SchoolScoresIndependent school guide

Watling Academy

Free school · Secondary, ages 11 to 18 · Mixed · Sixth form

Part of THE ALLIANCE SCHOOLS TRUST

Barrosa Way, Milton Keynes, MK8 1EP

01908 794094 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedOutstandingInspected 16 May 2023
Grade 5 or above in English and maths55%England 45% · 2024/25
Pupils1,767Room for 2,250
First-choice applications per place1.1380 for 351 places, September 2026

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at the inspection that started on 16 May 2023.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationOutstanding
Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership and managementOutstanding
SafeguardingEffective

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

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Results

GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25

181 pupils in this year group.

55% — 11 points above the Milton Keynes average, and 10 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolMilton KeynesEngland
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 55% 44% 45%
Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. 50.4 44.2 46.1
EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. 4.7 3.9 4.1

Grade 5 or above in English and maths, over time

2022/232023/242024/25
Not publishedNot published55%

Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.

Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Milton Keynes. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

How hard is it to get in?

For the September 2026 intake there were about one first-choice application for every place.

Places offered351
Families who put it first380
Of those, offered a place305 (80%)
Families who listed it at all1,006

First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.5 · 2025: 1.1 · 2026: 1.1

This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.

Admissions dates and schools in Milton Keynes

Pupils, staff and SEND

PupilsThis schoolMilton KeynesEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years
 23.9% 26.6%* 28.9%
With an education, health and care plan
 2.7% 2.3%* 3.1%
Receiving special educational needs support
 9.9% 12.3%* 13.4%
English as an additional language
 25.3% 25.5%* 19.2%
Overall absence (sessions missed)
 7.9% 8.4%* 8.4%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
 22.3% 22.7%* 23.4%
Suspensions per 100 pupils
 15.4 22.0 21.2
Pupils suspended at least once
 6.2% 6.8% 7.3%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.02% 0.23%
Pupils per teacher
 17.5 17.7 16.7
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff)
 12.4 11.7 11.8
Teachers who left during the year
 6.8% 14.3%* 14.2%*

Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

Nearby secondary schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Watling Academy's Ofsted rating?

Watling Academy was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its inspection in 16 May 2023.

How did Watling Academy do in its GCSEs?

In 2024/25, 55% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 10 points above the England average of 45%.

Is Watling Academy oversubscribed?

For the September 2026 intake, 380 families put Watling Academy as their first choice for 351 places: about one first-choice application for every place. 305 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.