Academy sponsor led · Islington

City of London Academy Highbury Grove

11–18Ages
892Pupils
SecondaryPhase
Sixth formAges 16–18
144962URN

8 Highbury Grove, Islington, London, N5 2EQ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Apr 2022 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.4per place

0.4 below Islington median (2.8)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Islington

425 applications for 174 places · 7th of 10 in Islington

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

44.0of 90

Islington 51.5 England 46.0

8th of 9 in Islington

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 26 April 2022Ofsted'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

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

2.4applications per place, Year 7

0.4 below Islington median (2.8) 0.2 above England median (2.2)

425 applications · 174 places offered · 98 named it first

2026 2.4; Islington median median 2.8
2025 2.8; Islington median median 2.8
2024 3.0; Islington median median 3.0
2023 2.9; Islington median median 2.9
2022 2.5; Islington median median 3.0
2021 2.3; Islington median median 3.0
2020 2.5; Islington median median 3.2
2019 2.1; Islington median median 3.0
2018 3.2; Islington median median 3.2
2017 4.3; Islington median median 3.1; as the previous school
2016 4.1; Islington median median 3.0; as the previous school
2015 4.6; Islington median median 2.8; as the previous school
2014 4.0; Islington median median 3.2; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Islington median in 1 of 9 years.

This school
Islington median

Dashed bars: as Highbury Grove School (URN 100452), the previous school.

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	174	425	2.4	98	0.56
Sep 2025	170	470	2.8	89	0.52
Sep 2024	188	570	3.0	123	0.65
Sep 2023	188	537	2.9	92	0.49
Sep 2022	232	578	2.5	130	0.56
Sep 2021	235	544	2.3	106	0.45
Sep 2020	234	588	2.5	97	0.41
Sep 2019	236	503	2.1	107	0.45
Sep 2018	160	515	3.2	78	0.49
Sep 2017 *	208	892	4.3	182	0.88
Sep 2016 *	207	855	4.1	174	0.84
Sep 2015 *	174	805	4.6	191	1.10
Sep 2014 *	206	821	4.0	222	1.08

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

162 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)44.08th of 9 in Islington

Islington 51.5 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths39%8th of 9 in Islington

Islington 49% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths63%

Islington 72% England 66%

This school
Islington median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)+0.09

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	162	44.0	39%	63%	–
2024/25	199	45.4	45%	63%	–
2023/24	188	47.2	52%	67%	+0.09
2022/23	174	40.8	33%	51%	−0.36

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

City of London Academy Highbury GroveThis school
This school

Good2022

2.4applications per place 44.0Attainment 8
Highbury Fields School
0.4 km · Islington

Remains Outstanding2022

3.3applications per place 56.2Attainment 8
St Mary Magdalene Academy
0.9 km · Islington

Outstanding2023

6.4applications per place 58.4Attainment 8
Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form
1.3 km · Hackney

Remains Good2022

3.1applications per place 52.2Attainment 8
City of London Academy Islington
1.5 km · Islington

Standards maintained2025

3.4applications per place 46.1Attainment 8
The Excelsior Academy
1.8 km · Hackney

Good2024

1.8applications per place 46.6Attainment 8
Waterside Academy
1.9 km · Hackney

2026

2.6applications per place 45.5Attainment 8
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School
2.1 km · Islington

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.8applications per place 55.0Attainment 8
Lift Beacon High
2.3 km · Islington

Good2022

1.9applications per place

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: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 144962 · 206/4003
Trust: City of London Academies Trust
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Capacity: 1,200 pupils · 892 on roll
Free school meals: 58.9% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 December 2017
Replaced: Highbury Grove School (URN 100452)
Address: 8 Highbury Grove, Islington, London, N5 2EQ
Local authority: Islington

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