Woodlands School
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Woodlands School is a sponsored academy in Basildon for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,513 pupils, 13 more than it has places for. About 30 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 30 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 18% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Woodlands Approach, Woodlands School, Basildon, SS16 5BA01268 282146harriskingswood.org.ukMr David Wright headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 11 October 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
292 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 | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 292 | 299 | 296 | 295 | 277 | 268 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 42.1 | 43.6 | 41.0 | 46.2 | 42.8 | 42.5 | 46.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.26 | -0.48 | -0.11 | -0.13 | -0.04 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 33% | 42% | 38% | 44% | 32% | 36% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 55% | 60% | 58% | 70% | 59% | 61% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.85 | 3.98 | 3.71 | 4.11 | 3.51 | 3.48 | 4.06 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 72% | 62% | 58% | 71% | 73% | 61% | 39% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 35.4 | 35.7 | 34.0 | 42.2 | 36.8 | 40.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 46.0 | 48.0 | 45.4 | 47.9 | 46.3 | 43.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 27.5 | 22.9 | 34.1 | 25.3 | 24.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 60.1 | 57.3 | 62.8 | 57.0 | 56.3 | – | – |
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: Drama (33% here, 60% across England), French (37% here, 60% across England), Art and Design (39% here, 58% across England), German (44% here, 63% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 290 | 11% | 41% | 60% | 54% | 2,487 of 3,210 |
| Mathematics | 289 | 13% | 38% | 62% | 53% | 2,544 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 287 | 13% | 45% | 60% | 58% | 2,374 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 228 | 1% | 22% | 46% | 36% | 2,453 of 3,084 |
| History | 148 | 26% | 47% | 53% | 52% | 1,776 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 102 | 14% | 33% | 46% | 51% | 2,472 of 3,116 |
| French | 82 | 16% | 37% | 50% | 60% | 1,698 of 1,974 |
| Spanish | 81 | 14% | 37% | 49% | 54% | 1,552 of 1,941 |
| German | 70 | 14% | 44% | 71% | 63% | 462 of 571 |
| Biology | 62 | 15% | 68% | 79% | 82% | 2,061 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 61 | 28% | 71% | 82% | 81% | 1,936 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 61 | 31% | 75% | 84% | 82% | 1,776 of 2,546 |
| Social Studies | 58 | 26% | 55% | 74% | 54% | 482 of 1,043 |
| Business | 52 | 15% | 54% | 75% | 51% | 716 of 1,806 |
| Art and Design | 52 | 8% | 39% | 67% | 58% | 2,273 of 2,818 |
| Physical Education | 43 | 23% | 74% | 77% | 56% | 361 of 1,559 |
| Drama | 24 | 4% | 33% | 38% | 60% | 750 of 844 |
| Computer Science | 13 | 31% | 69% | 92% | 56% | – |
| Religious Studies | 12 | 33% | 50% | 75% | 60% | – |
| Film Studies | 11 | 0% | 46% | 64% | 52% | – |
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.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion 5.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 300 | 1,113 | – | LA |
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 (65), emotional and mental health (58), language and communications needs (34), Moderate learning difficulty (30), Physical disability (8), Specific learning difficulty (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,513 | 1,492 | 1,494 | 1,497 | 1,523 | 1,556 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 30% | 30% | 30% | 30% | 28% | 26% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 20% | 15% | 10% | 8% | 6% | 5% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 10% | 9% | 6% | 10% | 10% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 3% |
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 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 7.9% | 8.3% | 9.2% | 9.7% | 6.0% | 7.4% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.9% | 4.1% | 2.3% | 2.9% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 5.4% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 4.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 22.6% | 23.5% | 30.2% | 32.8% | 18.1% | 22.0% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 22.1 | 26.0 | 7.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 296 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 76%, compared with 88% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 84% | 93% | 88% | 93% |
| Education | 73% | 83% | 78% | 87% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 5% | 5% | 1% |
| Work | 5% | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| Not in education, work or training | 10% | 5% | 11% | 7% |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De La Salle School | Roman Catholic | 1.1 miles | 761 | Good 2024 | 40 | Compare |
| The James Hornsby School | Academy | 1.3 miles | 1,040 | Report card 2026 | 27 | Compare |
| The Basildon Lower Academy | Academy | 1.5 miles | 892 | Report card 2026 | 0 | Compare |
| The Basildon Upper Academy | Academy | 2.1 miles | 847 | Good 2023 | 1 | Compare |
| Mossbourne Fobbing Academy | Academy | 2.2 miles | 859 | Report card 2026 | – | Compare |
| Mossbourne Port Side Academy | Academy | 3.4 miles | 443 | Requires improvement 2023 | 3 | Compare |
| The Bromfords School | Academy | 3.6 miles | 1,181 | No overall grade 2024 | 20 | Compare |
| The Billericay School | Academy | 4.0 miles | 1,729 | Good 2024 | 57 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Woodlands School 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 Woodlands School, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Clere's School | Academy | 4.1 miles | 1,460 | No overall grade 2025 | 36 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 30 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 30% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 22 to 39. 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 | -0.09 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 292 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.10 | DfE progress measure; 292 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | -0.01 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.01 | 2024/25; 1,559 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.11 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 292 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.06 | 296 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 Woodlands School a good school?
The figures are weak. Woodlands School scores 30 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 18% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 22 to 39, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Woodlands School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Woodlands School good at its last full inspection on 11 October 2023.
How good are Woodlands School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 33% 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 42.1, 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 Woodlands School have?
1,513 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,500 places, so it is 101% full.
Is Woodlands School oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Woodlands School?
Pupils were in school 92.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Woodlands School?
The average class had 21.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 4% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Woodlands School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 84% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Woodlands Approach, Woodlands School, Basildon, SS16 5BA
- Telephone
- 01268 282146
- Website
- www.harriskingswood.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr David Wright
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Harris Federation (59 schools)
- Local authority
- Essex
- Ward
- Nethermayne
- Constituency
- South Basildon and East Thurrock
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2015 (new provision)
- URN
- 141214 · LAESTAB 8814014 · UKPRN 10047026
- Formerly
- Woodlands 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.
- Admissions outcomes: Essex council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 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.