The Five Islands Academy

About The Five Islands Academy

The Five Islands Academy is the only state secondary on the Isles of Scilly, a Church of England school for pupils aged 3 to 16. With 251 pupils against a capacity of 285, it is not oversubscribed, leaving some room for new families moving to the islands. Its intake is notably less disadvantaged than the national average: just 3.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with a typical English state secondary figure of around 23%. The school is also a boarding school, which is unusual for a state-funded setting, and it offers nursery provision from age three. This combination of small size, low FSM, and boarding capacity suggests a school that serves a tight-knit island community while also accommodating families who need residential places, perhaps due to the remote geography. The headteacher is Rachel Lewin, and the school has held a Good rating from Ofsted since its most recent inspection in 2023.

Academically, the school performs exceptionally well. Its Progress 8 score of 1.07 is well above the national average of zero, meaning pupils make significantly more progress than similar students across England. This score places the school 52nd nationally out of 3,141 schools, and second in the South West region out of 306. The Attainment 8 score is 52.8, and 88.2% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths (the basics measure), compared with a national average around 65%. The EBacc average point score is 4.25, though only 5.9% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. In English, the Progress 8 sub-score is particularly strong at 1.19, while maths is 0.62. The school’s local authority average Progress 8 is identical at 1.07, reflecting that it is the only secondary in the Isles of Scilly, so it effectively sets the LA benchmark.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including science labs, a theatre, sports hall, gymnasium, library, chapel, and music rooms. Sports on offer include cricket, hockey, netball, rowing, and martial arts, while clubs range from coding and science club to Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Young Enterprise. For pupils with additional needs, the school provides support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. There is no official sixth form, so students must move on after Year 11, likely to mainland colleges or the school’s own boarding provision if they continue elsewhere. This school suits families who value a small, community-focused setting with strong academic outcomes, particularly those living on or moving to the Isles of Scilly, and who may need boarding or nursery options.

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