Ark Bolingbroke Academy is a mainstream secondary school in Wandsworth, London, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. In January 2026, 125 of its 793 pupils (15.8%) were getting SEN support and 35 (4.4%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–18
- 793 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Wandsworth.
15.8% get SEN support
125 of 793 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
4.4% have an EHC plan
35 of 793 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Higher than the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health54
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia40
- Speech, language and communication39
- Autism17
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Free school
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 793 (places for 800)
- Headteacher
- Claire Edis (Principal)
- Part of
- Ark Schools
- Free school meals
- 31.8% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Wandsworth
- School reference (URN)
- 138267
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Wandsworth council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, September 2024; school remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (May 2023)
Inspected in September 2024. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, May 2023).
Contact and getting there
Wakehurst Road, London, SW11 6BF
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Park House School Independent · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.4 miles
- Centre Academy London Independent · Ages 11–19 0.5 miles
- Swaffield School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 0.8 miles
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Battersea Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.9 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Belleville Primary School Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 13.8%, EHC plans 2.9% 0.1 miles
- Honeywell Junior School Primary · Ages 7–11 · SEN support 14.9%, EHC plans 3.7% 0.3 miles
- Honeywell Infant School Primary · Ages 3–7 · SEN support 11%, EHC plans 3.1% 0.3 miles
All mainstream schools in Wandsworth SEND schools in Wandsworth
Questions about Ark Bolingbroke Academy
How many pupils at Ark Bolingbroke Academy have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 125 of the 793 pupils (15.8%) were getting SEN support and 35 (4.4%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at Ark Bolingbroke Academy?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (54 pupils), dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (40 pupils) and speech, language and communication needs (39 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Ark Bolingbroke Academy?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at Ark Bolingbroke Academy?
Through Wandsworth council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to Ark Bolingbroke Academy?
You can ask for Ark Bolingbroke Academy to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does Ark Bolingbroke Academy have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Swaffield School, about 0.8 miles away.
Where is Ark Bolingbroke Academy?
Wakehurst Road, London, SW11 6BF, in Wandsworth.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.