Copthall School

Copthall School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school since its last graded inspection in May 2018. The school fosters a supportive and harmonious environment where pupils feel safe and valued, exhibiting respect for one another and the staff. High expectations are set for pupils’ achievements, and the school effectively meets the needs of students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is well-structured, promoting high standards in academic learning and a positive experience in extracurricular activities that prepare students for future challenges.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and well cared for.
• Strong support from staff fosters positive relationships.
• Pupils demonstrate respect for each other and adults.
• The curriculum is well planned and sequenced.
• High expectations for pupil achievement are upheld.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils are well prepared for their next stages of learning.
• Positive behaviour among pupils is consistently recognized.
• Strong emphasis on reading for pleasure.
• Staff and governors have an accurate view of the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching does not always provide opportunities for pupils to revise prior learning regularly.
• Pupils' use of subject-specific vocabulary is not always developed with precision.

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 Copthall School attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.1% 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, 7.9% of pupils at Copthall School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Copthall School had 14.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.9% 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, 11.5% of pupils at Copthall School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.3% 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 Copthall School received £9,814 and spent £9,231 for each of its 862 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,407,000 (£1,632 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 Copthall School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Copthall School is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Copthall School last inspected by Ofsted?

Copthall School was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Copthall School have?

Copthall School has 829 pupils on roll.

What age range does Copthall School cover?

Copthall School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Copthall School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.0, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Copthall School?

Copthall School is at Pursley Road, Mill Hill, London, NW7 2EP.