Willow Dene School
Swingate Lane, Plumstead, SE18 2JD
- Phase
- Academies
- School type
- Academy special converter
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- THE COMPASS PARTNERSHIP OF SCHOOLS
- Executive Headteacher
- Ms Rachel Harrison
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Erith and Thamesmead
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 264
- Pupils on roll
- 315
- URN
- 143595
- Local authority
- Greenwich
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 02088549841
About this school
Willow Dene School is a special academy in Plumstead. It teaches children aged 2 to 19 and has 315 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Early years
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 31 | 45 | 39 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Average scaled score in reading | - | - | - |
| Average scaled score in maths | - | - | - |
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 16 | 6 | 10 |
| Attainment 8 score | - | - | - |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | - | - | - |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | - | - | - |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | - | - | - |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | - | - | - |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Willow Dene School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Greenwich average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 0% | 66.2% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 0% | 68.8% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 0% | 71.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 12% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 12% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 11.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 272 |
| 2023/24 | 287 |
| 2024/25 | 309 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
Inspection history
- 2 November 2022
-
Ungraded inspection report6 December 2019
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 56.79%
- English as an additional language
- 29.1%
- Overall absence
- 11.31%
- Persistent absence
- 34.39%
Location
Nearby schools
-
ADO River Valley School0.1 miles
Special schools · Welling
-
Waterside School1.0 miles
Special schools · London
-
The Anchor Sendfriendly Centre1.3 miles
Special schools · London
-
Park View Academy1.3 miles
Special schools · Welling
-
Aspire Academy1.6 miles
Academies · Welling
Common questions
- What year groups does Willow Dene School teach?
- Willow Dene School teaches children aged 2 to 19. It is a special school in Plumstead.
- Who is the executive headteacher of Willow Dene School?
- The executive headteacher of Willow Dene School is Ms Rachel Harrison, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Willow Dene School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Willow Dene School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Willow Dene School?
- Willow Dene School has 315 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 19.
- Is Willow Dene School full?
- Willow Dene School has capacity for 264 pupils and 315 on roll (119%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Willow Dene School a faith school?
- No. Willow Dene School has no designated religious character.
- Who runs Willow Dene School?
- Willow Dene School is part of THE COMPASS PARTNERSHIP OF SCHOOLS. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Willow Dene School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 0% in 2022/23 and 0% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What is Willow Dene School's absence rate?
- Willow Dene School's overall absence rate is 11.3% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Willow Dene School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Willow Dene School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.