Welling School Review 2026: A large 11 to 18 academy in Welling, with a clear improvement agenda

For families who want a broad, local secondary with sixth form and a sizeable range of courses, this is a big, mixed 11 to 18 academy with capacity for 1,850 students. It sits within The Kemnal Academies Trust, and has been through a period of significant change, including a new headteacher appointment in April 2023.

The latest graded inspection judged the school as Requires Improvement, with Good judgements for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

The school’s recent history matters, because it frames the day to day experience. There has been a rapid pace of change since 2023, and external support from the trust remains a visible part of how the school is being stabilised and improved. Staff report that workload can feel heavy at times, which is a common feature of schools implementing new systems quickly.

Behaviour is a key part of the current narrative. The most recent inspection set out that leaders have sharply reduced disruption and are building a culture based on positive working relationships between staff and pupils. The practical implication for families is that the school is aiming for calmer lessons and more consistent routines, which can be especially important in a large secondary where consistency is hard to achieve at scale.

The school also has specialist resourced provision for autism spectrum disorder in the Elsa Centre. This is a distinctive feature locally, and it signals that the school is set up to meet a broader range of needs than many mainstream secondaries, including students who benefit from a more structured environment for parts of the week.

This review uses FindMySchool rankings and the school’s published performance metrics for England.

GCSE outcomes

Ranked 3,314th in England and 3rd in the Welling area for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places results below England average overall.

The Attainment 8 score is 36.7, and Progress 8 is -0.82, which indicates students, on average, made below average progress from their starting points across eight subjects. EBacc entry is 40.5% of pupils, and the EBacc average point score is 3.15.

In plain terms, the published figures suggest the school is still working to convert improved behaviour and stronger routines into consistently stronger academic outcomes.

A-level outcomes

Ranked 2,013th in England and 2nd in the Welling area for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This also places outcomes below England average overall.

At A-level, 31.76% of grades are A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2%. A* to A is 14.11%, compared with an England average of 23.6%. These figures point to a sixth form that is judged positively for leadership and provision, while still needing to raise top grade outcomes over time.

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool are useful for seeing how these ranks and measures sit alongside nearby schools with similar intakes.

Curriculum quality is one of the most important improvement levers in a school in this position. The most recent inspection evidence points to curriculum development being a trust priority, with training focused on helping teachers plan and deliver more effectively.

A specific teaching and learning issue highlighted is the inconsistent use of formative assessment in Years 7 to 11. In practice, that means misconceptions are not always identified early enough, or corrected with the same rigour across subjects and classes. The implication for families is that students who are organised and proactive, or those whose parents keep a close eye on progress checks, may find it easier to stay on track while the school tightens consistency.

The inspection deep dives covered art, business, English, mathematics, music and science, which gives a useful steer on the breadth of the school’s academic offer and the areas leaders are prioritising as they refine sequencing and expectations.

Where Students Go Next

The school has a sixth form, and destinations are best understood through a combination of the general progression picture and the small number of highly selective applications.

For the 2023 to 2024 leavers cohort (cohort size 88), 27% progressed to university, 2% to further education, 5% to apprenticeships, and 42% to employment. These figures suggest a strongly mixed destinations profile, with a substantial proportion moving directly into employment, and a smaller proportion taking an academic university route.

On the most selective end, there were 2 Oxbridge applications, 1 offer, and 1 acceptance in the measurement period. The right way to read this is as evidence that high attaining students can be supported to make ambitious applications, rather than as a defining feature of the school’s pipeline.

Year 7 applications are coordinated by the London Borough of Bexley (for families resident in Bexley), with the standard secondary admissions timetable applying for September 2026 entry. Applications open on 01 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025, with offers made on 02 March 2026.

Because demand and allocations vary year to year, families should use FindMySchool Map Search to understand practical distance and travel time, then cross check this against the admissions criteria published for the relevant intake.

For sixth form entry, minimum academic entry requirements are commonly expressed locally as at least five GCSE passes at grades 9 to 4, with subject requirements varying by course. The most reliable approach is to check the school’s published sixth form entry requirements for the current cycle, because course availability and thresholds can change.

In a school where improvement work is ongoing, safeguarding and behaviour systems matter as much as academic strategy. The latest inspection confirmed safeguarding is effective, which is a foundational strength for families assessing overall safety and culture.

Beyond safeguarding, a practical pastoral indicator is the school’s emphasis on building positive staff student relationships as a route to calmer classrooms and better attendance. This tends to suit students who respond well to clear routines and adults who consistently reinforce expectations.

The presence of resourced autism provision also typically brings additional expertise in structured support, communication strategies, and graduated responses to need, which can have spillover benefits for wider inclusion, particularly where students have overlapping needs.

The school offers a wider programme that includes both enrichment activities and trips, with examples including music, drama, book club, and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, alongside international visits referenced in local authority materials. The implication is that there are routes for students to build confidence and experiences beyond examinations, particularly important for personal statements, apprenticeships, and employability.

However, participation is not yet where leaders want it. The most recent inspection explicitly flagged that many pupils do not take up clubs and enrichment regularly, and that the school needs to do more to increase engagement. For families, this means opportunity is available, but motivation and follow through may depend on the individual student and on how effectively the school removes barriers to participation.

A practical day to day feature worth knowing is the catering and cashless system. Catering is provided by Chartwells, and the school operates a cashless system with ParentPay top ups and a daily spend limit of £5, adjustable by parental request. This can be helpful for budgeting and for reducing the friction of bringing cash to school.

The school day begins at 08:30 and ends at 14:55 on most days, with a shorter finish at 14:30 on Wednesdays. Lessons are 60 minutes, with five periods per day on a two week timetable (Week A and Week B).

Local travel is typically anchored around Welling station, and local authority materials also reference bus routes including the B15, 96 and 422, which may be relevant for independent travel in older year groups.

As a secondary school, formal wraparound childcare is not usually structured in the same way as primary breakfast and after school clubs; families should check current before school supervision and after school arrangements if these are essential to work patterns.

• Requires Improvement overall judgement: The most recent inspection outcome is Requires Improvement, with strong sub judgements in several areas but curriculum consistency still developing.

• Academic outcomes are below England average overall: GCSE and A-level ranks sit in the below average tier in England, and Progress 8 is negative. Families with highly academic priorities may want to compare several local options using the FindMySchool Comparison Tool.

• Enrichment exists but participation is a work in progress: Clubs and wider activities are available, but leaders are still working to increase take up.

• Large school dynamics: With capacity for 1,850 students, the experience can depend heavily on how well systems are implemented consistently across year teams and departments.

Welling School is a sizeable local secondary with sixth form, specialist autism provision, and a clear improvement plan under relatively new leadership. It will suit families who prioritise a comprehensive local option with broad course pathways, and who value a school actively tightening behaviour and routines. Securing consistently stronger academic outcomes, and getting more students into enrichment activities, remain central challenges.