Waterside Academy

Waterside Academy is performing well overall, demonstrating a strong standard of education. Pupils feel safe and supported, benefiting from a positive atmosphere cultivated by mutual respect among students and staff. The school has effectively implemented strategies to aid attendance and behavioral expectations, resulting in a reduced rate of persistent absence. Additionally, the school has made strides in improving phonics outcomes, with Year 1 results surpassing the national average. However, while the curriculum updates are broad and balanced, some pupils exhibit gaps in learning due to the recent nature of these changes, which the leadership is actively working to address.

Strengths

• Strong focus on safeguarding and pupil wellbeing.
• Effective attendance strategies have led to high attendance rates.
• Positive and respectful relationships between pupils and staff.
• Improvements in phonics outcomes above national averages.
• Broad and balanced curriculum is being effectively implemented.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Some inconsistencies in tracking pupil progress in targeted support.
• Need for improved identification and addressing of gaps in learning for all pupils.

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 Waterside Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.7% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Waterside Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 Waterside Academy had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 37.6% 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, 27.1% of pupils at Waterside Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% 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 Waterside Academy received £8,463 and spent £9,595 for each of its 173 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £127,000 (£737 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Agora Learning Partnership, income was £7,271 and spending £7,551 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 Welwyn Garden City · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Waterside Academy is part of Agora Learning Partnership, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Creswick Academy Welwyn Garden City
• Meryfield Primary School Borehamwood
• Wilbury Junior School Letchworth Garden City
• Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery Watford
• The Grange Academy Letchworth Garden City
• The Orchard Primary School Watford
• Bromet Primary School Watford
• Warren Dell Primary School Watford
• Oxhey Wood Primary School Watford

What is Waterside Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Waterside Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Waterside Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Waterside Academy was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Waterside Academy have?

Waterside Academy has 166 pupils on roll.

What age range does Waterside Academy cover?

Waterside Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Waterside Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Waterside Academy?

Waterside Academy is at Rowans, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1NZ.