City of London Academy Highbury Grove

Type Secondary / Academy sponsor led
Age Range 11-18
Religion Does not apply
Address 8 Highbury Grove
Islington
London
N5 2EQ
Phone 02072888900
Reference Number 144962

City of London Academy Highbury Grove is performing well overall, achieving a Good rating across all domains during its first ever inspection. The school provides a positive environment where pupils feel happy and safe, supported by a strong focus on diverse community engagement and extracurricular activities. Leaders have established a broad and balanced curriculum that effectively supports students' learning and personal development, with high expectations set for both students and staff. Notable efforts have been made to improve behaviour, leading to a calm atmosphere for learning, although occasional minor disruptions still occur. Despite its strengths, the school faces challenges in its support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), where some teachers struggle to adapt lessons adequately. Additionally, there is a recognized need to enhance reading support, especially in light of difficulties faced by some students post-pandemic. Overall, while the school is on an upward trajectory, these areas require focused attention to ensure all students can thrive.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 1010
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 63.27%
Girls: 36.73%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 56.3%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 25%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 21.6

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 91 70 161
8 119 62 181
9 131 73 204
10 102 68 170
11 129 74 203
12 34 7 41
13 33 17 50

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
African 20.5%
White, British 17.9%
White, Other 13.1%
Mixed, Other 9.6%
Caribbean 6.6%
White & Black (Caribbean) 5.4%
White & Black (African) 2.6%
White & Asian 2.2%
Pakistani 1%
Unclassified 0.9%
Indian 0.7%
Irish 0.4%
Asian, Other 0.4%
Chinese 0.3%

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
 >  Quality of education Good
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Good
  >  Personal Development Good
  >  Leadership & Management Good
  >  Sixth Form Provision Good
Last Report Date 26 Apr 2022
Date Report
26 Apr 2022 School inspection:
03 Nov 2020 Monitoring visit

Strengths

  • Pupils feel happy and safe in a supportive school environment.
  • The school fosters a diverse community and engages positively with local initiatives.
  • Teachers deliver engaging and challenging lessons with high expectations.
  • The curriculum is ambitious, broad, and well-structured, supporting all pupils.
  • Effective feedback and support help students improve their work.
  • A comprehensive range of extracurricular activities is offered.
  • Prioritization of staff career development and well-being.

Areas for Improvement

  • Some teachers do not make adequate adaptations for pupils with SEND, affecting their progress.
  • Reading support does not currently include face-to-face phonics instruction, which is needed for some students.

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

  • English
  • Maths
  • 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
  • 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education

Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.

School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
45.4

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 44.7%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 59.3%

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

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GCSE Results

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Points

Points Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Average Points 30.47
Average Points (best 3) 30.3

Grades

School Local Nationwide
Average Grade C B- C+
Average Grade (best 3) C B- C+
Percentage Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Students getting AAB or better 9.1%
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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 132 41
Third Preference 113 23
From another Local Authority 111 37

Previous Years

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Destinations after GCSE's

Staying in Education
 >  Further Education
 >  School Sixth Form
 >  Sixth Form College
 >  Other Education
Apprenticeships
Employment
Not in education or employment
Unknown

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