Ofsted: Requires improvement trending_up Places Available emoji_events #68 in Hertfordshire public Top 34% UK

Future Academies Watford

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Sam Fox

corporate_fareFUTURE ACADEMIES

location_onWatford, WD25 7HW

language Visit Website phone 1923672964

verified

Ofsted

Requires improvement

Inspected 2025

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Students

1,123

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Attainment 8

39.8

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GCSE Rank

#70 in Hertfordshire

#2,559 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Future Academies Watford is a Academy sponsor led secondary school in Watford, serving ages 11-18. Currently Requires Improvement according to Ofsted — the school is working to raise standards.

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School Summary

Future Academies Watford is an academy sponsor led in Watford, Hertfordshire, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of FUTURE ACADEMIES. The school has approximately 1,018 pupils on roll, of whom 35% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 39.8, placing the school #70 in Hertfordshire and #2,559 of 3,216 nationally. 32.10% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 10.2% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 12 A-level subjects. 37.7% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 13.0% at A*–A. A-level value added: +0.44 — students made above-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2025. The school's current overall rating is Requires improvement. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Outstanding, and leadership and management Outstanding.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.4× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 19.2:1. There is 1 teaching vacancy.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 17.8 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

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Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

39.8

Grade 5+ E&M

32.10%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)10.2%

Entering EBacc65.20%

EBacc APS3.69

2024

Progress 8 Score

-0.16

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

39.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc55.80%

EBacc APS3.55

2023

Progress 8 Score

-0.44

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

38.7

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc57%

EBacc APS3.50

2022

Progress 8 Score

-0.3

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

42.1

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc41%

EBacc APS3.72

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc36%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

-0.52

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

37.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc44%

EBacc APS3.17

2018

Progress 8 Score

-0.39

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

38.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc44%

EBacc APS3.26

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)89%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

90%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)85%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)10%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)85%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)95%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)85%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)7%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

+0.44

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils do significantly better than expected at A-level.

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*1.3%

Achieving A*–A13.0%

Achieving A*–B37.7%

VA Banding Well above average

Retention rate95.2%

A-level subjects offered12

2024

A-Level Value Added

+0.19

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make above-average progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate97.70%

2023

Avg Grade

D-

Students

Retention rate94.40%

2022

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate95.0%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

29 April 2025

Inspection Report

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12 March 2024

Inspection Report

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28 June 2022

Inspection Report

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26 March 2019

Inspection Report

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03 November 2015

Inspection Report

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05 March 2014

Inspection Report

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26 November 2013

Inspection Report

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20 June 2012

Inspection Report

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28 June 2011

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

5 Evaluations

2025-04-29

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 2 EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Outstanding

Leadership

Outstanding

2022-06-28

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Requires improvement

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Requires improvement

Development

Good

Leadership

Requires improvement

2019-03-26

S5 Inspection Legacy

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2015-11-03

None Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2013-11-26

None Legacy

Requires improvement

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

Requires improvement

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

16.8%per term

warning Above Average

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

7.1%(72 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,018 pupils. During this period, there were 171 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 16.8%, which is above the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,018	171	16.8%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,020	192	18.8%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,072	219	20.4%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,080	337	31.2%	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,113	483	43.4%	8.2%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,119	193	17.2%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,123	115	10.2%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,129	135	12.0%	5.9%	3
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,100	114	10.4%	4.7%	1
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,108	72	6.5%	4.9%	1
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,122	38	3.4%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,098	51	4.6%	3.6%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,111	4	0.4%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,125	69	6.1%	3.9%	2
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,138	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,138	33	2.9%	3.2%	1
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,148	40	3.5%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,127	13	1.2%	3.1%	1
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,147	22	1.9%	3.8%	1
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,150	19	1.7%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,101	24	2.2%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,090	22	2.0%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,108	19	1.7%	3.7%	1
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,086	12	1.1%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,101	40	3.6%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,114	44	3.9%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 43 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 42 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 23 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 23 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 15 pupils

Physical Disability 3 pupils

Severe Learning Difficulty 2 pupils

Hearing Impairment 2 pupils

Visual Impairment 2 pupils