City of London Academy, Highgate Hill
London, N19 3EU · Islington · secondary school
7th of 8 secondary schools in Islington we can score, 10 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 6.4/10 against 132 of them, against 3.6/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.81 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2024/25 | 33.0 · 23 | 30% | 0.69 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.12 · 58 | 25% | 1.46 |
| Attainment 8 2024/25 | 40.3 · 22 | 10% | 0.22 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Get to know the school
How it's doing. In 2024/25, 33.0% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 40.3, against a national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.12 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (6.4 out of 10 against similar schools, 3.6 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted rated the school Good in July 2024.
Beyond the classroom. Pupils can join Mandarin, Chinese Calligraphy, Debate Mate, Chess, Arts and Crafts, String, Film, and EAL clubs. Sports include Boxing, Fencing, Basketball, Badminton, Football, and Handball. Arts and music options cover Creative writing, Pottery, Woodwork, Dance, DJ Skill, Japanese Textiles, and Music Scholars. An after-school club is available.
Getting in. The school has 642 pupils in a capacity of 900, leaving 258 spare places. This means the school has real spare room, so a place is likely and classes are smaller than it is built for.
Worth asking on a visit. How does the school support pupils with lower prior attainment to close the gap with the national median? What specific support is available for students joining the EAL club? How does the school utilise its current spare capacity to maintain class sizes
Written by AI from this school's published results, inspection record and its own website — not by Ofsted, the school, or SchoolsGPT staff. Every figure above comes from the sources on this page. Check anything that matters with the school.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
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