Westfield Academy, Watford

In its own words: "Westfield Academy welcomes every student, setting no barriers to entry and making no presumptions about academic and social background. All Westfield asks of each student is good citizenship, a commitment to learning and a focus on self-improvement. Westfield Academy believes every student joining the Academy has the ability to be successful in secondary education."

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Westfield Academy. We are an over-subscribed, high-performing, non-selective Academy. We have been a consistently "Good" OFSTED school since 2012, with our most recent inspection being November 2024. During my time as Headteacher, our students have consistently made some of the best progress in the local area."

In 2026, pupils at Westfield Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.6 in Hertfordshire and 47 across England.

47% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 53% in Hertfordshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 41.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.03: pupils made about 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 36.5, against 48.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Sports Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 118 families put Westfield Academy as their first choice and 456 named it as one of their preferences, for 231 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 Westfield Academy are Watford Grammar School for Boys (0.5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 66.3); Croxley Danes School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.6); Watford Grammar School for Girls (0.9 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 65.5); and Rickmansworth School (1.7 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 63.7).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Westfield Academy.

117 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Westfield Academy (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 72% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (88%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (71%).

Of the 209 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 56% to a further education college and 1% into work.

Of the 105 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 60% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 19% into work. 4% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

40.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (35%), White British (25%) and Black (12%).

In 2026, 130 pupils (9.8%) received SEN support and 38 (2.9%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest Underground station is Watford Underground Station, about 1140 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Westfield Community College (opposite), 130 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Westfield Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 359 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Westfield Academy issued 111 suspensions, 8.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Westfield Academy are St Anthony's Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles), Willow Tree Primary School (0.2 miles), Ascot Road Primary School (0.3 miles) and Laurance Haines School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.