School Chooser

City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park

Secondary · ages 11-19MixedFree school914 pupilsSixth formLondonHackney
School Chooser Score
89
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 85 to 93
Out of 100. Better than 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, January 2025
Strong pass in English and maths59%England 46%
Attendance91.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families58%Far more than most schools
Places226 spare914 pupils, 1,140 places
Pupils per teacher14.9School workforce census

City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park is a free school in London for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 914 pupils and room for 1,140. About 58 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 89 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Hyde Road, London, N1 5JU020 3011 2162shoreditch.cola.org.ukMrs Holly Arles headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 22 January 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

94 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score54.3
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths59%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths80%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.68In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2022 to 2025
2022: 56.856.820222023: 53.853.820232024: 58.958.920242025: 54.354.32025
Since 2022: -2.5Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232022HackneyEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 119488153162
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 854.358.953.856.850.746.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.68+0.37+0.19
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths59%69%55%71%50%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths80%86%76%88%71%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score5.175.635.165.504.594.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry64%80%78%79%58%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged48.853.947.453.5
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged61.865.961.761.1
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers31.531.840.0
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers75.068.168.5

Subjects

Results came out for 18 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

History89%grades 9 to 5, England 52% · 141st of 3,126 schools
Geography87%grades 9 to 5, England 51% · 160th of 3,116 schools
Design & Technology83%grades 9 to 5, England 50%
Spanish85%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 149th of 1,941 schools
What is taught hereOffers triple science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
English Literature93 entries · 4th of 15 in Hackney
80%England 58%
English Language92 entries · 6th of 15 in Hackney
66%England 54%
Mathematics92 entries · 6th of 15 in Hackney
63%England 53%
Combined Science74 entries · 4th of 14 in Hackney
55%England 36%
Spanish66 entries · 1st of 14 in Hackney
85%England 54%
Geography52 entries · 1st of 14 in Hackney
87%England 51%
Business35 entries · 1st of 9 in Hackney
77%England 51%
History35 entries · 2nd of 14 in Hackney
89%England 52%
Art and Design25 entries · 6th of 13 in Hackney
64%England 58%
Physics18 entries
94%England 82%
Biology18 entries
94%England 82%
Chemistry18 entries
94%England 81%
83%England 50%
Social Studies15 entries
73%England 54%
Music14 entries
50%England 61%
77%England 49%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Literature9334%80%88%58%306 of 3,202
English Language9228%66%84%54%605 of 3,210
Mathematics9232%63%84%53%760 of 3,211
Combined Science7410%55%73%36%359 of 3,084
Spanish6641%85%96%54%149 of 1,941
Geography5252%87%96%51%160 of 3,116
Business3543%77%91%51%161 of 1,806
History3569%89%94%52%141 of 3,126
Art and Design2540%64%84%58%1,154 of 2,818
Physics1872%94%94%82%
Biology1883%94%94%82%
Chemistry1867%94%94%81%
Design & Technology1839%83%94%50%
Social Studies1547%73%100%54%
Music147%50%100%61%
Other Modern Languages1369%77%77%49%
Physical Education813%63%100%56%
Drama633%83%100%60%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

40 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeB41.3 points per entry
A level progress+0.14Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better20%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished100%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure20252024
Students4020
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry41.3039.34
Average A level gradeBB
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS41.2539.17
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects20%15%
A level progressA level value added+0.14-0.28
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed100%100%

A level subjects

11 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

Strongest A levels

Economics77%A* to B, England 57% · 13 entries
Mathematics76%A* to B, England 60% · 25 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsMathematics25Physics13Economics13Chemistry10Biology9Geography8Psychology7Mathematics (Further)7Sociology6History6Spanish5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Mathematics25 entries · 52% A* or A · 100% passed
76%England 60%
Physics13 entries · 15% A* or A · 100% passed
31%England 51%
Economics13 entries · 46% A* or A · 100% passed
77%England 57%
Chemistry10 entries · 20% A* or A · 100% passed
60%England 53%
Biology9 entries · 44% A* or A · 100% passed
78%England 49%
Geography8 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
88%England 51%
Psychology7 entries · 14% A* or A · 100% passed
57%England 46%
Mathematics (Further)7 entries · 14% A* or A · 100% passed
57%England 76%
Sociology6 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
83%England 49%
History6 entries · 17% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 55%
Spanish5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 59%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
48.861.8
Gap 13.0England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
46%75%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
57.351.9
Gap 5.4England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places865 pupils for 1,262 places, 2024/25
69% full

