The Sir Robert Woodard Academy
101%
Capacity
1,412
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About The Sir Robert Woodard Academy
The Sir Robert Woodard Academy is a popular choice among local families, with 476 applications for 229 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.08. Of those, 222 first-preference offers were made from 243 first-preference applications, indicating strong demand. The school is a mixed, Christian-faith secondary for ages 11 to 18, with a current roll of 1,412 pupils, slightly above its official capacity of 1,400. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021 rated it Good across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was judged Requires Improvement overall. The school serves a relatively high proportion of disadvantaged pupils, with 18.6% eligible for free school meals.
Academically, the academy’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 year was -0.18, which is below the national average and places it in the ‘Below average’ banding. This is notably lower than the West Sussex local authority average of 0.03. The Attainment 8 score was 44.4, and 69.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though this dropped to 42% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate was high at 77.9%, with 49.6% achieving a grade 4 or above in the EBacc subjects. At A-level, the school’s value-added score was 0.02, classed as ‘Average’, with an average points per entry of 30.72, equivalent to a grade C. The best three A-levels averaged a C+ grade. In the local Adur area, the school ranks second out of two schools on Progress 8, and nationally it sits in the 62nd percentile.
The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, science labs, and a dedicated sixth form centre. There is a strong extracurricular programme with clubs such as Debate, Drama, Coding, Eco Club, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Sports on offer include football, rugby, netball, gymnastics, and dance. The school has a comprehensive SEND provision, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language challenges, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families seeking a Christian-faith secondary with a large sixth form and a wide range of activities, this academy is a solid local option, though its Progress 8 score suggests it may not be the strongest choice for academic acceleration compared to other schools in the wider West Sussex area.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Christian |
| Address | Upper Boundstone Lane, Sompting, Adur, BN15 9QZ |
| Headteacher | Kieran Scanlon |
| Local Authority | West Sussex |
| Number of Pupils | 1,412 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.6% |
| School Capacity | 1,412 / 1,400 (101% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
19 Oct 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 15 Nov 2021. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.18)
1975th of 3,141
Nationally
299th of 461
In South East
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
32.4
'22/23
26.8
'23/24
30.7
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2330%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 163 pupils).
- FE college45%
- School sixth form (stay)30%
- Not sustained7%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Sixth form college4%
- Employment4%
91% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2346%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 37 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
9%
Russell Group
12%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)46%
- Employment38%
- Not sustained11%
- Apprenticeship5%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology14
- English Literature12
- Biology11
- History10
- Mathematics10
- Chemistry7
- Religious Studies7
- Art and Design (Fine Art)5
- Physics4
- Spanish4
- Geography3
- Mathematics (Further)3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed229
476
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
243 families put this school as their 1st choice (51% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: srwa.woodard.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British86.0%
- Mixed5.2%
- White (other)3.3%
- Asian2.2%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
5
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
3
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Sir Robert Woodard Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Upper Boundstone Lane, Sompting
Adur, BN15 9QZ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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