Waterside Academy, Welwyn Garden City
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Waterside Academy creates a caring environment where children feel secure and supported. The school has strong teaching of reading and phonics from the early years, and staff work closely with families to support attendance and learning at home. Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum with plenty of enrichment activities and opportunities to develop leadership skills.
Key Strengths
- Strong attendance and behaviour with pupils showing mutual respect and understanding of school rules
- Effective phonics teaching with Year 1 screening results above national average
- Warm relationships between staff and pupils rooted in trust and care
- Well-trained staff who identify pupil needs accurately and deliver targeted support
- Clear personal development programme with good access to enrichment activities
Areas for Improvement
- Some inconsistencies in how gaps in pupil learning are addressed across the school
- Gaps in learning due to ambitious new curriculum not yet fully embedded
- Leaders' checks on progress for pupils receiving targeted support need to be more rigorous
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, sporting activities, musical experiences, skateboarding, educational visits to museums and places of worship, drama workshops, leadership roles including pride ambassadors, school councillors, house captains and playleaders
Waterside Academy is a welcoming school where pupils feel safe and supported. The school has recently made improvements to its curriculum and phonics teaching, with pupils making generally good progress from their starting points.
At a Glance
43.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 70% to 75%. Maths has declined from 74% to 64%. Writing has declined from 78% to 71%.
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
23.3
Infant (KS1)
25.7
KS2
6
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Latest from Waterside Academy
From Waterside Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
79%
Available places
166 pupils
210 capacity
44 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Welwyn Garden City
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Welwyn Garden City
Admissions Demand - Hertfordshire
Places available
14,951
Applications
12,834
Got 1st preference
88.0%
Got preferred school
98.2%
Primary admissions across Hertfordshire (2025/26)
Inspection History(14)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.71121%
Overall absence
17.68293%
Persistent absence
164
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
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Waterside Academy
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