The Sir Robert Woodard Academy

The Sir Robert Woodard Academy demonstrates a strong standard of education, with notable strengths in safeguarding, behavior management, and inclusivity for disadvantaged and SEND pupils. Leaders are committed to creating an ambitious and supportive environment, which has resulted in positive attendance and harmonious pupil interactions. The school has effective systems in place to monitor and enhance the learning experiences of all students, ensuring that barriers to achievement are addressed promptly. However, while overall achievement meets national expectations, areas such as writing fluency and staff adaptation of teaching to meet individual needs require continued improvement.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and governance with a clear ambition for all pupils.
• High levels of pupil attendance and well-managed behavior.
• Effective support systems for disadvantaged and SEND pupils.
• A nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued.
• Strong focus on personal development and extracurricular opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Writing fluency and accuracy need further development.
• Inconsistent adaptation of teaching to meet all pupils' needs.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Sir Robert Woodard Academy attended 90.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.8% of pupils at The Sir Robert Woodard Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Sir Robert Woodard Academy had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.7% of pupils at The Sir Robert Woodard Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Sir Robert Woodard Academy received £7,902 and spent £7,618 for each of its 1,414 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,356,000 (£959 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Woodard Academies Trust, income was £7,873 and spending £7,857 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Adur · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

The Sir Robert Woodard Academy is part of Woodard Academies Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• The Littlehampton Academy Littlehampton
• St Augustine Academy Maidstone
• St Peter's CofE Academy Stoke-On-Trent
• Polam Hall School Darlington
• Kings Priory School North Shields

What is The Sir Robert Woodard Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Sir Robert Woodard Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was The Sir Robert Woodard Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Sir Robert Woodard Academy was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does The Sir Robert Woodard Academy have?

The Sir Robert Woodard Academy has 1,427 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Sir Robert Woodard Academy cover?

The Sir Robert Woodard Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Sir Robert Woodard Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.6, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Sir Robert Woodard Academy?

The Sir Robert Woodard Academy is at Upper Boundstone Lane, Sompting, West Sussex, BN15 9QZ.