Leigh Academy Blackheath

About Leigh Academy Blackheath

Leigh Academy Blackheath sits within the Greenwich local authority, where it ranks 6th out of 15 secondary schools by Progress 8 score. That places it in the top half of the borough, though it is outperformed by the three top peers in the area: Ark Greenwich Free School, St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School, and Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls. The school is one of only four secondaries in Greenwich rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and the nearest Outstanding-rated school, Ark Greenwich Free School, is 1.8 kilometres away. With a mixed, non-religious intake for pupils aged 11 to 18, the school is led by headteacher Emma Smith and currently has 1,035 pupils on roll, just shy of its capacity of 1,150. A quarter of its pupils (26.7 per cent) are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and gives a sense of the school’s inclusive, comprehensive intake.

Academically, Leigh Academy Blackheath delivers solid results. Its Progress 8 score of 0.22 is above the Greenwich local authority average of 0.1, meaning pupils make stronger progress than their peers in neighbouring schools. The Attainment 8 score sits at 54, and 81.9 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, dropping to 69.5 per cent at grade 5 or above. The school also performs well on the EBacc measure: 91.5 per cent of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects, and 53.7 per cent achieved a grade 4 or above across all five components. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2022, the school received Outstanding ratings across every category, including quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. The Progress 8 banding is classified as Average, but the school’s strongest subject progress is in the EBacc subjects (0.37), with maths and English also showing positive scores.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 1,289 applications for 170 places, with 362 first-preference applications and 138 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 7.58. Facilities are extensive and include a swimming pool, sports hall, astro turf, tennis courts, a theatre, and a sixth form centre. The school offers a wide range of sports from basketball to swimming, and clubs such as choir, debate, coding, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND provision covers eight categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. This is a school that suits families looking for a high-performing, well-resourced state secondary with strong academic progress and a broad extracurricular offer, though competition for places is fierce.

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