Ridgeway Academy
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Ridgeway Academy is a sponsored academy in Welwyn Garden City for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 875 pupils and room for 1,220. About 34 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 26 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 50% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Herns Lane, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 2AF01707 351350ridgeway.herts.sch.ukMrs Sarah Mitcherson headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 3 June 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
153 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018† | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 153 | 168 | 145 | 140 | 82 | 97 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 35.7 | 37.9 | 38.9 | 32.0 | 40.2 | 36.0 | 50.9 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.47 | -0.36 | -1.02 | -0.23 | -0.73 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 25% | 27% | 29% | 12% | 31% | 24% | 53% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 48% | 51% | 57% | 40% | 60% | 45% | 72% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.93 | 3.10 | 3.09 | 2.44 | 3.33 | 3.17 | 4.58 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 16% | 8% | 6% | 4% | 5% | 23% | 47% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 28.9 | 29.5 | 30.3 | 25.8 | 38.5 | 28.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 39.3 | 42.3 | 42.0 | 35.1 | 41.2 | 39.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 24.5 | 25.6 | 20.2 | 25.0 | 24.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 56.7 | 53.4 | 68.3 | 52.2 | 54.4 | – | – |
† These results are for Sir Frederic Osborn School, the school this one replaced in September 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 20 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Computer Science (13% here, 56% across England), French (27% here, 60% across England), History (24% here, 52% across England), Business (27% here, 51% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 153 | 5% | 33% | 58% | 53% | 2,835 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 152 | 9% | 32% | 55% | 54% | 2,990 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 140 | 8% | 40% | 59% | 58% | 2,707 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 131 | 2% | 19% | 43% | 36% | 2,667 of 3,084 |
| Art and Design | 74 | 16% | 50% | 68% | 58% | 1,836 of 2,818 |
| History | 63 | 8% | 24% | 43% | 52% | 2,971 of 3,126 |
| Business | 41 | 5% | 27% | 39% | 51% | 1,563 of 1,806 |
| Media / Film / TV | 28 | 18% | 50% | 64% | 55% | 344 of 580 |
| Geography | 27 | 11% | 33% | 63% | 51% | 2,478 of 3,116 |
| Drama | 19 | 11% | 42% | 53% | 60% | – |
| Biology | 19 | 16% | 74% | 79% | 82% | – |
| Chemistry | 16 | 19% | 94% | 100% | 81% | – |
| Physics | 16 | 13% | 94% | 100% | 82% | – |
| French | 15 | 7% | 27% | 40% | 60% | – |
| Computer Science | 15 | 7% | 13% | 20% | 56% | – |
| Social Studies | 13 | 0% | 23% | 54% | 54% | – |
| Spanish | 11 | 9% | 27% | 46% | 54% | – |
| Religious Studies | 10 | 40% | 70% | 80% | 60% | – |
| Music | 6 | 17% | 67% | 83% | 61% | – |
| Dance | 6 | 17% | 17% | 50% | 58% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
48 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 48 | 33 | 29 | 52 | 43 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 27.67 | 29.51 | 27.76 | 30.00 | 30.47 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C | C- | C | C |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 28.25 | 35.24 | 27.50 | 34.92 | 32.31 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 0% | 14% | 8% | 10% | 8% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.38 | -0.14 | – | – | -0.25 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 21.76 | 25.25 | 26.18 | 34.88 | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 87% | 82% | 100% | 98% | 100% |
A level subjects
6 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
248 places were empty (21% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
The last child to get a place lived 7.1 miles away in 2026, 7.8 miles away in 2025, 18.7 miles away in 2024. Those cut-offs are for children living outside the catchment area; every child inside it got a place. Brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups are placed first. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 7.1 miles from the school, under the catchment area rule. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 180 | 289 | 180 | 7.1 miles (catchment area) | LA |
| 2025 Secondary | 180 | 259 | 180 | 7.8 miles (distance, outside the catchment area) | LA |
| 2024 Secondary | 180 | 318 | 180 | 18.7 miles (distance, outside the catchment area) | LA |
| 2023 Secondary | 180 | 414 | 210 | 4.5 miles (catchment area) | LA |
| 2022 Secondary | 180 | 409 | 180 | 1.5 miles (catchment area) | LA |
The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (59), Specific learning difficulty (33), Autistic spectrum disorder (31), language and communications needs (29), Moderate learning difficulty (23), Other difficulty or disability (20).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 875 | 929 | 947 | 904 | 897 | 844 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 33% | 31% | 30% | 26% | 25% | 25% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 9% | 9% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 7% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 23% | 23% | 21% | 24% | 23% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 5% | 4% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 88.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 11.5% | 13.7% | 13.6% | 14.4% | 8.4% | 6.5% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.3% | 5.7% | 6.4% | 8.0% | 5.3% | 3.4% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 5.3% | 8.0% | 7.2% | 6.4% | 3.1% | 3.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 30.1% | 34.1% | 38.9% | 46.0% | 22.7% | 18.4% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 31.1 | 31.3 | 25.4 | 28.5 | 12.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 145 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 92%, compared with 96% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 95% | 86% | 89% | 89% |
| Education | 87% | 79% | 80% | 83% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Work | 6% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
| Not in education, work or training | 4% | 7% | 6% | 9% |
After sixth form
Where the 29 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 89%, compared with 90% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 90% | 90% | 94% | – |
| Education | 38% | 58% | 42% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 2% | 3% | 5% |
| Work | 48% | 30% | 49% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 10% | 3% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monk's Walk School | Academy | 1.8 miles | 1,440 | Good 2023 | 69 | Compare |
| Stanborough School | Academy | 1.9 miles | 1,287 | Good 2023 | 72 | Compare |
| The Sele School | Academy | 3.3 miles | 382 | No overall grade 2025 | 14 | Compare |
| Onslow St Audrey's School | Academy | 3.4 miles | 787 | Good 2023 | 17 | Compare |
| Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School | Academy | 3.6 miles | 942 | Outstanding 2022 | 80 | Compare |
| Richard Hale School | Academy | 4.4 miles | 1,207 | Good 2024 | 81 | Compare |
| Simon Balle All-Through School | Academy | 4.8 miles | 1,617 | Outstanding 2024 | 92 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Ridgeway Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Ridgeway Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haileybury Turnford | Academy | 9.1 miles | 1,021 | Report card 2026 | 50 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 26 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 26% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 19 to 35. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.20 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 153 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 1.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.18 | DfE progress measure; 153 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.12 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.09 | 2024/25; 865 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.10 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 153 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.02 | 145 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Ridgeway Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. Ridgeway Academy scores 26 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 50% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 19 to 35, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Ridgeway Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Ridgeway Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 3 June 2025.
How good are Ridgeway Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 25% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 35.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Ridgeway Academy have?
875 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,220 places, so it is 72% full.
Is Ridgeway Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 7.1 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Ridgeway Academy?
Pupils were in school 88.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 30% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Ridgeway Academy?
The average class had 17.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 9% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Ridgeway Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C-. 6 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Herns Lane, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 2AF
- Telephone
- 01707 351350
- Website
- ridgeway.herts.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Mitcherson
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Ambition Education Trust (11 schools)
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Ward
- Haldens
- Constituency
- Welwyn Hatfield
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2018 (new provision)
- URN
- 146305 · LAESTAB 9194031 · UKPRN 10068455
- Formerly
- Sir Frederic Osborn School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Hertfordshire council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.