The Totteridge Academy

The Totteridge Academy is performing at an exceptionally high level across almost all areas. Inspectors found achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and well-being to be exceptional, while attendance and behaviour and post-16 provision are strong. Pupils achieve highly, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and they move on to aspirational destinations. Safeguarding standards are met. The school has an ambitious curriculum delivered by subject experts, and pupils are confident, articulate and self-disciplined. Inclusion is central to the school's work, with tailored support, effective use of pupil premium funding, and a wide personal development offer that includes careers, enrichment and the on-site GROW farm. Leadership is highly effective, staff development is strong, and staff wellbeing is carefully considered. This is a school within United Learning Trust with about 1,000 pupils, and it has above-average proportions of pupils with SEN support and education, health and care plans. The report identifies no areas needing improvement; next steps focus on sustaining the school's effectiveness and continuing to drive improvement for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• Exceptionally high achievement across the curriculum
• Highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum
• Expert teaching that adapts to pupils' barriers to learning
• Strong progress and attainment for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
• Inclusion embedded at the heart of the school
• Effective pupil premium strategy and tailored support
• Exceptional leadership and governance with strong trust oversight
• High-quality staff development and attention to staff wellbeing
• Comprehensive personal development and character education
• Wide enrichment and careers programme, including the GROW farm
• Pupils' exemplary behaviour and self-discipline
• Rapidly improving attendance
• Strong post-16 provision with above-average attainment and good support

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 The Totteridge Academy attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.4% 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, 6.8% of pupils at The Totteridge Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Totteridge Academy had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.7% 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, 19.9% of pupils at The Totteridge Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% 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 The Totteridge Academy received £9,194 and spent £9,206 for each of its 1,005 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £898,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 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 Barnet · Barnet local authority: places and applications

The Totteridge Academy is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• Wilberforce Primary London
• Whittingham Primary Academy London
• Paddington Academy London
• Salisbury Manor Primary School London
• Walthamstow Academy London
• Walthamstow Primary Academy London
• Marylebone Academy London
• Longshaw Primary Academy London
• Holland Park School London
• Fulham Primary School London

What is The Totteridge Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Totteridge Academy is Strong standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was The Totteridge Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Totteridge Academy was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does The Totteridge Academy have?

The Totteridge Academy has 1,008 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Totteridge Academy cover?

The Totteridge Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Totteridge Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 60.9, and 75% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Totteridge Academy?

The Totteridge Academy is at Barnet Lane, Barnet, London, N20 8AZ.