South Chingford Foundation School

South Chingford Foundation School is currently facing challenges with pupil achievement and attendance, as both metrics fall significantly below national averages. Despite the school's broad and balanced curriculum, many students struggle to make consistent progress through their studies. The school has recently taken steps to monitor and improve attendance, while leaders are also focusing on enhancing support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs. While there are identified strengths in safeguarding and positive pupil-teacher relationships, the overall academic outcomes require urgent attention.

Strengths

• Strong safeguarding standards met, contributing to a safe environment for pupils.
• Good career advice and guidance provided to pupils.
• Positive relationships fostered between pupils and staff.
• Pupils are generally respectful and behave well in lessons.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' progress through the curriculum is inconsistent, reflected in national test results.
• Attendance levels are significantly below national figures and require improvement.
• The quality of the personal development programme is not consistent due to lack of training for staff.
• Ineffective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

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 South Chingford Foundation School attended 86.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 46.9% 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, 14.1% of pupils at South Chingford Foundation School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 South Chingford Foundation School had 13.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.0% 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, 9.7% of pupils at South Chingford Foundation School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.7% 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 South Chingford Foundation School received £9,545 and spent £9,016 for each of its 617 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £460,000 (£746 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Chingford Academies Trust, income was £9,259 and spending £8,996 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 Waltham Forest · Waltham Forest local authority: places and applications

South Chingford Foundation School is part of Chingford Academies Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Chingford Foundation School London

What is South Chingford Foundation School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for South Chingford Foundation School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was South Chingford Foundation School last inspected by Ofsted?

South Chingford Foundation School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does South Chingford Foundation School have?

South Chingford Foundation School has 547 pupils on roll.

What age range does South Chingford Foundation School cover?

South Chingford Foundation School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are South Chingford Foundation School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.8, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is South Chingford Foundation School?

South Chingford Foundation School is at Stadium Close, Chingford, London, E4 8SG.