Waterside Academy
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Rowans Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL7 1NZ |
| Phone | 01707321203 |
| Reference Number | 145257 |
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.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 177 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 52.54%
Girls: 47.46% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 46.4% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 25.4% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 24.5 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 23.3 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 25.7 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| 2 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| 3 | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| 4 | 12 | 12 | 24 |
| 5 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 6 | 16 | 11 | 27 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 53.7% |
| Unclassified | 13% |
| Mixed, Other | 9.6% |
| White, Other | 6.2% |
| African | 2.8% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 2.3% |
| White & Asian | 2.3% |
| Indian | 2.3% |
| Asian, Other | 2.3% |
| White & Black (African) | 1.7% |
| Chinese | 0.6% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Strong standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Early Years | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 24 Feb 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 24 Feb 2026 | School inspection |
| 15 Jun 2022 | School inspection |
| 04 Jan 2018 | Academy conversion letter |
| 15 Nov 2016 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as Rowans Primary School | |
| 15 Nov 2016 | Full inspection: |
| 27 Apr 2015 | Monitoring visit |
| 27 Apr 2015 | Monitoring visit |
| 11 Feb 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 11 Feb 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 14 May 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 14 May 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 07 Jan 2011 | Interim assessment |
| 07 Jan 2011 | Interim assessment |
| 30 Jun 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 30 Jun 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 20 Oct 2003 | Full inspection |
| 20 Oct 2003 | Full inspection |
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.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 64% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 7% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 106 | ||
| Maths | 101 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 5.5 | ||
| Writing | 0.9 | ||
| Maths | 4.2 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockUnlock Premium
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 9 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 5 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
The Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Crookhams, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1PG |
0.04 miles |
|
St John's CofE Primary School
Hertford Road, Digswell, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0BX |
0.5 miles |
|
Panshanger Primary School
Daniells, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1QY |
0.71 miles |
|
Harwood Hill Junior Mixed Infant and Nursery School
Harwood Close, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 7AG |
0.77 miles |
|
Springmead Primary School
Hillyfields, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 2HB |
0.84 miles |
|
Homerswood Primary and Nursery School
Kirklands, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 7RF |
0.96 miles |
|
Watchlytes Primary School
Watchlytes, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 2AZ |
1.02 miles |
|
Templewood Primary School
Pentley Park, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 7SD |
1.15 miles |
|
Tewin Cowper Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Cannons Meadow, Tewin, Tewin Cowper Ce Primary School Va, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0JU |
1.19 miles |
|
Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School
Blackthorn Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 3JP |
1.2 miles |
|
Peartree Primary School
Peartree Primary School, Peartree Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 3XW |
1.3 miles |
|
Holwell Primary School
Holwell Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 3RP |
1.38 miles |
|
Ludwick Nursery School
Holwell Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 3RP |
1.39 miles |
|
Our Lady Catholic Primary School
Woodhall Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 3TF |
1.67 miles |
|
Tenterfield Nursery School
London Road, Welwyn, AL6 9JF |
1.67 miles |
|
Welwyn St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
15 London Road, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 9DJ |
1.75 miles |
|
Applecroft School
Applecroft Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6JZ |
1.85 miles |
|
Creswick Academy
Sir John Newsom Way, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 4FL |
1.89 miles |
|
Commonswood Primary & Nursery School
The Commons, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 4RU |
1.95 miles |
|
Oaklands Primary School
Great North Road, Oaklands, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0PX |
2.11 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Ridgeway Academy
Herns Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 2AF |
0.72 miles |
|
Knightsfield School
Knightsfield, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 7LW |
1.31 miles |
|
Monk's Walk School
Knightsfield, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 7NL |
1.34 miles |
|
Sherrardswood School
Lockleys, Welwyn, AL6 0BJ |
1.51 miles |
|
James Marks Academy
The Commons, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 4RZ |
2 miles |
|
Stanborough School
Lemsford Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6YR |
2.2 miles |
|
Lakeside School
Lemsford Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6YN |
2.24 miles |
|
The Sele School
Welwyn Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG14 2DG |
3.52 miles |
|
Onslow St Audrey's School
Old Rectory Drive, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 8AB |
3.96 miles |
|
Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School
Woods Avenue, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 8NL |
4.15 miles |
|
Richard Hale School
Hale Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 8EN |
4.68 miles |