St Mary Magdalene Academy

Other schools Ages 4-19 1,561 pupils London
Ofsted: Outstanding
All schools in Islington

St Mary Magdalene Academy is an academy sponsor led in Islington for pupils aged 4 to 19. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 1,561 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary Magdalene Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in September 2023. In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.4, and 68% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE. In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. It is hard to get into: 40 of the 69 families who put it first for a Reception place in September 2026 did not get one.

Ofsted inspection: September 2023. GCSE results: 2026. A-level results: 2025. KS2 results: 2025.

Type Other schools / Academy sponsor led
Age Range 4-19
Religion Church of England
Address Liverpool Road
Islington
London
N7 8PG
Phone 02076970123
Reference Number 134314

General Makeup

Number of pupils 1561
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 55.73%
Girls: 44.27%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 38.1%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 18.3%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 21.5
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 30.3
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 29.7

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 19 11 30
2 8 23 31
3 12 18 30
4 16 14 30
5 18 14 32
6 12 17 29
7 105 80 185
8 125 86 211
9 128 82 210
10 133 79 212
11 104 87 191
12 100 84 184
13 76 80 156

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 37.3%
White, Other 16.4%
African 10.4%
Mixed, Other 7.9%
White & Asian 4%
Asian, Other 3.7%
White & Black (Caribbean) 2.8%
Caribbean 2.8%
White & Black (African) 1.5%
Chinese 1.3%
Irish 1%
Unclassified 0.9%
Indian 0.4%
Pakistani 0.4%

St Mary Magdalene Academy is performing exceptionally well and has been rated outstanding in multiple areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. The school's inclusive and family-oriented environment fosters mutual respect among pupils and staff, leading to industrious and purposeful lessons. Pupils express pride in their school and benefit from a broad and well-implemented curriculum that prepares them for their future education and careers. However, the early years provision is rated as good, indicating potential areas for improvement.

Overall Ofsted Rating Outstanding
 >  Quality of education Outstanding
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Outstanding
  >  Personal Development Outstanding
  >  Leadership & Management Outstanding
  >  Early Years Provision Good
  >  Sixth Form Provision Outstanding
Last Report Date 03 Jul 2023
Date Report
03 Jul 2023 School inspection:
26 Apr 2022 School inspection
10 Jan 2017 Short inspection
19 Nov 2014 Curriculum and development visit
15 May 2013 Full inspection:
16 Jun 2010 Full inspection:
12 May 2009 Monitoring visit

Strengths

  • Strong leadership and management that foster a positive school environment
  • High academic standards and quality of education across all phases
  • Inclusive practices that support pupils with special educational needs
  • Exceptional personal development opportunities for pupils
  • Strong focus on reading and literacy development
  • Engaging extracurricular activities that enhance the learning experience

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)
58.4

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 68.1%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 78%

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:

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GCSE Results

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Points

Points Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Average Points 38.83
Average Points (best 3) 38.32

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 21.5%

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 77%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 30%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 108
Maths 107

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 2.2
Writing 6.2
Maths 3.8

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 53 1
Third Preference 32 0
From another Local Authority 4 0

Previous years

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Year 7 admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 277 8
Third Preference 199 3
From another Local Authority 243 16

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 St Mary Magdalene Academy had 1,545 pupils for 1,687 places. 142 places (8.4%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Central” planning area

Islington counted 420 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 361 in 2029–30, down 14%.

Year 7 intake in the “Islington Secondary Planning” planning area

Islington counted 1,341 Year 7 pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 1,120 in 2031–32, down 16%.

201020112012201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 9601,3901,3601,3601,3601,1101,2411,3101,3101,3221,4121,4121,5301,5601,687
Pupils 7599951,0991,1361,1731,1531,1771,2551,2711,3131,4001,4471,5321,5501,545
Unfilled 20.9%28.4%19.2%16.5%13.8%0.0%5.2%4.2%3.0%0.7%0.8%0.0%0.0%0.6%8.4%

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 St Mary Magdalene Academy attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.3%4.2%4.3%4.2%4.4%4.1%4.2%6.1%5.9%5.2%4.6%
Unauthorised absence 2.2%1.8%1.6%1.7%1.7%1.4%1.1%2.2%2.3%2.1%2.3%
Severely absent pupils 0.5%0.8%1.3%1.3%1.2%1.1%0.7%1.5%2.1%2.1%2.9%

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, 2.4% of pupils at St Mary Magdalene Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 13.18.97.12.63.94.86.05.83.32.91.93.15.56.66.64.4
Permanent exclusions 0211012101001000

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 St Mary Magdalene Academy had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 7.97.37.16.67.07.59.29.810.311.010.811.110.911.511.310.9
Teachers who left state teaching 17.5%13.8%8.0%14.2%6.2%15.9%14.3%10.3%8.2%2.9%6.1%12.5%9.5%12.7%9.5%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 78.1%79.5%76.5%71.8%75.6%81.9%75.0%67.3%80.2%–87.8%80.0%52.5%77.2%78.8%–
Sick days per teacher 3.33.76.63.13.84.73.12.73.8–6.45.81.92.74.0–

