Welling School
59%
Capacity
1,087
Pupils
2.2x
Demand
About Welling School
Welling School sits in the Bexley local authority, a London borough where the average Progress 8 score sits at 0.03. The school itself ranks 15th out of 16 state secondary schools in the area, placing it in the bottom tier locally. For context, the top-performing peers in Bexley are Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, St Catherine's Catholic School, and Townley Grammar School, all of which achieve significantly higher Progress 8 scores. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Bexley Grammar School, just 1.3 kilometres away. Welling School's most recent inspection, in October 2023, rated its overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, a step up from the Inadequate rating it received in its previous inspection in February 2022. The school's leadership and management, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and sixth-form provision were all rated Good, while the quality of education remains Requires Improvement.
Academically, Welling School's results are below the national average. Its Progress 8 score of -0.82 is classified as well below average, meaning pupils make significantly less progress than their peers nationally. The Attainment 8 score sits at 36.7, and only 29.3% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is low at 19%, with just 8.7% achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is more mixed: the value-added score of 0.2 is rated Average, and students achieved an average of 28.24 points per entry, equivalent to a C- grade. The best three A-levels averaged a C+. With a Progress 8 ranking of 2931 out of 3141 schools nationally, Welling School is in the bottom 7% of schools in England for pupil progress.
The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 383 applications to 174 places, it received 118 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.2. Facilities include a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, astro turf, art studios, and a sixth form centre. Sports offered include football, rugby, basketball, and netball, while clubs range from choir and orchestra to Duke of Edinburgh and Young Enterprise. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social and emotional mental health, as well as a resourced provision. With 29.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake. It may suit families who value a wide extracurricular offer and a sixth form that performs at an average level, but who are aware that academic outcomes at GCSE are significantly below the local and national average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Elsa Road, Welling, Bexley, DA16 1LB |
| Headteacher | Brian Griffen |
| Local Authority | Bexley |
| Number of Pupils | 1,087 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 29.5% |
| School Capacity | 1,087 / 1,850 (59% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
4 Oct 2023Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 26 Nov 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.82)
2931st of 3,141
Nationally
475th of 487
In London
15th of 16
In Bexley
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly 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
20.3
'22/23
21.2
'23/24
28.2
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
2022/2347%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 249 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)47%
- FE college22%
- Sixth form college14%
- Not sustained8%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment4%
92% 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
2022/2338%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 97 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
2%
Russell Group
4%
Top-third HE
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)38%
- Employment35%
- Not sustained15%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Further education1%
- Other education1%
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- Psychology16
- History12
- Mathematics10
- Sociology9
- Media/Film/Tv Studies8
- Biology7
- Chemistry7
- Spanish7
- Art and Design (Photography)5
- English Literature5
- Art and Design (Fine Art)4
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
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed174
383
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
118 families put this school as their 1st choice (31% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Better than 75% 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British64.9%
- Mixed12.3%
- Asian5.0%
- White (other)4.4%
- Black0.4%
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.
13
Total schools
12
Oversubscribed
10
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Welling School
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
Elsa Road, Welling
Bexley, DA16 1LB
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
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