Waterside Academy

About Waterside Academy

Waterside Academy is a secondary school in London, Hackney, classified by the DfE as a free school. Around 374 pupils aged 11 to 16 attend the school. The school holds a 'Good' judgement from Ofsted. The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 44.6 — broadly in line with the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has fallen by 3.6 points compared with the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of secondary schools nationally.

41% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, in line with the national average of about 45%. 62% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. Getting a place is straightforward: for the September 2026 intake every family who made Waterside Academy their first choice was offered one of its 46 Year 7 places. After Year 11, 79% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 7.2%. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 64% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. Given the recent dip in results, it may be worth asking the school what is behind the change and what is being done in response. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.