Walderslade School Review 2026: A girls’ secondary with a renewed safety focus and a shared sixth form offer

A school can change quickly when the priorities are unambiguous. Since Louise Campbell took up post in May 2023, the public record shows a clear shift towards tightening safeguarding systems, improving day to day behaviour, and rebuilding family confidence after a difficult period.

Walderslade School is a state-funded girls’ secondary with post-16 provision in Walderslade, Medway, and it sits within Beyond Schools Trust. Capacity is published as 949, with 806 pupils recorded on the Ofsted service profile.

For families, the central question is trajectory. The most recent graded inspection for the predecessor school at the same site was Inadequate in February 2023, with safeguarding judged ineffective at that point. A subsequent monitoring visit published in January 2024 reports safeguarding is now effective, alongside measurable improvements in corridors, attendance systems, and serious behaviour. That combination matters, because it reframes what to look for on a visit: consistency, follow-through, and whether academic expectations are rising fast enough to match the strengthened routines.

Walderslade presents itself as a partnership environment, with students accessing two school sites and specialist facilities, while Key Stage 3 teaching is delivered in a single-sex setting. For many girls, that structure can be a genuine advantage, particularly for confidence in lessons and for widening friendship groups across a broader shared offer.

The cultural story in the inspection record is stark. In early 2023, too many pupils reported feeling unsafe, especially in corridors and at social times; bullying, discriminatory language, and incidents of physical behaviour were recurring themes, and confidence in reporting was low. It is important not to minimise that history. It affects how families interpret both current messaging and the lived experience of students who were there at the time.

More recently, the published monitoring letter describes a school that has re-established clear safeguarding leadership, tightened triage and referral processes, reduced internal truancy, and significantly reduced disruption in corridors during lessons. The detail here is useful for parents, because it points to practical indicators you can test on a tour: punctual movement between lessons, adults visible in corridors, calm transitions, and a consistent response when expectations are not met.

Leadership visibility is also central to the narrative. The school’s website positions the headteacher as the public voice of the partnership and sets an aspirational tone, including explicit reference to serving students regardless of Medway Test outcomes. For families in Medway’s selective context, that message is meant to reassure: this is an option intended to be credible for a wide range of starting points, not a consolation setting.

Walderslade’s published performance metrics indicate that outcomes remain a significant area of challenge, particularly when compared with the expectations most families hold for an 11 to 18 school.

At GCSE, the most recent dataset provided shows an Attainment 8 score of 30.4 and a Progress 8 score of -1.16. Taken together, that profile indicates that students, on average, have been leaving Key Stage 4 with outcomes below typical benchmarks, and making less progress than students with similar starting points nationally.

The EBacc picture, as captured is also weak. The average EBacc points score is 2.44. The percentage of pupils achieving grades 5 or above across EBacc subjects is recorded as 3.4%. For parents, the implication is not that every student is steered away from academic options, but that the school has work to do to strengthen curriculum coherence, staffing stability, and sustained learning habits across subjects.

Post-16 outcomes are clearer because they include an England rank. Ranked 2,474th in England and 5th in Chatham for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the sixth form sits below England average overall. The underlying grade breakdown shows 16.28% of grades at A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2%, and 4.65% at A, compared with an England average of 23.6%.

The most important interpretation is practical. If your child is highly academic and expects a strongly academic sixth form culture, you will want to look closely at subject viability, class sizes, and the balance of applied and academic pathways before committing. If your child benefits most from structure, close support, and a clear pathway into employment, training, or a local higher education route, the sixth form may still be a good fit, provided the subject offer matches.

The February 2023 inspection report describes an ambitious planned curriculum in most subjects, but uneven sequencing and inconsistent teaching and assessment, with frequent changes of teaching staff in too many subjects. That matters because curriculum quality is not just about what is written down; it is about whether students experience a logical, cumulative journey with misconceptions picked up early.

The later monitoring letter points to the beginnings of a more standardised approach, including curriculum plans for every subject and teacher development focused on pedagogy and classroom practice. The same letter is candid that, despite improving teaching, the curriculum being taught was not yet ambitious enough and the work was not consistently challenging enough.

On the partnership website, the curriculum is described as broad across Years 7 to 13, with a two-week timetable and 60-minute periods, plus a structured Key Stage 4 options menu that includes a wide spread of creative, technical, and vocational subjects alongside GCSEs. For many students, that breadth is a strength, particularly where engagement increases when learning has a clear applied purpose.

A realistic parent takeaway is this: if your child is already a confident independent learner, ask how the school stretches higher prior attainers in practice, not just in policy. If your child needs help with organisation, reading, or attention to task, ask what the daily routines look like, and how consistently they are applied in every classroom.

The school’s sixth form messaging emphasises preparation for multiple destinations, including UCAS and apprenticeship workshops, work experience, and support for students who need GCSE English and mathematics resits in Year 12. That combination indicates a sixth form designed around transition, not just grades.

There is also a practical finance support route at post-16. The sixth form publishes a 16 to 19 bursary fund statement for 2025 to 2026, explaining that targeted support may be available for students facing financial barriers, including help with transport, food, or equipment. For families weighing whether sixth form is viable, that matters as much as subject lists, because hidden costs can shape attendance and participation.

