Watling Academy
similar schools
Watling Academy is a free school in Milton Keynes for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,767 pupils and room for 2,250. About 24 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 74 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2023.
Barrosa Way, Milton Keynes, MK8 1EP01908 794094watlingacademy.netMrs Emma Anderson headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 16 May 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Outstanding overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
181 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 | Milton Keynes | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 181 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 50.4 | – | – | 44.8 | 46.8 |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 55% | – | – | 45% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 78% | – | – | 64% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.74 | – | – | 4.01 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 72% | – | – | 43% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 43.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 52.5 | – | – | – | – |
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: Spanish (32% here, 54% across England), History (36% here, 52% across England), Art and Design (43% here, 58% across England), Food Preparation & Nutrition (36% here, 52% 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 | 181 | 31% | 63% | 85% | 53% | 762 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 181 | 14% | 52% | 72% | 54% | 1,622 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 179 | 18% | 60% | 82% | 58% | 1,235 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 127 | 14% | 50% | 65% | 36% | 549 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 123 | 23% | 54% | 70% | 51% | 1,160 of 3,116 |
| Spanish | 113 | 10% | 32% | 45% | 54% | 1,662 of 1,941 |
| History | 58 | 19% | 36% | 52% | 52% | 2,462 of 3,126 |
| Computer Science | 55 | 24% | 62% | 73% | 56% | 709 of 1,861 |
| Biology | 52 | 39% | 71% | 85% | 82% | 1,957 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 51 | 45% | 82% | 92% | 82% | 1,509 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 51 | 51% | 78% | 88% | 81% | 1,624 of 2,537 |
| Social Studies | 45 | 24% | 67% | 71% | 54% | 268 of 1,043 |
| Art and Design | 42 | 14% | 43% | 86% | 58% | 2,131 of 2,818 |
| Other Modern Languages | 36 | 14% | 25% | 31% | 49% | 427 of 454 |
| Religious Studies | 24 | 46% | 71% | 88% | 60% | 604 of 1,825 |
| Physical Education | 23 | 9% | 44% | 70% | 56% | 1,098 of 1,559 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 22 | 14% | 36% | 46% | 52% | 824 of 1,098 |
| Design & Technology | 21 | 19% | 38% | 57% | 50% | 964 of 1,478 |
| Drama | 13 | 15% | 54% | 62% | 60% | – |
| Music | 13 | 8% | 23% | 39% | 61% | – |
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.
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.
299 places were empty (17% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 213% since 2021/22.
The last child to get a place lived 1.7 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. 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 1.7 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 1.7 miles | LA |
What a home within 1.7 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
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: Autistic spectrum disorder (61), emotional and mental health (40), Specific learning difficulty (39), Moderate learning difficulty (36), language and communications needs (26), Other difficulty or disability (9).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,767 | 1,500 | 1,203 | 841 | 480 | 180 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 23% | 23% | 22% | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 27% | 25% | 24% | 22% | 16% | 16% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 10% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 7% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.1% 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 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 7.9% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.1% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 6.4% | 2.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 22.3% | 20.2% | 21.2% | 17.7% | 7.0% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 15.4 | 26.1 | 13.8 | 10.8 | 6.1 | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hazeley Academy | Academy | 1.1 miles | 1,594 | Good 2024 | 54 | Compare |
| Oakhill Secure Training Centre | Secure units | 1.3 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Denbigh School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 1,778 | Not inspected | 84 | Compare |
| The Radcliffe School | Foundation | 1.8 miles | 1,192 | No overall grade 2025 | 15 | Compare |
| Shenley Brook End School | Academy | 2.3 miles | 1,845 | Good 2024 | 35 | Compare |
| Elizabeth Woodville School | Academy | 2.7 miles | 1,124 | No overall grade 2025 | 49 | Compare |
| Stantonbury School | Academy | 2.9 miles | 1,409 | Report card 2026 | 2 | Compare |
| St Paul's Catholic School | Roman Catholic | 3.0 miles | 1,890 | Not inspected | 50 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Watling Academy with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 74 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 74% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 66 to 80. 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% | above | +0.09 | 2025 results; 181 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | well above | +0.34 | Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.13 | Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 181 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.25 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.03 | 2024/25; 1,545 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.07 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 181 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| 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 Watling Academy a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Watling Academy scores 74 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 66 to 80, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Watling Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Watling Academy outstanding at its last full inspection on 16 May 2023.
How good are Watling Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 55% 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 50.4, against 46.8 for England.
How many pupils does Watling Academy have?
1,767 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 2,250 places, so it is 79% full.
Is Watling Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.7 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 Watling Academy?
Pupils were in school 92.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Watling Academy?
The average class had 26.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 23% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Watling Academy have a sixth form?
Yes.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Barrosa Way, Milton Keynes, MK8 1EP
- Telephone
- 01908 794094
- Website
- watlingacademy.net
- Headteacher
- Mrs Emma Anderson
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- The Alliance Schools Trust (7 schools)
- Local authority
- Milton Keynes
- Ward
- Stony Stratford
- Constituency
- Milton Keynes North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2020 (new provision)
- URN
- 147860 · LAESTAB 8264007 · UKPRN 10086450
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.
- Admissions outcomes: Milton Keynes council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- 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.