Voluntary aided school · Hackney

The Urswick School - A Church of England Secondary School

11–19Ages
752Pupils
SecondaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
Sixth formAges 16–18
100284URN

Paragon Road, Hackney, London, E9 6NR · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Dec 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

3.0per place

close to Hackney median (3.0)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Hackney

256 applications for 85 places · 9th of 14 in Hackney

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

41.7of 90

Hackney 50.9 England 46.0

15th of 15 in Hackney

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 5 December 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Sixth form provision		Good

Inspection history

5 December 2023
Graded inspection: Good
6 July 2022
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

3.0applications per place, Year 7

close to Hackney median (3.0) 0.8 above England median (2.2)

256 applications · 85 places offered · 67 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 3.0; Hackney median median 3.0
2025 3.3; Hackney median median 2.9
2024 2.4; Hackney median median 3.2
2023 2.3; Hackney median median 2.6
2022 1.9; Hackney median median 3.2
2021 1.7; Hackney median median 3.6
2020 2.1; Hackney median median 4.0
2019 2.1; Hackney median median 3.9
2018 2.4; Hackney median median 3.4
2017 2.6; Hackney median median 4.1
2016 3.0; Hackney median median 4.0
2015 3.1; Hackney median median 3.8
2014 3.4; Hackney median median 3.7

More applications per place than the Hackney median in 1 of 13 years.

This school
Hackney median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	85	256	3.0	67	0.79
Sep 2025	74	245	3.3	57	0.77
Sep 2024	122	287	2.4	68	0.56
Sep 2023	140	317	2.3	90	0.64
Sep 2022	176	330	1.9	79	0.45
Sep 2021	174	302	1.7	72	0.41
Sep 2020	171	359	2.1	85	0.50
Sep 2019	175	363	2.1	77	0.44
Sep 2018	171	401	2.4	58	0.34
Sep 2017	171	447	2.6	95	0.56
Sep 2016	150	444	3.0	95	0.63
Sep 2015	165	514	3.1	101	0.61
Sep 2014	162	555	3.4	111	0.69

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

139 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)41.715th of 15 in Hackney

Hackney 50.9 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths35%15th of 15 in Hackney

Hackney 54% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths63%

Hackney 74% England 66%

This school
Hackney median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.26

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	139	41.7	35%	63%	–
2024/25	141	39.2	28%	48%	–
2023/24	147	39.3	24%	48%	−0.26
2022/23	139	44.3	37%	58%	+0.09

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

The Urswick School - A Church of England Secondary SchoolThis school
This school

Good2023

3.0applications per place 41.7Attainment 8
Cardinal Pole Catholic School
0.5 km · Hackney

Remains Good2022

2.0applications per place 46.1Attainment 8
The City Academy, Hackney
0.6 km · Hackney

Good2023

4.5applications per place 53.2Attainment 8
Mossbourne Community Academy
0.9 km · Hackney

2026

5.3applications per place 67.2Attainment 8
Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy
1.0 km · Hackney

Outstanding2023

4.1applications per place 65.1Attainment 8
Clapton Girls' Academy
1.2 km · Hackney

Outstanding2024

3.3applications per place 60.7Attainment 8
The Excelsior Academy
1.5 km · Hackney

Good2024

1.8applications per place 46.6Attainment 8
City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park
1.5 km · Hackney

Graded · no overall grade2025

4.2applications per place 50.9Attainment 8
The Bridge Academy
1.6 km · Hackney

Remains Good2023

3.7applications per place 51.6Attainment 8

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Voluntary aided school
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 100284 · 204/4697
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 1,050 pupils · 752 on roll
Free school meals: 70.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Paragon Road, Hackney, London, E9 6NR
Local authority: Hackney

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources