Best secondary schools in Islington
8 of 10 secondary schools ranked by Attainment 8 · all Islington schools · primary schools
Ranked on Attainment 8, 2024/25 — 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: 49.05 (best 67.5)
| # | School | Attainment 8 | Ofsted | Places | Catchment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School | 67.5 | — | — | approximate |
| 2 | Highbury Fields School London hidden gem | 57.4 | Outstanding improving | undersubscribed 0.72 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 3 | Central Foundation Boys' School London | 55.2 | Not judged improving | oversubscribed 1.36 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 4 | Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School London | 52.7 | Not judged | about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 5 | City of London Academy Highbury Grove London hidden gem | 45.4 | Good | undersubscribed 0.56 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 6 | City of London Academy Islington London hidden gem | 40.8 | Outstanding improving | undersubscribed 0.78 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 7 | City of London Academy, Highgate Hill London hidden gem | 40.3 | Good improving | undersubscribed 0.68 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 8 | Arts and Media School Islington London hidden gem | 38.3 | Good | undersubscribed 0.62 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
Also in Islington
2 further secondary schools 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
- St Aloysius' College 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 2026-10-31 · 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 2027-01-15 · 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 2027-03-01 · 2027 entry Secondary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — state school Year 7 place offers (1 March).
- Primary National Offer Day 2027-04-16 · 2027 entry Primary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — Reception place offers (16 April).
- Secondary application deadline 2027-10-31 · 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 2028-01-15 · 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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