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Highbury Fields School

Islington, N5 1ARSecondaryAges 11–18GirlsState
Ofsted Rating
Outstanding
Sep 2022
Progress 8
+0.43
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
131 1st-choice / 137 places
Ranking
🏆Top 25%
#606 of 3,141 nationally

About Highbury Fields School

Highbury Fields School is a girls' secondary school in Islington, one of five state secondaries in the borough rated Outstanding by Ofsted. It sits third out of nine similar schools locally when ranked by Progress 8, a measure of how much pupils improve between Year 7 and 11. The top-performing peer in the borough is Central Foundation Boys' School, followed by St Aloysius' College, with St Mary Magdalene Academy, the nearest other Outstanding school at just 0.8 km away, also ahead. The school is led by headteacher Tim Fox and is non-religious. It is significantly oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 462 applications for 137 places, with 131 first-preference applications and 90 first-preference offers made. Over half of its 729 pupils (50.9%) are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, and the school operates at around 69% of its 1,050 capacity.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderGirls
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressHighbury Hill, London, Islington, N5 1AR
HeadteacherTim Fox
Local AuthorityIslington
Number of Pupils729
Free School Meals (FSM)50.9%
School Capacity729 / 1,050 (69% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

28 Sept 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
Sixth Form Provision
Outstanding

Latest monitoring visit (28 Sept 2022): School remains Outstanding

Source: Ofsted, 10 Nov 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

10
Astro TurfSwimming PoolSixth Form CentreDining HallTennis CourtsSports HallScience LabsLibraryTheatreChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

20

Sports

NetballRugbyGymnasticsSwimmingCross CountryCricketAthleticsBadmintonTennis

Clubs & Activities

Eco ClubChoirCodingBook ClubGardeningOrchestraChessNewspaperYoung EnterpriseFilm ClubDebate

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Highbury Fields School

Highbury Fields School has been rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. This means the school provides an exceptional quality of education, and pupils thrive both academically and personally.