Watling Primary School
Watling Primary School is a free schools in Milton Keynes for pupils aged 3 to 11. It has 327 pupils on roll. About 81% of its places were empty in 2024/25, far more than at most primary schools, so a place should be easier to come by.
| Type | Primary / Free schools |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | Simmental Way Whitehouse Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire MK8 1GB |
| Phone | 01908049500 |
| Reference Number | 149470 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 327 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 48.32%
Girls: 51.68% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 47.7% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 22.2 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 25.3 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 23.7 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 29 | 50 |
| 2 | 10 | 25 | 35 |
| 3 | 23 | 28 | 51 |
| 4 | 30 | 18 | 48 |
| 5 | 13 | 6 | 19 |
| 6 | 12 | 12 | 24 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Indian | 30.3% |
| White, British | 14.4% |
| White, Other | 9.5% |
| Asian, Other | 7.6% |
| Chinese | 7% |
| African | 7% |
| Pakistani | 4.9% |
| Mixed, Other | 3.4% |
| White & Asian | 1.5% |
| White & Black (African) | 1.2% |
| Unclassified | 0.9% |
| Caribbean | 0.6% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.3% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | This school has not had an inspection yet. |
| Date | Report |
|---|
Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 79 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 39 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 2 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Watling Primary School had 119 pupils for 630 places. 511 places (81.1%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “North West Primary” planning area
Milton Keynes counted 848 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 1,093 in 2029–30, up 29%.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Places | 630 | 630 |
| Pupils | 40 | 119 |
| Unfilled | 93.7% | 81.1% |
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 Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 2.0% | 2.8% |
| Unauthorised absence | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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, 1.8% of pupils at Watling Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 10.3 | 4.3 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 |
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 Primary School had 23.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 4.9 | 13.3 | 10.1 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 9.1% | 11.8% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 25.0% | 66.7% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 0.3 | 6.8 | – |
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, 7.3% of pupils at Watling Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 10 | 1 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 7 | 0 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 7 | 0 |
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 Primary School received £8,731 and spent £9,282 for each of its 164 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £52,000 (£319 per pupil).
Across all 7 schools of The Alliance Schools Trust, income was £7,436 and spending £7,455 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £29,000 | £52,000 |
| per pupil | £992 | £319 |
| In-year balance | -£79,000 | -£90,000 |
| per pupil | -£2,713 | -£550 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Whitehouse Primary School
Vaynol Way, Whitehouse, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 1AG |
0.48 miles |
|
Fairfields Primary School
Apollo Avenue, Fairfields, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK11 4BA |
0.49 miles |
|
Ashbrook School
The High Street, Two Mile Ash, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 8NA |
0.8 miles |
|
Two Mile Ash School
The High Street, Two Mile Ash, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 8LH |
0.95 miles |
|
Holmwood School
Kensington Drive, Great Holm, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 9AB |
1.06 miles |
|
Christ the Sower Ecumenical Primary School
Singleton Drive, Grange Farm, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 0PZ |
1.21 miles |
|
Greenleys First School
Ardwell Lane, Greenleys, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK12 6AT |
1.27 miles |
|
St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School
Ardwell Lane, Greenleys, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK12 6AY |
1.29 miles |
|
Greenleys Junior School
Marron Lane, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK12 5DE |
1.35 miles |
|
Loughton Manor First School
Paynes Drive, Loughton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK5 8FA |
1.48 miles |
|
Loughton School
Bradwell Road, Loughton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK5 8DN |
1.67 miles |
|
Wyvern School
Aylesbury Street, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK12 5HU |
1.73 miles |
|
Bushfield School
Moon Street, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK12 5JG |
1.77 miles |
|
Russell Street School
Russell Street, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK11 1BT |
1.87 miles |
|
St Mary and St Giles Church of England School
King George Crescent, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK11 1EF |
1.92 miles |
|
Bradwell Village School
Walgrave Drive, Bradwell, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK13 9AZ |
1.94 miles |
|
Glastonbury Thorn School
Pigott Drive, Shenley Church End, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK5 6BX |
1.96 miles |
|
Priory Common School
Scatterill Close, Bradwell, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK13 9EZ |
2.01 miles |
|
Oxley Park Academy
Redgrave Drive, Oxley Park, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK4 4TA |
2.06 miles |
|
Heelands School
Glovers Lane, Heelands, Heelands School, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK13 7QL |
2.08 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Watling Academy
Barrosa Way, Milton Keynes, MK8 1EP |
0.18 miles |
|
The Hazeley Academy
Emperor Drive, Hazeley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 0PT |
1.26 miles |
|
The Woodlands School
Admiral Drive, Hazeley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 0PU |
1.27 miles |
|
Oakhill Secure Training Centre
Chalgrove Field, Milton Keynes, MK5 6AJ |
1.49 miles |
|
Denbigh School
Burchard Crescent, Shenley Church End, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK5 6EX |
1.6 miles |
|
The Radcliffe School
Christchurch Grove, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK12 5BT |
1.63 miles |
|
Slated Row School
Old Wolverton Road, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK12 5NJ |
1.85 miles |
|
Redwood Park School
20 Redland Drive, Milton Keynes, MK5 8HD |
2.12 miles |
|
Shenley Brook End School
Walbank Grove, Shenley Brook End, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK5 7ZT |
2.45 miles |
|
Elizabeth Woodville School
Stratford Road, Deanshanger, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, MK19 6HN |
2.66 miles |
|
Stantonbury School
Purbeck, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 6BN |
2.75 miles |
|
Willow Park School
8 Danbury Court, Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 6LJ |
3.01 miles |
|
The Webber Independent School
|
3.03 miles |
|
St Paul's Catholic School
Phoenix Drive, Leadenhall, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 5EN |
3.05 miles |
|
Milton Keynes College
Chaffron Way Centre, Woughton Campus West, Leadenhall, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 5LP |
3.08 miles |
|
The Milton Keynes Academy
Fulwoods Drive, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 5LA |
3.12 miles |
|
Stephenson Academy
Crosslands, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 6AX |
3.29 miles |
|
Romans Field School
Shenley Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK3 7AW |
3.64 miles |
|
Thornton College
Convent of Jesus and Mary, Milton Keynes, MK17 0HJ |
3.72 miles |
|
The Redway School
Farmborough, Netherfield, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 4HG |
3.91 miles |
All schools in Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications
Watling Primary School is part of The Alliance Schools Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:
- Watling Academy Milton Keynes
- Denbigh School Milton Keynes
- Loughton School Milton Keynes
- Brooksward School Milton Keynes
- Willen Primary School Milton Keynes
- Drayton Park School Milton Keynes
How many pupils does Watling Primary School have?
Watling Primary School has 327 pupils on roll.
What age range does Watling Primary School cover?
Watling Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.
Where is Watling Primary School?
Watling Primary School is at Simmental Way, Whitehouse, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 1GB.