The February 2023 inspection report noted a comprehensive careers programme, including for sixth form students, and that pupils were prepared to make decisions about next steps in education, employment, or training. While that does not replace hard outcomes data, it does suggest a tangible strength in guidance and structured pathways.

For Year 7 entry, applications are coordinated by Medway Council through the secondary transfer process. For September 2026 entry, the published deadline for secondary applications was 31 October 2025, with offers issued on 2 March 2026. Medway also publishes the wider timeline, including application opening on 1 September 2025 and the key dates around the Medway Test for selective schools, which often shapes the broader decision cycle even for non-selective preferences.

Open events follow a predictable pattern aligned to that timeline. For the September 2026 intake cycle, the school published an open evening in early October and multiple open morning tours across the first half of October. Because these dates are now in the past, families should treat early October as the typical window and check the school’s current calendar for the next set of events.

For post-16, the route is direct. The school publishes that applications for WGSP Sixth Form 2026 open on Thursday 27 November at 5pm, with entry expectations including at least five GCSE passes at grade 4 or above, including English and or mathematics, plus higher requirements for some subjects. This is the point where fit really matters. Students who are not yet at grade 4 in English or mathematics should expect resit lessons as part of their timetable, which is the right support for many, but it changes the overall study load.

Parents comparing options should use the FindMySchool Map Search to sanity-check travel time and practical feasibility, especially where sixth form study involves moving between sites or staying later for enrichment.

Pastoral credibility at Walderslade rests on systems. The February 2023 report describes a period where too many pupils felt unsafe and where safeguarding oversight was not strong enough. The later monitoring letter describes a restructured safeguarding team, clearer roles, and faster action when concerns are raised, alongside a tighter link between attendance monitoring and safeguarding oversight.

For families, the implication is straightforward. Ask how concerns are logged, triaged, and escalated, and what the school does when patterns emerge, not just individual incidents. Ask how attendance support works for vulnerable students, and whether the improvement described in the monitoring letter is still sustained across the current year.

The inspection record also flags that mental health and pastoral capacity had been increased, and that staff workload and wellbeing were considered while change was implemented. In a school in improvement mode, staff stability and morale are not secondary issues; they shape consistency for students.

Extracurricular participation is one of the fastest ways for a school to rebuild belonging, particularly after a difficult period. Walderslade publishes a detailed clubs timetable that goes beyond generic offerings, including Dungeons & Dragons, Bandlab, Pop Orchestra, Practice Room Hire, IDEA Badges, Multi Faith, Dance Company, and a spread of sport options including netball and handball.

The implication for families is twofold. First, there are clear entry points for different personalities, not just for the sporty or the highly musical. Second, structured enrichment can support attendance and punctuality, because students are more likely to come in and stay engaged when school life includes an identity beyond lessons.

Performing arts also appears as a bright spot in the inspection narrative. The February 2023 report references pupils coming together for a production of Peter Pan, with cooperation across year groups. That kind of whole-school project is not just entertainment. It is a behavioural and social tool, because it builds routines, responsibility, and peer accountability.

At sixth form, the school describes enrichment during school hours, work experience links, and specialist support for applications. The critical parent question is participation: how many students take part consistently, and how is enrichment aligned to progression goals, especially for apprenticeships and vocational routes.

Walderslade is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual extras, including uniform, equipment, transport, and some trips.

The school describes a two-site model within the partnership, with students accessing facilities across sites while Key Stage 3 lessons remain in a single-sex teaching environment. That structure can affect the practical routine, so parents should ask how movement is managed across the day, and how late buses or pick-up work on enrichment days.

Published school start and finish times, plus wraparound care arrangements, were not clearly available in the sources reviewed. Families should confirm current timings directly with the school, particularly where childcare and commuting plans depend on exact finishing times.

• Safeguarding history and trust rebuilding. The February 2023 graded inspection record is serious, including safeguarding being judged ineffective at that time. The later monitoring letter is more positive, but families should still probe how consistency is maintained and how concerns are handled day to day.

• Academic outcomes remain a material risk. The available results data indicates weak GCSE and sixth form outcomes overall. Families with highly academic students should test whether subject level stretch, staffing stability, and independent study expectations are now strong enough.

• A school in improvement mode can feel intense. Rapid change often brings tighter systems, higher accountability, and a strong focus on routines. That suits many students, but some may find the transition demanding, particularly if they have struggled with attendance or anxiety.

• Admissions calendar discipline is essential. Year 7 entry follows Medway’s coordinated deadlines, and they are not flexible. If you are considering sixth form entry, note the published application opening date and confirm closing dates early.

Walderslade School is best understood as a school working through a serious reset. The public record shows that safeguarding and day to day order have improved since May 2023, and there are clear signs of tighter systems and clearer leadership. The harder work now is academic: outcomes, challenge level, and curriculum consistency need to rise quickly and sustainably.

Who it suits: families who want a girls’ setting at Key Stage 3, value a broad curriculum including practical and creative options, and prioritise structured routines, clear expectations, and a school that is actively addressing past issues. For highly academic students seeking top-end sixth form outcomes, the best approach is to interrogate the subject offer, teaching stability, and progression support in detail before deciding.

Use the FindMySchool Comparison Tool to benchmark local alternatives on both GCSE and post-16 outcomes, then visit with a shortlist mindset and specific questions.