Ofsted: Inadequate emoji_events #16 in Medway public Top 45% UK

Walderslade School

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

personHead not listed

location_onChatham, ME5 0LE

verified

Ofsted

Inadequate

Inspected 2023

trending_up

Attainment 8

29.9

leaderboard

GCSE Rank

#17 in Medway

#3,179 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Walderslade School is a Academy converter secondary school in Chatham, serving ages 11-18. Currently rated Inadequate by Ofsted.

article

School Summary

Walderslade School is an academy converter in Chatham, Medway, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. The school has approximately 806 pupils on roll, of whom 40% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 29.9, placing the school #17 in Medway and #3,179 of 3,216 nationally. 11.40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 2.8% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 7 A-level subjects. 29.4% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 14.7% at A*–A. A-level value added: -0.32 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2023. The school's current overall rating is Inadequate. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Inadequate, behaviour and attitudes Inadequate, personal development Requires improvement, and leadership and management Inadequate.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 16.1:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there was 1 permanent exclusion. The average suspension rate was 31.8 per 1,000 pupils per term.

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

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

29.9

Grade 5+ E&M

11.40%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)2.8%

Entering EBacc22.10%

EBacc APS2.48

2024

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc-%

EBacc APS-

workspace_premium

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

-0.32

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*8.8%

Achieving A*–A14.7%

Achieving A*–B29.4%

VA Banding Average

Retention rate100.0%

A-level subjects offered7

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

Inspection Report

Inspection History

2 Evaluations

2023-02-22

S8 No Formal Designation Visit EIF

Inadequate

Education

Inadequate

Behaviour

Inadequate

Development

Requires improvement

Leadership

Inadequate

2019-12-03

None EIF

Good

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

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

Suspension Rate

26.6%per term

warning Above Average

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

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

12.4%(100 pupils)

Spring term 2025

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

Permanent Exclusions

1pupils

gavel Exclusion recorded

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 806 pupils. During this period, there were 214 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 26.6%, 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)	806	214	26.6%	7.3%	1
2024/25 (Autumn term)	787	292	37.1%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	851	284	33.4%	7.4%	2
2023/24 (Spring term)	0	203	-	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	0	115	-	8.2%	0

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

accessibility_new

psychology_alt

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.

Specific Learning Difficulty 29 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 12 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 7 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 6 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 2 pupils

Physical Disability 2 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 2 pupils