La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School

About La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School

La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School in Lambeth has been judged Outstanding across every category in its most recent Ofsted inspection, which took place in December 2023. That includes top marks for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. The school has held an Outstanding rating since at least its previous graded inspection in 2013. But the most telling academic metric is its Progress 8 score of 0.22, which means pupils achieve nearly a quarter of a grade more per subject than the national average. That figure is notably above the Lambeth local authority average of 0.07, placing La Retraite fifth out of 15 secondary schools in the borough. In a local context where only four schools hold an Outstanding rating, La Retraite stands out as a strong performer for girls in the state sector.

At GCSE, the school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 51.8, and 79.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The English Baccalaureate average point score is 4.68, with 55.5% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects. Progress in English is particularly strong, with a Progress 8 score of 0.44, while maths progress is slightly negative at -0.08. In the sixth form, the school’s value-added score is 0.12, with an average points per entry of 33.09, equating to a grade of C+. The best three A-levels average out at a C+ grade, with 8.6% of entries achieving AAB or higher. Nationally, La Retraite ranks in the top third of schools by Progress 8, sitting at the 33rd percentile, and within London it ranks 282nd out of 487 schools.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 336 applications for 163 places, with 116 first-preference applications and 110 offers made to first-preference candidates. Facilities include science labs, a theatre, music rooms, art studios, a sixth-form centre, a chapel, and playing fields. Sports on offer range from rowing and rugby to gymnastics and athletics, while clubs include chess, debate, Model UN, coding, and Young Enterprise. The school supports a wide range of SEND needs, including dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. This is a Catholic girls’ school with a strong academic record, particularly in English, and a sixth form that performs solidly above the national average. It will suit families looking for a high-performing, faith-based secondary in south London that consistently delivers above-average progress.

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