South Chingford Foundation School
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South Chingford Foundation School is a sponsored academy in London for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 547 pupils and room for 675. About 40 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 2 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in January 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Stadium Close, Chingford, London, E4 8SG020 8531 9231southchingfordfoundationfs.org.ukMs Emma Hobbs executive prinicpalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 20 January 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 15 September 2021 | Ungraded | School remains Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
120 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Waltham Forest | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 120 | 126 | 95 | 83 | 125 | 87 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 32.8 | 35.2 | 40.6 | 41.1 | 40.3 | 40.4 | 45.1 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.79 | -0.24 | -0.47 | -0.32 | -0.32 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 29% | 26% | 37% | 28% | 30% | 24% | 45% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 37% | 42% | 58% | 61% | 54% | 48% | 63% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.04 | 3.19 | 3.44 | 3.71 | 3.65 | 3.75 | 4.04 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 38% | 25% | 14% | 47% | 66% | 77% | 45% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 28.1 | 29.0 | 37.4 | 36.9 | 36.4 | 36.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 35.9 | 39.6 | 42.4 | 44.4 | 42.3 | 43.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 22.0 | 19.8 | 30.7 | 24.2 | 29.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 59.4 | 65.2 | 66.0 | 56.8 | 50.0 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 17 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.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Art and Design (19% here, 58% across England), Geography (17% here, 51% across England), Social Studies (22% here, 54% across England), Physical Education (26% here, 56% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 112 | 12% | 35% | 47% | 53% | 2,762 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 112 | 11% | 38% | 51% | 54% | 2,701 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 105 | 6% | 37% | 50% | 58% | 2,840 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 79 | 0% | 14% | 32% | 36% | 2,880 of 3,084 |
| History | 60 | 15% | 35% | 45% | 52% | 2,554 of 3,126 |
| Social Studies | 49 | 2% | 22% | 43% | 54% | 984 of 1,043 |
| Spanish | 44 | 18% | 46% | 61% | 54% | 1,307 of 1,941 |
| Computer Science | 37 | 22% | 35% | 60% | 56% | 1,461 of 1,861 |
| Geography | 36 | 3% | 17% | 33% | 51% | 3,033 of 3,116 |
| Biology | 31 | 29% | 84% | 97% | 82% | 1,467 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 30 | 30% | 83% | 100% | 81% | 1,438 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 30 | 13% | 67% | 80% | 82% | 2,063 of 2,546 |
| Physical Education | 27 | 7% | 26% | 30% | 56% | 1,393 of 1,559 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 18 | 0% | 28% | 33% | 52% | – |
| Drama | 18 | 0% | 39% | 56% | 60% | – |
| Art and Design | 16 | 0% | 19% | 56% | 58% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 14 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
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, 2019
35 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 35 | 41 | 56 | 46 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | – | 18.13 | 2.00 | 2.31 |
| Average A level grade | – | D- | U | U |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.51 | -0.60 | -0.37 | -0.32 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 13% | 40% | – | – |
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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
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
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
288 places were empty (32% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 20% since 2021/22.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
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. Every child who applied got a place (26 offers for 160 places).
