City of London Academy Islington

About City of London Academy Islington

City of London Academy Islington was rated Outstanding in its most recent Ofsted inspection, a significant step up from its previous Good rating. The school’s Progress 8 score of 0.13, which measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and GCSEs, is positive and places it in the average banding nationally. However, this score sits below the Islington local authority average of 0.28, and the school ranks 7th out of 9 state secondary schools in the borough. The picture is mixed across subjects: pupils make strong progress in English (0.48) but weaker progress in maths (-0.24). At GCSE, 61.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and the average Attainment 8 score per pupil was 45.5. The school’s EBacc average point score was 3.99, with 38.1% of pupils entering the EBacc suite of subjects.

At A-level, the school’s sixth form was rated Good by Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection. With 49 pupils in the cohort, the average points per entry was 32.96, equivalent to a C+ grade. The value added score of 0.05 is in the average banding, meaning students achieve roughly what would be expected given their prior attainment. Just 9.3% of entries were in AAB or higher at facilitating subjects. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 130 places in the 2025/26 intake, there were 500 applications, a ratio of 3.85 applicants per place, and 88 first-preference offers were made from 109 first-preference applications. Parent opinion is divided — 62% would recommend the school, but 38% would not. In the Parent View survey, 78% of respondents said their child does not have SEND, and 22% said they do.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sixth form centre, and playing fields. Sports on offer include rowing, rugby, and dance, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to coding, gardening, and debate. SEND provisions cover a wide spectrum, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. With 61.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a highly disadvantaged intake. City of London Academy Islington is a good fit for families who want a large, oversubscribed London comprehensive with a strong sixth form and a wide extracurricular offer, but who are comfortable with a school where parent satisfaction is mixed and where academic outcomes, while positive, are not the strongest in the borough.

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