Canons High School

Canons High School has shown notable improvement since its previous inspection, moving from a grade of Requires Improvement to Good overall. The school provides a broad and ambitious curriculum that is generally well-planned and caters to diverse learning needs, including provisions for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Positive relationships between staff and students contribute to a supportive and inclusive atmosphere, allowing pupils to feel valued and secure. Most students exhibit good behavior and are attentive in classes, facilitating effective learning environments.

Strengths

• Strong working relationships between pupils and teachers
• Ambitious curriculum offering a wide range of subjects
• Effective support for pupils with SEND and EAL
• Comprehensive careers guidance for post-16 education
• Strong pastoral care and pupil welfare support
• Positive behaviour and engagement from the majority of pupils

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent application of adaptation strategies for pupils with SEND and EAL
• Some subjects lack a well-sequenced curriculum leading to gaps in knowledge
• Incidents of challenging behavior affecting comfort of other pupils during social times

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 Canons High School attended 90.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 39.7% 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, 11.7% of pupils at Canons High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were 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 Canons High School had 15.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.7% 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, 9.8% of pupils at Canons High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.2% 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 2024–25 Canons High School received £9,057 and spent £9,539 for each of its 1,221 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £3,874,000 (£3,173 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.

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What is Canons High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Canons High School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Canons High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Canons High School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Canons High School have?

Canons High School has 1,139 pupils on roll.

What age range does Canons High School cover?

Canons High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Canons High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.7, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Canons High School?

Canons High School is at Shaldon Road, Edgware, HA8 6AN.