walthamstow Academy are South Chingford Foundation School (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.8); Eden Girls' School, Waltham Forest (0.9 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 64.2); Frederick Bremer School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 49.7); and Holy Family Catholic School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 48.1).
Walthamstow Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
South Chingford Foundation SchoolEden Girls' School, Waltham ForestFrederick Bremer SchoolHoly Family Catholic School
The trust
Walthamstow Academy is one of 98 schools run by United Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 168 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 19% to a further education college and 1% into work.
Of the 93 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 67% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 9% into work. 16% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
42% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 48.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (26%), Black (22%) and Mixed (13%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackhorse Road Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Walthamstow Academy, 100 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Walthamstow Academy issued 311 suspensions, 29 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Walthamstow Academy are Walthamstow Primary Academy (under 0.1 miles), Roger Ascham Primary School (0.1 miles), The Winns Primary School (0.4 miles) and Chapel End Junior Academy (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Walthamstow Primary AcademyRoger Ascham Primary SchoolThe Winns Primary SchoolChapel End Junior Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
About
Walthamstow Academy is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in Walthamstow, London. Since September 2019, the school has been sponsored by United Learning.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
42.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.49 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 51.3 to 52.9 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 53% to 63% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 52.9 | 63.4% |
| Disadvantaged(76) | - | 47.4 | 53.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(99) | - | 57.2 | 70.7% |
| Boys(116) | - | 53.7 | 66.4% |
| Girls(59) | - | 51.4 | 57.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(80) | - | 52.0 | 62.5% |
| Non mobile(168) | - | 53.6 | 64.3% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 168 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
7
Permanent exclusions
0.65%
Exclusion rate
311
Suspensions
29.04%
Suspension rate
137 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,071 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Walthamstow Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Walthamstow Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Walthamstow Academy is in Waltham Forest; for families living there:
Apply to Waltham Forest for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 63
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 63 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 55 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
15 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Walthamstow Academy
Will you get a place at Walthamstow Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Walthamstow Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Walthamstow Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Walthamstow Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Waltham Forest, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Walthamstow Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Waltham Forest got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
104%
Over capacity
1,075 pupils
1,034 places
41 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Waltham Forest council
Places available
3,090
Applications
2,724
Got 1st preference
79.5%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Waltham Forest council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
143
SEN Support
42
EHC Plans
16.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,092
Total Pupils
597
Boys
495
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
74
Teachers
14.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,359
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,029
Per pupil
£7648k
Total funding
£412k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
20.6%
Persistent absence
904
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Walthamstow Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Walthamstow Academy
What are GCSE results like at Walthamstow Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Walthamstow Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 52.9. 63% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Walthamstow Academy's Ofsted rating?
Walthamstow Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Walthamstow Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Walthamstow Academy is oversubscribed, Waltham Forest allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Walthamstow Academy?
Walthamstow Academy was full in 2025, at 104% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Walthamstow Academy?
Classes at Walthamstow Academy average 20.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Walthamstow Academy?
Walthamstow Academy has around 1092 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Walthamstow Academy?
7.2% of sessions were missed at Walthamstow Academy in 2024/25. 20.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Walthamstow Academy?
Apply through Waltham Forest's coordinated admissions process, naming Walthamstow Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Walthamstow Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 63 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 55 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 15 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Walthamstow Academy?
Walthamstow Academy is at Billet Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 5DP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)