St Matthew Academy

St Matthew Academy is an all-through Roman Catholic academy within the St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust, serving pupils aged 4 to 16. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, following a previous Good grade. Inspectors found the school to be exceptional across all key judgements, with outstanding quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Pupils achieve very highly from early years through to GCSE and vocational qualifications, supported by an ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum. Teaching is strong, pupils behave very well, attendance is high, and those with SEND receive precise and effective support. Reading is a particular priority, with highly effective phonics teaching and a well-stocked library at the heart of the school. Personal development and leadership are also notable strengths. Pupils benefit from an exceptional enrichment offer, meaningful responsibilities and a comprehensive careers programme. Staff receive high-quality professional development, and leaders, governors and the trust share a clear strategic vision. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and no areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Exceptional education across early years, primary and secondary phases
• Ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum builds detailed knowledge
• Pupils achieve very high outcomes in reading, writing, mathematics, GCSE and vocational qualifications
• Strong subject knowledge and effective questioning help address misconceptions quickly
• Pupils with SEND are identified precisely and receive tailored support
• Highly effective early reading and phonics teaching with targeted interventions
• Pupils develop a love of reading, supported by a well-stocked library and reading tutor sessions
• Spoken language is prioritised and pupils are encouraged to discuss their learning
• Pupils behave very well, are respectful and have highly positive attitudes
• Attendance is high with well-established improvement systems
• Personal development prepares pupils to be safe, healthy and respectful of difference
• Comprehensive careers programme starts in Year 7
• Leadership and management are exceptional with a clear strategic vision
• Staff benefit from high-quality professional development and strong support for early careers teachers
• 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 St Matthew Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.5% 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, 9.0% of pupils at St Matthew Academy 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 St Matthew Academy had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% 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, 15.5% of pupils at St Matthew Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.0% 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 2023–24 St Matthew Academy received £8,967 and spent £8,729 for each of its 1,066 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,021,000 (£958 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust, income was £6,318 and spending £6,497 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). 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

St Matthew Academy is part of St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Bonus Pastor Catholic College Bromley
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School London
• Our Lady and St Philip Neri Catholic Primary School London
• St Anthony's Catholic Primary School London
• St Michael's Catholic College London
• St Paul's Academy London
• St George's Cathedral Catholic Primary School London
• St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School London
• St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School Thornton Heath

What is St Matthew Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Matthew Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was St Matthew Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Matthew Academy was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does St Matthew Academy have?

St Matthew Academy has 1,063 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Matthew Academy cover?

St Matthew Academy for pupils aged 4 to 16.

What are St Matthew Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 54.2, and 54% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

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

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Matthew Academy?

St Matthew Academy is at St Joseph's Vale, Blackheath, London, SE3 0XX.