Watling Park School

Watling Park School continues to be recognized as a good school, demonstrating a commitment to creating a supportive and engaging environment for its pupils. With high expectations for all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school emphasizes academic achievement alongside character development. Pupils exhibit a positive attitude towards learning, valuing their contributions to the school community, and appear happy and safe in their educational setting. Additionally, leaders have made strides in refining the curriculum, ensuring it aligns with national standards and meets the needs of students effectively.

Strengths

• Welcoming school environment where pupils feel happy and safe.
• High expectations set by leaders for pupil achievement.
• Effective curriculum for early years preparing children for Year 1.
• Pupils demonstrate kindness, respect, and a desire to contribute positively.
• Strong emphasis on reading with structured support for pupils.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation lacks consistency in identifying essential knowledge in some subjects.
• Inconsistent checks on pupils' understanding and retention of prior learning.
• Some activities in lessons do not effectively support curriculum objectives.

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 Watling Park School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 1.7% of pupils at Watling Park School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Watling Park School had 22.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 47.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 12.2% of pupils at Watling Park School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Watling Park School received £8,513 and spent £8,217 for each of its 404 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £555,000 (£1,373 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Bellevue Place Education Trust, income was £7,796 and spending £7,790 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 Barnet · Barnet local authority: places and applications

Watling Park School is part of Bellevue Place Education Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Dollis Primary School London
• Kilburn Grange School London
• Whitehall Park School London
• Halley House School London
• Deer Park School Twickenham
• Rutherford House School London
• Braywick Court School Maidenhead
• Evendons Primary School Wokingham
• Rivermead Primary School Reading
• Whiteknights Primary School Reading

What is Watling Park School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Watling Park School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Watling Park School last inspected by Ofsted?

Watling Park School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Watling Park School have?

Watling Park School has 400 pupils on roll.

What age range does Watling Park School cover?

Watling Park School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Watling Park School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Watling Park School?

Watling Park School is at Pavilion Way, Burnt Oak, Barnet, HA8 9YA.