| Entry | Places | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 160 | 26 | – all offered | LA |
What parents say
From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 26 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (25), language and communications needs (21), Autistic spectrum disorder (16), Moderate learning difficulty (10), Hearing impairment (3), Specific learning difficulty (3).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 547 | 617 | 628 | 557 | 506 | 522 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 40% | 36% | 34% | 31% | 30% | 26% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 52% | 54% | 57% | 58% | 57% | 58% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 10% | 10% | 9% | 11% | 12% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 5% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 86.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 13.4% | 11.8% | 9.8% | 8.3% | 6.4% | 6.5% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 8.7% | 6.6% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.9% | 4.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.6% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 3.6% | 1.5% | 2.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 46.9% | 37.4% | 35.0% | 27.0% | 19.9% | 22.1% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 25.5 | 22.6 | 33.0 | 17.6 | 5.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 95 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 88%, compared with 92% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 91% | 92% | 90% | 89% |
| Education | 88% | 92% | 83% | 87% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 0% | 2% | 1% |
| Work | 1% | 0% | 4% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 4% | 7% | 6% |
After sixth form
Where the 17 pupils who left in 2020/21 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 78%, compared with 75% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went (2019/20 leavers)
Among students from low-income families, 57% went on to degree-level study or training and 0% to a top-third university.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers | 2018/19 leavers | 2016/17 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 77% | – | – | – |
| Education | 59% | – | – | – |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 18% | – | – | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 18% | – | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walthamstow Academy | Academy | 0.6 miles | 1,092 | Good 2022 | 72 | Compare |
| Highams Park School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 1,592 | Good 2024 | 51 | Compare |
| Frederick Bremer School | Council | 0.8 miles | 888 | Good 2024 | 47 | Compare |
| Holy Family Catholic School | Roman Catholic | 1.1 miles | 1,175 | Good 2023 | 63 | Compare |
| Woodford County High School | Council (grammar) | 1.3 miles | 1,237 | Good 2022 | 94 | Compare |
| Walthamstow School for Girls | Council | 1.3 miles | 895 | Not inspected | 90 | Compare |
| Eden Girls' School, Waltham Forest | Free school | 1.5 miles | 617 | Outstanding 2022 | 97 | Compare |
| Trinity Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 1.7 miles | 1,603 | Good 2023 | 77 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares South Chingford Foundation School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than South Chingford Foundation School, 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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buxton School | Foundation | 3.5 miles | 1,065 | Good 2023 | 52 | Compare |
| Bishop Stopford's School | Church of England | 4.1 miles | 554 | Good 2024 | 16 | Compare |
| King Solomon High School | Jewish | 4.4 miles | 636 | Requires improvement 2024 | 26 | Compare |
| Laurel Park School | Foundation | 4.9 miles | 607 | No overall grade 2024 | 28 | Compare |
| Forest Academy | Academy | 5.5 miles | 749 | Good 2023 | 47 | Compare |
| Friern Barnet School | Council | 6.2 miles | 591 | Good 2024 | 38 | Compare |
| St Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox School | Free school | 6.2 miles | 554 | Good 2024 | 74 | Compare |
| Bishop Douglass School Finchley | Academy | 7.2 miles | 968 | Good 2022 | 78 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 2 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 2% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 1 to 3. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | well below | -0.20 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 120 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -0.47 | Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.24 | DfE progress measure; 120 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.20 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.17 | 2024/25; 670 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.21 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 120 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | -0.01 | 95 pupils |
| What parents say | 5% | below | -0.02 | Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 26 responses |
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 South Chingford Foundation School a good school?
The figures are weak. South Chingford Foundation School scores 2 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 1 to 3, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is South Chingford Foundation School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 20 January 2026 it rated teaching as needs attention, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as needs attention, leadership as needs attention.
How good are South Chingford Foundation School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 29% 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 32.8, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does South Chingford Foundation School have?
547 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 675 places, so it is 81% full.
Is South Chingford Foundation School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 288 places were empty in 2024/25 (32% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at South Chingford Foundation School?
Pupils were in school 86.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 47% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
What do parents say about South Chingford Foundation School?
65% of the 26 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 62% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.
How big are the classes at South Chingford Foundation School?
The average class had 21.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. No class had more than 30 pupils.
Does South Chingford Foundation School have a sixth form?
Yes.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Stadium Close, Chingford, London, E4 8SG
- Telephone
- 020 8531 9231
- Website
- www.southchingfordfoundationfs.org.uk
- Executive Prinicpal
- Ms Emma Hobbs
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Chingford Academies Trust (2 schools)
- Local authority
- Waltham Forest
- Ward
- Larkswood
- Constituency
- Chingford and Woodford Green
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 October 2012 (new provision)
- URN
- 138859 · LAESTAB 3204001 · UKPRN 10039067
- Formerly
- Rush Croft Sports College
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Waltham Forest council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.