School profile

Waterside Academy

Secondary · Free schools · London, E8 4DL

Outstanding

Map showing Waterside Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,739 of 3,312

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Waterside Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 27 Jan 2026

Area360 rating
Outstanding
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Strong standard
Achievement
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Strong standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 16
Pupils351 of 600 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Amy Brown
TrustCOMMUNITY SCHOOLS TRUST
Local authorityHackney
Opened01 Nov 2019
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 147653.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolHackneyEngland
Attainment 8 score45.55246.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths57.4%74%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths40.4%56.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths16%22.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths51.1%69.3%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 494--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils351
Girls161
Boys190
Eligible for free school meals65.8%
First language not English41%
SEN support21
EHC plan29
Average class size21.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

African
28.5%
Other White
19.9%
Caribbean
14.8%
Other ethnic group
8.5%
Other mixed
8.3%
White British
6.3%
White and Black Caribbean
3.7%
Other Black
2%
White and Black African
1.4%
Indian
1.4%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolHackneyEngland
Overall absence8.2%7.4%8%
Persistent absence25.1%20.9%21.6%
Severe absence4.5%2.7%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)46
Applications (Year 7)120
First preference applications (Year 7)18
First preference offers (Year 7)18
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)11

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places600
Pupils on roll372
Unfilled places38%
Sixth form places2022/23100
Sixth form pupils on roll2022/230

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher10.6
Pupils per adult8.7
Teachers (FTE)33
Teaching assistants (FTE)3.33
Support staff (FTE)19.17
Teachers in census year (FTE)2020/2136
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2020/2120
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2020/214
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2020/2112

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate14.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions1

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destination84.9%
Staying in education82.8%
Further education48.4%
School sixth form19.4%
Sixth form college12.9%
Not sustained7.5%
Employment2.2%
Apprenticeship0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Waterside Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miNurseryComet Nursery School and Children's CentreLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
0.2 miPrimaryQueensbridge Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.3 miSecondaryThe Bridge AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.3 miPrimaryHackney New Primary SchoolFree schools
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimaryHoxton Garden PrimaryCommunity school
Good
0.4 miNot applicableRosemary Works SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.4 miPrimaryHoly Trinity Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.5 miPrimaryShoreditch Park Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.5 miPrimaryOur Lady and St Joseph Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
0.5 miSecondaryHaggerston SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Waterside Academy

What is Waterside Academy's Ofsted rating?

Waterside Academy is rated Outstanding, last inspected on 27 Jan 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Waterside Academy rank in England?

Waterside Academy ranks 1,739 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (similar to most schools).

How many pupils attend Waterside Academy?

Waterside Academy has 351 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 600.

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.