City Heights E-ACT Academy

City Heights E-ACT Academy is a caring, orderly and inclusive school where pupils feel safe and attendance is improving. Safeguarding is effective, behaviour and attendance are secure, and leaders have built a calm environment with a wide enrichment and personal development offer. The school serves a challenging context with high levels of disadvantage and SEND, and leaders use pupil premium funding and trust support well to remove barriers and broaden pupils’ experiences. The main areas for improvement are achievement and curriculum and teaching. Pupils do not consistently achieve as well as they could, and curriculum delivery varies between subjects, leaving some pupils with gaps in knowledge and weaker foundations in reading, writing and mathematics. Assessment is not used consistently to check prior learning or identify gaps, expectations of what pupils can do are sometimes too low, and support for pupils with SEND is not adapted consistently enough. Mathematics improvement work is appropriate but at an early stage. Leadership is focused on sustainable improvement, and staff feel well supported by the trust. The headteacher left shortly before the inspection, with an acting head of school in place. Recent changes are beginning to show impact in behaviour, attendance and enrichment, but further work is needed to secure consistently strong teaching and achievement for all pupils.

Strengths

• Safeguarding arrangements are effective and pupils feel safe.
• Pupils attend a calm, orderly and welcoming school, and attendance is improving.
• Persistent absence has been reduced successfully over time.
• Behaviour is typically positive, suspensions and consequences have fallen, and bullying is rare.
• Inclusion systems identify needs quickly, including for pupils joining mid-year and pupils with SEND.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support literacy, pastoral care, attendance, tutoring and enrichment.
• Personal development is broad and ambitious, with strong pastoral care and mental health support.
• An extensive enrichment programme, trips and partnerships broaden pupils’ cultural understanding.
• Careers advice and guidance are prioritised and help raise pupils’ aspirations.
• Leaders, trustees and the trust have high standards and provide strong support and professional development.
• Staff feel well supported in wellbeing and workload and are proud to be part of the school.
• Reading is a priority, with a coherent strategy for pupils needing additional support.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils do not consistently achieve as well as they could across the curriculum.
• Curriculum delivery varies between subjects, leading to gaps in pupils’ knowledge.
• Teachers do not consistently check prior understanding before introducing new content.
• Assessment is not used effectively enough to identify gaps and build on prior learning.
• Expectations of what pupils can do are sometimes too low, and accepted work is below pupils’ capability.
• Some pupils with SEND do not access the curriculum as well as they could because teaching is not adapted consistently.
• Some pupils quietly opt out of learning, and this is not always identified or challenged quickly enough.
• Mathematics improvement is at an early stage and not yet showing impact on progress and attainment.
• Pupils’ foundations in reading, writing and mathematics are not secure enough for future success.
• Destinations after 16 are below the national average.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

• Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School
• Elm Court School
• Harris Clapham Sixth Form
• King's College London Maths School
• La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School
• Lilian Baylis Technology School
• Oasis Academy South Bank

City Heights E-ACT Academy is part of E-Act, which runs 37 schools. The nearest others:

• E-ACT Crest Academy London
• Braintcroft E-ACT Primary Academy London
• Denham Green E-ACT Primary Academy Denham Green
• Chalfont Valley E-ACT Primary Academy Amersham
• E-Act Bourne End Academy Bourne End
• E-Act Ousedale School Newport Pagnell
• DSLV E-ACT Academy Daventry
• E-ACT The Grange School Daventry
• The Parker E-ACT Academy Daventry
• E-ACT the Kingfisher School Bristol

What is City Heights E-ACT Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for City Heights E-ACT Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in February 2026.

When was City Heights E-ACT Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

City Heights E-ACT Academy was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does City Heights E-ACT Academy have?

City Heights E-ACT Academy has 460 pupils on roll.

What age range does City Heights E-ACT Academy cover?

City Heights E-ACT Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are City Heights E-ACT Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.8, and 24% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is City Heights E-ACT Academy?

City Heights E-ACT Academy is at 33 Abbots Park, Tulse Hill, London, SW2 3PW.