City of London Academy (Southwark)
| Type | Secondary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 11-19 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | 240 Lynton Road London SE1 5LA |
| Phone | 02073945100 |
| Reference Number | 134222 |
City of London Academy (Southwark) is a large secondary school and sixth form in an above-average deprivation area with a well-above-average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. Following a full section 5 inspection in February 2026, inspectors judged the school to be performing at a strong standard across most areas, including achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and post-16 provision. Safeguarding standards are met. Pupils achieve highly, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, and attendance has improved steadily over time. The inclusive ethos is firmly embedded, and staff know pupils very well. The sixth form is ambitious and students achieve well across a range of courses.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1589 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 52.61%
Girls: 47.39% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 52.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 19.4% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 21.7 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 130 | 106 | 236 |
| 8 | 109 | 128 | 237 |
| 9 | 143 | 89 | 232 |
| 10 | 141 | 100 | 241 |
| 11 | 139 | 95 | 234 |
| 12 | 94 | 112 | 206 |
| 13 | 80 | 123 | 203 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| African | 38.3% |
| White, British | 9.3% |
| Mixed, Other | 7.6% |
| Caribbean | 7.1% |
| White, Other | 5.7% |
| Asian, Other | 5.1% |
| Unclassified | 3.6% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 2.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 2.1% |
| Chinese | 1.7% |
| White & Asian | 1.2% |
| Indian | 0.5% |
| Pakistani | 0.3% |
| Irish | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Strong standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Strong standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Strong standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Strong standard |
| > Inclusion | Strong standard |
| > Post-16 Provision | Strong standard |
| Last Report Date | 03 Feb 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 03 Feb 2026 | School inspection |
| 23 Nov 2021 | School inspection |
| 08 Jun 2016 | Short inspection |
| 06 Oct 2011 | Full inspection |
| 25 Nov 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 11 Mar 2009 | Full inspection |
| 31 Oct 2005 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils consistently achieve highly across the curriculum, including in end of Year 11 and sixth-form examinations.
- Disadvantaged pupils' progress and attainment are consistently above national averages.
- Pupils with SEND, including those with EHC plans, successfully access the ambitious curriculum and achieve well.
- Attendance has steadily improved over time for all groups, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
- The school offers an extremely ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum across all phases.
- Teachers have deep subject knowledge and use effective assessment to check understanding and address gaps.
- The school's mission to be 'inclusive by design' is firmly embedded, with highly effective support for vulnerable pupils.
- Leaders and governance have a strong understanding of the school and use research to drive continuous improvement.
- The sixth form provides a wide range of courses, high expectations, and strong preparation for life after school, including careers guidance.
- Pupils benefit from a well-developed personal development programme, including a wide range of enrichment activities and strong pastoral support.
Areas for Improvement
- The implementation of the relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education curriculum has not ensured that all pupils develop the detailed knowledge intended.
- There is a need to ensure exceptionally high standards across all subjects and phases, including embedding the revised phonics approach for the few pupils who need support with reading fluency.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 52.9 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 57.8% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 74.3% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Sample
UnlockPoints
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 37.63 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 37.16 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | B- | B- | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | B- | B- | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 13% |
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Unlock for £9.992026 Admissions
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 116 | 10 |
| Third Preference | 124 | 9 |
| From another Local Authority | 87 | 17 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Phoenix Primary School
Marlborough Grove, London, SE1 5JT |
0.22 miles |
|
John Keats Primary School
391 Rotherhithe New Road, Rotherhithe, London, SE16 3FN |
0.25 miles |
|
Galleywall Primary, City of London Academy
Galleywall Primary, Galleywall Road, London, SE16 3PB |
0.28 miles |
|
Southwark Park Primary School
383 Southwark Park Road, Bermondsey, Southwark, London, SE16 2JH |
0.49 miles |
|
Boutcher Church of England Primary School
93 Grange Road, Bermondsey, London, SE1 3BW |
0.56 miles |
|
Haymerle School
Haymerle Road, London, SE15 6SY |
0.57 miles |
|
Ilderton Primary School
Varcoe Road, London, SE16 3LA |
0.57 miles |
|
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0.58 miles |
|
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0.6 miles |
|
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0.62 miles |
|
St Francis RC Primary School
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0.62 miles |
|
Rotherhithe Primary School
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0.71 miles |
|
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|
Riverside Primary School
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0.73 miles |
|
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0.73 miles |
|
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0.74 miles |
|
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0.75 miles |
|
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|
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|
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|
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|
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|
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|
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0.6 miles |
|
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0.65 miles |
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|
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|
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|
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|
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1.44 miles |