Sedgehill Academy

Sedgehill Academy has been rated as good in all aspects of its performance during this inspection, which marks the first routine inspection since its conversion to an academy in 2020. The school demonstrates a strong commitment to providing a safe and inclusive environment for its diverse student body. Pupils are generally happy and engaged, actively participating in various extracurricular activities, which emphasizes the focus on music and performing arts. The leadership has set high expectations, and the curriculum is thoughtfully structured to support student learning and development.

Strengths

• Well-considered and coherent curriculum
• High expectations from leaders for all pupils
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Comprehensive careers programme
• Positive behaviour and respectful community
• Engagement in extracurricular activities

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checking of pupil understanding and misconceptions

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 Sedgehill Academy attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.8% 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, 2.4% of pupils at Sedgehill 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 Sedgehill Academy had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.0% 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, 9.5% of pupils at Sedgehill Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% 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 Sedgehill Academy received £10,810 and spent £10,786 for each of its 900 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £804,000 (£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 Lewisham · Lewisham local authority: places and applications

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

• Conisborough College London
• The John Roan School London
• Bacon's College London
• Newstead Wood School Orpington
• The Elms Academy London
• Ernest Bevin Academy London
• Langford Primary School London
• The Hurlingham Academy London
• Sulivan Primary School London
• Fulham Primary School London

What is Sedgehill Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sedgehill Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was Sedgehill Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Sedgehill Academy was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does Sedgehill Academy have?

Sedgehill Academy has 960 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sedgehill Academy cover?

Sedgehill Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Sedgehill Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 51.9, and 66% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Sedgehill Academy?

Sedgehill Academy is at Sedgehill Road, Lewisham, London, SE6 3QW.