Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School

About Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School

Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School in Lambeth is a mixed, state secondary for pupils aged 11 to 19, and it is clearly a school in high demand. With 1,179 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,200, it is operating very close to its maximum. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 692 applications for just 176 places, an oversubscription ratio of nearly 4 to 1. Of those applications, 238 were first preferences, and 157 first-preference offers were made, meaning many families who put the school at the top of their list were still unsuccessful. The school’s intake reflects a diverse community: 23.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average for secondary schools and suggests the school serves a genuinely mixed catchment. As a Roman Catholic school, its admissions criteria will prioritise faith-based applicants, but the sheer volume of applications indicates its reputation extends well beyond the local Catholic community.

Academically, Bishop Thomas Grant is one of the strongest schools in Lambeth. Its Progress 8 score of 0.74 is rated ‘Well above average’ and places it third out of 15 secondary schools in the local authority, well ahead of the LA average of 0.07. Pupils achieve an Attainment 8 score of 59.4, and 84.4% secure a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The school also performs strongly on the EBacc: 59.2% of pupils enter the EBacc suite of subjects, and 50.3% achieve a grade 5 or above in it. At sixth form, the school’s value-added score of 0.18 is rated ‘Above average’, and the average grade across the best three A-levels is a B, with a points per entry grade also at B. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025, the school received Outstanding grades across every category judged, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is a school that has maintained Outstanding since at least its previous inspection in 2014.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, chapel, science labs, music rooms, and an astro turf pitch, alongside clubs such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, and Young Enterprise. It also has a strong SEND provision, supporting pupils with autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities, among others. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 97% of respondents would recommend the school, and 97% agree or strongly agree that their child is happy. The school suits families who value high academic expectations within a faith-based framework and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process. For Catholic families in Lambeth or nearby boroughs, it is likely to be a top choice, but its academic results and Ofsted rating mean it will appeal to any family seeking a high-performing state secondary with a strong sixth form.

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