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, 16.9% of pupils at St Mary Magdalene Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Autistic spectrum disorder 67 46
Social, emotional and mental health 65 11
Specific learning difficulty 52 5
Other difficulty or disability 35 2
Speech, language and communication needs 26 2
Physical disability 9 4
Hearing impairment 4 2
Moderate learning difficulty 2 2
Vision impairment 3 0
Severe learning difficulty 1 0

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 2024–25 St Mary Magdalene Academy received £9,689 and spent £8,846 for each of its 1,557 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £3,442,000 (£2,211 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

2019202020212022202320242025
Revenue reserve £635,000£532,000£663,000£1,131,000£1,821,000£2,130,000£3,442,000
per pupil £484£389£474£775£1,186£1,371£2,211
In-year balance -£55,000-£103,000£162,000£468,000£690,000£356,000£1,312,000
per pupil -£42-£75£116£321£449£229£843

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

Name Distance
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
68 Georges Road, Holloway, London, N7 8JN 		0.26 miles
Laycock Primary School
Laycock Street, Upper Street, London, N1 1SW 		0.3 miles
Drayton Park Primary School
ARVON ROAD, HIGHBURY, LONDON, N5 1PJ 		0.34 miles
Canonbury Primary School
Canonbury Road, London, N1 2UT 		0.43 miles
Thornhill Primary School
Thornhill Road, Islington, London, N1 1HX 		0.45 miles
William Tyndale Primary School
Upper Street, London, Middlesex, N1 2GG 		0.52 miles
Robert Blair School and Children's Centre
Brewery Road, Islington, London, N7 9QJ 		0.54 miles
St Andrew's (Barnsbury) CofE Primary School
Matilda Street, Islington, London, N1 0LB 		0.67 miles
St Mary's CofE Primary School
Fowler Road, Islington, London, N1 2EP 		0.67 miles
Hungerford School
249 Hungerford Road, Islington, London, N7 9LF 		0.73 miles
Brecknock Primary School
Cliff Villas, Camden, London, NW1 9AL 		0.77 miles
Pakeman Primary School
Hornsey Road, London, N7 6DU 		0.81 miles
Vittoria Primary School
Treaty Street, London, N1 0WF 		0.84 miles
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School
Northolme Road, Highbury Park, London, N5 2UX 		0.84 miles
St John's Highbury Vale CofE Primary School
Conewood Street, London, N5 1DL 		0.84 miles
Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre
Yorkway Court, London, N1 0UH 		0.89 miles
Grafton Primary School
Eburne Road, Holloway, London, N7 6AR 		0.91 miles
St John Evangelist Catholic Primary School
Duncan Street, Islington High Street, London, N1 8BL 		0.96 miles
Gillespie Primary School
Gillespie Road, London, N5 1LH 		0.97 miles
Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children
4 Wollstonecraft Street, Kings Cross, London, N1C 4BT 		0.98 miles
Name Distance
The Courtyard Islington
Holloway Road, Islington, London, N7 8LT 		0.14 miles
Highbury Fields School
Highbury Hill, London, N5 1AR 		0.52 miles
Samuel Rhodes MLD School
11 Highbury New Park, Islington, London, N5 2EG 		0.53 miles
City of London Academy Highbury Grove
8 Highbury Grove, Islington, London, N5 2EQ 		0.54 miles
North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School
6-9 Canonbury Place, Islington, London, N1 2NQ 		0.56 miles
The Bridge Integrated Learning Space
1 Dowrey Street, London, N1 0HY 		0.63 miles
The London Screen Academy
Highbury Grove, London, N5 2AG 		0.64 miles
The Bridge School
251 Hungerford Road, London, N7 9LD 		0.73 miles
Richard Cloudesley School
Tudor Rose Building, 1 Prebend Street, London, N1 8RE 		0.92 miles
City of London Academy Islington
Prebend Street, Islington, London, N1 8PQ 		0.93 miles
St Paul's Waldorf School
1 St Paul's Road, Islington, London, N1 2QH 		0.93 miles
Lift Beacon High
Hilldrop Road, Islington, London, N7 0JG 		0.97 miles
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School
Donegal Street, Islington, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, London, N1 9QG 		1 miles
The Camden School for Girls
Sandall Road, London, NW5 2DB 		1.07 miles
Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form
Clissold Road, Hackney, London, N16 9EX 		1.3 miles
Regent High School
Chalton Street, Camden, London, NW1 1RX 		1.36 miles
Arts and Media School Islington
Turle Road, London, N4 3LS 		1.39 miles
WM College
44 Crowndale Road, London, NW1 1TR 		1.4 miles
The Garden School
Wordsworth Road, London, N16 8BZ 		1.41 miles
Capital City College
211 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8RA 		1.46 miles

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

What is St Mary Magdalene Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary Magdalene Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was St Mary Magdalene Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary Magdalene Academy was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does St Mary Magdalene Academy have?

St Mary Magdalene Academy has 1,561 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary Magdalene Academy cover?

St Mary Magdalene Academy for pupils aged 4 to 19.

What are St Mary Magdalene Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.4, and 68% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are St Mary Magdalene Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary Magdalene Academy?

St Mary Magdalene Academy is at Liverpool Road, Islington, London, N7 8PG.

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