The Wellington Academy

The Wellington Academy is performing well, with overall effectiveness rated as good. Leaders demonstrate high expectations for both pupils and staff, fostering a positive learning environment where strong relationships between pupils and staff are evident, especially in the sixth form. The school offers various extra-curricular activities, enriching pupils' experiences and engagement. Although the school has been maintaining a good standard since its previous inspection, there are noted areas for improvement in the curriculum structure and personal, social, and economic education planning.

Strengths

• High expectations set by leaders for pupils and staff
• Strong working relationships between pupils and staff
• Effective management of pupil behaviour and minimal disruption
• Focused support for disadvantaged pupils with good tracking of their progress
• Rich English curriculum that prioritizes reading and diverse texts
• Effective safeguarding procedures in place

Areas for Improvement

• Insufficient focus on key concepts in the curriculum
• Not all aspects of the personal, social, and economic curriculum are well-planned
• Inconsistent understanding of how to teach complex aspects of the curriculum
• Some pupils enter with reading challenges that affect their learning
• Inadequate careers education for Years 8 and 9

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 Wellington Academy attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.3% 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, 10.6% of pupils at The Wellington Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Wellington Academy had 15.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.9% 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, 11.6% of pupils at The Wellington Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 5 pupils.

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 Wellington Academy received £8,515 and spent £8,376 for each of its 1,155 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £427,000 (£370 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Ascend Learning Trust, income was £8,018 and spending £8,086 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 Wiltshire · Wiltshire local authority: places and applications

The Wellington Academy is part of Ascend Learning Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Wellington Eagles Primary Academy Andover
• Wellington Lions Primary Academy Tidworth
• Kingsbury Green Academy Calne
• Lawn Manor Academy Swindon
• Noremarsh Junior School Swindon
• Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Swindon

What is The Wellington Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Wellington Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was The Wellington Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Wellington Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does The Wellington Academy have?

The Wellington Academy has 1,121 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Wellington Academy cover?

The Wellington Academy for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are The Wellington Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.4, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Wellington Academy?

The Wellington Academy is at Tidworth Road, Ludgershall, Wiltshire, SP11 9RR.