The John Roan School

About The John Roan School

The John Roan School is a popular choice among Greenwich families, with 719 applications for 166 Year 7 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.33. Of those, 168 families put it as their first preference, and 105 received offers. This level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, though the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage in its data. The school is a mixed, non-religious state secondary for ages 11 to 18, led by headteacher Jennie Sanderson. It has capacity for 1,400 pupils and currently enrols 1,156, so there is some room for growth. Over 40 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, reflecting a diverse intake. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, rated it Good overall, with Good marks across all five categories including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This is a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was rated Inadequate.

Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 year was -0.29, which is below the national average and places it in the ‘Below average’ banding. This is also below the Greenwich local authority average of 0.1. Within the borough, it ranks 12th out of 15 secondary schools on this measure, putting it in the bottom 80th percentile locally. Nationally, it sits in the 70th percentile among 3,141 schools. The Attainment 8 score is 41.6, and 54.2 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though only 33.3 per cent reached grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.96, with 53.7 per cent of pupils entering the EBacc combination. At A-level, the school’s value-added score is -0.13, classed as ‘Average’, with pupils achieving an average of 31.81 points per entry, equivalent to a C+ grade. The best three A-levels average out at a C+ grade as well.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, theatre, music rooms, astro turf, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include cricket, swimming, basketball, and gymnastics, while clubs range from art and drama to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and gardening. The school has a strong SEND provision, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. It also has a resourced provision. For families considering alternatives, the nearest Outstanding-rated school is Leigh Academy Blackheath, 1.3 km away. The John Roan School suits families who value a large, inclusive comprehensive with strong facilities and a sixth form, and who are comfortable with a school that is improving from a low base but still below the local average in academic outcomes.

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