Platanos College
92%
Capacity
916
Pupils
1.8x
Demand
About Platanos College
Platanos College is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school in Lambeth, one of 23 schools of its type in the borough. It currently ranks 10th in the local authority by Progress 8 score, placing it in the bottom half of Lambeth’s secondary schools. The top-performing peers in the area are The Elms Academy, Oasis Academy South Bank, and Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School, all of which post significantly higher Progress 8 scores. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Lilian Baylis Technology School, just 1.4 km away. Platanos College itself was judged Good in its most recent graded inspection in October 2021, a downgrade from its previous Outstanding rating in 2014. The school is led by headteacher Judette Tapper and serves 916 pupils against a capacity of 1,000. Over half of its students (56.3%) are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, reflecting a high-needs intake.
Academically, Platanos College’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year is -0.22, which is below the national average and significantly below the Lambeth local authority average of 0.07. The school’s Attainment 8 score stands at 44, and 66.7% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths (the basics measure at 9-4), though this drops to 46.8% at the stronger 9-5 threshold. The EBacc average point score is 3.98, with 48.4% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects, and 29.6% achieving a grade 4 or above across those subjects. Progress in English is close to the national average at 0.05, but maths progress is weaker at -0.34, and the open element of Progress 8 is -0.44. The school’s overall Progress 8 banding is classified as “Below average,” and it ranks 406th out of 487 schools in London and 2,071st nationally out of 3,141.
The school is oversubscribed for Year 7 entry in 2025/26, with 216 applications for 120 places and 72 first-preference offers made. Facilities are strong for a state school and include a swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, tennis courts, playing fields, a theatre, music rooms, art studios, science labs, and a dedicated Sixth Form centre. The school offers a wide range of sports and clubs, including swimming, football, martial arts, cross country, coding, chess, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and Young Enterprise. SEND provision is extensive, covering autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, physical disabilities, and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia. Platanos College will suit families in Lambeth who value a broad extracurricular offer and strong facilities, but who are realistic about its below-average academic progress compared with local peers.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Clapham Road, London, Lambeth, SW9 0AL |
| Headteacher | Judette Tapper |
| Local Authority | Lambeth |
| Number of Pupils | 916 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 56.3% |
| School Capacity | 916 / 1,000 (92% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
19 Oct 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 14 Mar 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.22)
2071st of 3,141
Nationally
406th of 487
In London
10th of 15
In Lambeth
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2341%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 186 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)41%
- FE college34%
- Sixth form college15%
- Employment3%
- Not sustained3%
- Apprenticeship1%
95% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed120
216
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
72 families put this school as their 1st choice (33% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White (other)18.6%
- Mixed7.8%
- Asian6.2%
- White British4.9%
- Black1.5%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than half of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
29
Total schools
28
Oversubscribed
24
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Platanos College
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Clapham Road, London
Lambeth, SW9 0AL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Platanos College!
Write a Review