Bolder Academy
Isleworth, TW7 5DB · Hounslow · secondary school
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12th of 20 secondary schools in Hounslow we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 8.4/10 against 826 of them, against 7.1/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 51.2 · 65 | 30% | 1.96 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.36 · 76 | 25% | 1.91 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 51.7 · 76 | 10% | 0.77 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Bolder Academy overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 40.8% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 45.6, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.36 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (6.8 out of 10 against similar schools, 5.6 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted rated the school Good in February 2023.
Beyond the classroom
Pupils join the NBNC Flames Netball, Wycombe House Cricket Club, House Cricket Academy, Hounslow Swimming Club, and London Trampoline Academy. They participate in netball, cricket, swimming, climbing, and trampoline, attend a sound design workshop, and take trips to the Old Vic, Monday.com, Naples, and Arcadia.
Getting in
The published school roll is 909 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,260. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to maintain the progress seen in the 2023/24 data? What specific support is available for students aiming to exceed the national median in Attainment 8?
What Ofsted said about Bolder Academy
Overview
Bolder Academy is rated ‘Good’ overall, with ‘Outstanding’ personal development. Leaders have placed pupils’ character development at the heart of school life, fostering a culture where students live out the motto ‘Be kind, be strong, be brave’. The curriculum is carefully planned to provide secure subject understanding, supported by calm and orderly lessons.
Strengths
- Leaders have designed an ‘ambitious curriculum’ where knowledge is introduced and recapped logically, helping pupils build ‘strong foundations’ for future study.
- Personal development is ‘at the core of all that happens’, with pupils valuing the personal, social and health education programme and engaging in volunteering.
- Staff identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities well, ensuring they learn the ‘same curriculum as their peers’.
- The new behaviour policy is ‘working well in practice’, promoting positive conduct and ensuring bullying is rare and swiftly dealt with.
- Leaders value high-quality professional development and support staff workload and well-being, while the governing body offers ‘helpful challenge’.
Areas to improve
- In some subjects, teachers set work that is ‘not sufficiently focused on supporting pupils to understand and remember subject content in the long term’.
- Leaders should strengthen curriculum delivery so that all activities are closely linked to curriculum aims, ensuring pupils develop ‘secure and detailed knowledge’.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a ‘strong culture of safeguarding’ and a large, appropriately trained team focused on securing pupils’ well-being.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 49.3 |
| 2024/25 | 45.6 |
| 2025/26 | 51.7 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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