Waterside Primary Academy

Waterside Primary Academy is a welcoming and inclusive primary school that inspectors found to be performing well across the key areas inspected. This was its first routine section 5 inspection, and the school is part of the Kings Education Trust, with provision for two-year-olds. Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum, improved consistency across the school and made sure staff workload and well-being are considered. Pupils behave well, achieve well and benefit from strong support for special educational needs and/or disabilities. Reading is prioritised from Reception, and pupils’ language and vocabulary development is a clear strength. Personal development is broad, with pupils taking on leadership roles and gaining a range of experiences that build tolerance and understanding. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. There are still areas to improve. In a small number of subjects, the most important knowledge has not been identified precisely enough or sequenced clearly, so staff are not always sure what to teach and when. In some subjects, teachers do not routinely check what pupils know and remember, meaning gaps and misconceptions are not always picked up quickly. Attendance and punctuality, while improving, are not as high as the school would like. Overall, the school has a strong foundation and clear next steps for further improvement.

Strengths

• Strong and inclusive ethos that welcomes pupils and families
• Pupils behave well and show consideration for others through the school values
• Ambitious curriculum that is well sequenced in nearly all subjects
• Accurate identification of pupils’ individual needs, including precise SEND adaptations
• Pupils with SEND achieve well
• Reading is prioritised from Reception, with effective phonics support
• Staff model key vocabulary and develop pupils’ language and writing across the curriculum
• Well-designed personal development programme with varied experiences and leadership opportunities
• Early years routines are well established and staff support children’s learning skilfully
• Leadership at all levels works effectively, with strong trust and local academy committee support
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Attendance is improving through strong tracking and awareness systems

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, the most important knowledge is not identified precisely enough or sequenced clearly
• In some subjects, teachers do not routinely check what pupils know and remember, so gaps and misconceptions are not addressed swiftly
• Attendance and punctuality are not as high as the school would wish, although they are improving

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 Primary Academy attended 92.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.5% 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, 10.1% of pupils at Waterside Primary Academy 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 Waterside Primary Academy had 21.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 16.0% of pupils at Waterside Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 Primary Academy received £8,793 and spent £8,954 for each of its 185 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £164,000 (£887 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Kings Education Trust, income was £7,517 and spending £7,350 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 Chesham · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

Waterside Primary Academy is part of Kings Education Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Ivingswood Academy Chesham
• Great Kingshill Church of England Combined School High Wycombe
• Hughenden Primary School High Wycombe

What is Waterside Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Waterside Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Waterside Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Waterside Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Waterside Primary Academy have?

Waterside Primary Academy has 225 pupils on roll.

What age range does Waterside Primary Academy cover?

Waterside Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 34% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Waterside Primary Academy?

Waterside Primary Academy is at Blackhorse Avenue, Waterside, Chesham, Waterside Primary Academy, Black Horse Avenue, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 1QU.