397 places were empty (32% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 25% since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.7 miles away in 2026, 0.9 miles away in 2023. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.7 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary1807351811.7 milesLA
2023 Secondary1806941800.9 milesLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 1.7 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.7 miles of the school£605,250half sold for £450k to £872k
Homes sold5,968December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+2%a typical home in the district sells for £595,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll914Census January 2026
Places1,14080% full
Pupils from low-income families57%58% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English38%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%120 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%36 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.642 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)62%£592,350 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls468 / 446
White British pupils13%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (42), language and communications needs (35), Autistic spectrum disorder (18), Moderate learning difficulty (16), Specific learning difficulty (16), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (13).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll914861782729696526
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals57%56%51%51%46%42%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language38%46%46%49%51%49%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%8%10%14%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%5%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance91.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school22.7%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils24.02024/25, 3 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission5.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.3%7.5%8.8%7.2%4.8%5.1%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.8%3.6%4.9%4.4%2.9%4.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence5.5%3.9%4.0%2.8%1.8%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence22.7%21.4%25.6%22.3%12.7%15.9%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate24.022.316.218.710.1
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions36740

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 153 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training95%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers
Still in education, work or training95%96%
Education93%94%
Apprenticeship0%0%
Work1%1%
Not in education, work or training5%2%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers61.5full-time equivalent, 63 people
Pupils per teacher14.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers95%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£60,795
Teachers who left in the year23%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies2
Sick days per teacher0.52024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£11,206England £7,965. Total £9.7m
Income per pupil£11,339England £8,423. Total £9.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£6,208England £4,444
Money in reserve1%Very little put by: £107k, £124 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£115kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£11,206spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1,70212 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate113 per 1,000 people24% higher than the England average
Typical house price£592,000Hackney
Nearest bus stop180 mNicholl Street, 20 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Haggerston SchoolAcademy410 m939Good 202271Compare
The Bridge AcademyAcademy520 m1,070Good 202384Compare
Oaklands SchoolCouncil560 m902Report card 202679Compare
Mulberry Academy ShoreditchAcademy710 m1,457Good 202250Compare
Waterside AcademyFree school940 m351Report card 202679Compare
Swanlea SchoolCouncil0.9 miles1,253Outstanding 202494Compare
Morpeth SchoolCouncil0.9 miles1,512Good 202366Compare
The Urswick School - A Church of England Secondary SchoolChurch of England0.9 miles752Good 202324Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats88%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 89 is 33 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 57 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Mossbourne Victoria Park AcademyAcademy1.1 miles838Outstanding 2023100Compare
Oasis Academy South BankFree school3.1 miles691Outstanding 202495Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 89 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 89% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 85 to 93. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%above
+0.13
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 94 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.34
Ofsted grade, 1.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.20
DfE progress measure; 94 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 840 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.22
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 94 pupils
What pupils do next5%above
+0.02
153 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park scores 89 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 85 to 93, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park not judged at its last full inspection on 22 January 2025.

How good are City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 59% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 54.3, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park have?

914 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,140 places, so it is 80% full.

Is City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.7 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park?

Pupils were in school 91.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 23% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park?

The average class had 21.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B. 11 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Hyde Road, London, N1 5JU
Telephone
020 3011 2162
Website
www.shoreditch.cola.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Holly Arles
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
City of London Academies Trust (12 schools)
Local authority
Hackney
Ward
Hoxton East & Shoreditch
Constituency
Hackney South and Shoreditch
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2017
URN
143756 · LAESTAB 2044005 · UKPRN 10064959

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from