Bishopshalt School

About Bishopshalt School

Bishopshalt School is a mixed secondary in Hillingdon that is clearly in high demand. With 1,084 applications for 175 Year 7 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, the school is heavily oversubscribed, and only 155 of those offers went to first-preference applicants out of 323 who put it top of their list. That works out at roughly six applicants for every place. The school currently has 1,294 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,311, so it is running very close to full. Just over a quarter of its students (26.6%) are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average for secondary schools and suggests a genuinely comprehensive intake. The headteacher is Liam McGillicuddy, and the school has no religious character. It also has its own sixth form, so pupils can stay on after GCSEs without having to move elsewhere.

Academically, Bishopshalt is a standout performer in Hillingdon. Its Progress 8 score of 1.05 is ranked first out of 21 schools in the local authority and places it in the top 2% nationally. That score means pupils here achieve, on average, just over a grade higher per subject than pupils with similar starting points nationally. The local authority average Progress 8 is 0.06, so Bishopshalt is well over a grade ahead of the typical Hillingdon school. Attainment 8 sits at 58.7, and 88.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is high at 88%, and 69% of pupils entered the EBacc achieved a grade 4 or above. At A-level, the school’s value added score is -0.04, which is rated as average, and the average points per entry is 37.58, equivalent to a B- grade. The most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021 rated the school Good overall, with Good for leadership and management, and the school has improved from a Requires Improvement rating in its previous graded inspection back in 2009.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, art studios, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include netball, rowing, gymnastics, and hockey, while clubs range from coding and debate to gardening and Young Enterprise. For families with children who have additional needs, Bishopshalt has a broad SEND offer covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is oversubscribed, so families will need to be strategic with their application, but for those who secure a place, the combination of strong academic progress, a genuinely mixed intake, and solid facilities makes it a compelling option in the northwest London area.

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