The Courtyard Islington

St Mary Magdalene Academy: The Courtyard continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing a good education for its pupils, with strong support and high expectations from staff. Pupils feel secure and valued, praised for their individual qualities while engaging in a broad curriculum that includes a focus on personal development and well-being. The school champions diversity and inclusion, enabling pupils to thrive within a positive environment. The successful integration of strategies to support pupils' emotional development and learning is noteworthy in helping them navigate their educational journey.

Strengths

• Strong support and positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Ambitious and broad curriculum tailored to individual needs.
• Effective support for pupils' emotional development.
• High prioritization of reading with diverse literature.
• Engagement of pupils in various extracurricular activities.
• Staff feel well-supported and valued.
• Strong culture of safeguarding across the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack clarity in identifying key knowledge required for complex tasks.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Courtyard Islington attended 80.9% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 50.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 0.0% of pupils at The Courtyard Islington were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 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 The Courtyard Islington had 4.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 The Courtyard Islington had 76 pupils, 97.4% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; speech, language and communication needs; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Courtyard Islington received £42,441 and spent £39,706 for each of its 68 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £955,000 (£14,044 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 Islington · Islington local authority: places and applications

What is The Courtyard Islington's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Courtyard Islington is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was The Courtyard Islington last inspected by Ofsted?

The Courtyard Islington was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does The Courtyard Islington have?

The Courtyard Islington has 76 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Courtyard Islington cover?

The Courtyard Islington for pupils aged 13 to 19.

Where is The Courtyard Islington?

The Courtyard Islington is at Holloway Road, Islington, London, N7 8LT.