Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School

Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School is a mixed 11-19 Catholic school in Lambeth with 1,179 pupils, including 269 in the sixth form. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, following a previous inspection in 2014. Inspectors found the school performing exceptionally well across all areas, with no significant weaknesses identified and effective safeguarding arrangements. Pupils are safe, happy and achieve exceptionally well. They benefit from an ambitious, broad and inclusive curriculum delivered by highly skilled teachers, and pupils with SEND are well supported to make strong progress. Behaviour is impeccable, bullying is rare and attendance is exceptionally high. Reading is prioritised, and pupils who struggle receive effective support. Personal development is a particular strength, with an extensive range of sporting, music, drama, debating, chess and Duke of Edinburgh opportunities, alongside a comprehensive careers programme. Leadership is highly ambitious, staff are well supported and proud to work at the school, governors have a forensic understanding of the school, and parents are very positive. Sixth-form students are highly motivated and achieve exceptionally well.

Strengths

• Ambitious, broad and inclusive curriculum delivered by expert teachers
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well, including in the sixth form
• Strong support enables pupils with SEND to make strong progress
• Pupils are safe, happy and display impeccable behaviour
• Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly
• Attendance rates are exceptionally high
• Reading is prioritised and struggling readers receive effective support
• Personal development is exemplary with a wide range of enrichment opportunities
• Comprehensive careers programme and targeted aspiration activities
• Leaders have a clear and relentless ambition shared across the school
• Staff appreciate high-quality professional development and well-being support
• Governors have a forensic understanding of the school
• Parents are very positive about the education their children receive
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 5.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.6% of pupils at Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School had 14.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.4% of pupils at Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School received £9,544 and spent £9,654 for each of its 1,187 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £383,000 (-£323 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Lambeth · Lambeth local authority: places and applications

What is Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School have?

Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School has 1,187 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School cover?

Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.6, and 67% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School?

Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School is at Belltrees Grove, London, SW16 2HY.