Best secondary schools in Islington
9 of 10 secondary schools ranked by Attainment 8 · all Islington schools · primary schools
Ranked on Attainment 8, 2025/26 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.
- 7 of 10 rated Good or Outstanding
- 1 oversubscribed on first preference
- 7 Good or better and undersubscribed — the overlooked ones
- Median Attainment 8: 51.5 (best 70.0)
| # | School | Attainment 8 | Ofsted | Places | Catchment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School | 70.0 | — | — | approximate |
| 2 | Highbury Fields School London hidden gem | 56.2 | Outstanding improving | undersubscribed 0.72 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 3 | Central Foundation Boys' School London | 55.5 | Not judged improving | oversubscribed 1.36 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 4 | Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School London | 55.0 | Not judged | about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 5 | St Aloysius' College London hidden gem | 51.5 | Good | undersubscribed 0.63 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 6 | City of London Academy Islington London hidden gem | 46.1 | Outstanding improving | undersubscribed 0.78 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 7 | City of London Academy, Highgate Hill London hidden gem | 45.5 | Good improving | undersubscribed 0.68 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 8 | City of London Academy Highbury Grove London hidden gem | 44.0 | Good | undersubscribed 0.56 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 9 | Arts and Media School Islington London hidden gem | 40.2 | Good | undersubscribed 0.62 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
Also in Islington
1 further secondary school with no published Attainment 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Islington, not a fairer one.
- Lift Beacon High Ofsted: Good hidden gem
Applying in Islington
Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.
- Secondary application deadline 31 October 2026 · 2027 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2027 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2026; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
- Primary (Reception) application deadline 15 January 2027 · 2027 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2027 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2027; apply via your home local authority.
- Secondary National Offer Day 1 March 2027 · 2027 entry Secondary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — state school Year 7 place offers (1 March).
- Primary National Offer Day 16 April 2027 · 2027 entry Primary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — Reception place offers (16 April).
- Secondary application deadline 31 October 2027 · 2028 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2028 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2027; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
- Primary (Reception) application deadline 15 January 2028 · 2028 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2028 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2028; apply via your home local authority.
Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Islington admission criteria.
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