Classpot

Welling School

Bexley, DA16 1LBSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Requires Improvement
Apr 2026
Progress 8
-0.82
Well below average
−20+2
Competition
0.7×
Not oversubscribed
118 1st-choice / 174 places
Ranking
#2,931
of 3,141 nationally

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.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterNone
AddressElsa Road, Welling, Bexley, DA16 1LB
HeadteacherBrian Griffen
Local AuthorityBexley
Number of Pupils1,087
Free School Meals (FSM)29.5%
School Capacity1,087 / 1,850 (59% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

4 Oct 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 26 Nov 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

10
LibrarySwimming PoolMusic RoomsTennis CourtsDining HallSixth Form CentreSports HallTheatreAstro TurfArt Studios

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

18

Sports

FootballRugbyBasketballBadmintonSwimmingNetballTennis

Clubs & Activities

ChoirBook ClubDebateArt ClubChessScience ClubOrchestraDramaDuke of EdinburghEco ClubYoung Enterprise

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

Resourced Provision
AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalResourced Provision

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:35 – 15:00

Breakfast club

08:00-08:30

Source: wellingschool-tkat.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Welling School

Welling School has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.