Prendergast School

Prendergast School is performing exceptionally well across all inspected areas. This was its first routine section 5 inspection, although it had previously been judged outstanding before becoming an academy. Inspectors found an aspirational culture where pupils take pride in their learning, produce high-quality work and achieve excellent academic outcomes. Pupils are confident, polite and articulate, and parents speak highly of the school. Pupils with SEND are equally ambitious for and do very well, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The curriculum is exceptionally ambitious and well designed, including in the sixth form. Teachers have strong subject knowledge, use questioning and retrieval well, and adapt teaching effectively for pupils with SEND. Reading is a key priority, and pastoral care underpins the school’s high expectations, with pupils’ behaviour nearly always exemplary and attendance strong. Personal development is a clear strength, with a wide range of opportunities in arts, STEM, careers and leadership, and sixth-form students benefit from well-planned enhancement and careers activities. Staff feel valued, and governors are well informed and supportive. The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.

Strengths

• Exceptionally ambitious and well-designed curriculum across the school and sixth form
• Pupils produce high-quality work and achieve excellent academic outcomes
• Pupils with SEND are equally ambitious for and achieve very well
• Teachers have excellent subject knowledge and use questioning effectively to check understanding
• Teaching and resources are adapted effectively to meet the needs of pupils with SEND
• Reading is a key priority, with strong support for pupils who need to become fluent readers
• Pastoral care underpins the school and helps pupils’ behaviour to be nearly always exemplary
• Pupils attend school regularly due to a strong focus on attendance and punctuality
• Personal, social, health and economic education is expertly planned
• A wide range of opportunities develops pupils’ interests, talents and leadership skills
• The arts and creativity are at the heart of the school
• Sixth-form students benefit from well-planned curriculum enhancement and careers education
• Staff feel valued by leaders, who consider workload and well-being
• Governors are well informed, supportive and challenging
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

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 Prendergast School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 14.7% 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, 3.6% of pupils at Prendergast 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 Prendergast School had 19.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.1% 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, 8.9% of pupils at Prendergast School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.6% 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 Prendergast School received £8,641 and spent £8,691 for each of its 1,025 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £4,000 (£4 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Leathersellers' Federation of Schools, income was £9,902 and spending £9,854 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

Prendergast School is part of Leathersellers' Federation of Schools, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Prendergast Vale School London
• Prendergast Ladywell School Lewisham

What is Prendergast School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Prendergast School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Prendergast School last inspected by Ofsted?

Prendergast School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Prendergast School have?

Prendergast School has 1,052 pupils on roll.

What age range does Prendergast School cover?

Prendergast School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Prendergast School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 59.0, and 69% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Prendergast School?

Prendergast School is at Adelaide Avenue, Brockley, London, SE4 1LE.