School Chooser

The Archer Academy

Secondary · ages 11-16MixedFree school818 pupilsLondonBarnet
School Chooser Score
85
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 81 to 89, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 46% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Strong pass in English and maths57%England 46%
Attendance92.8%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families14%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull818 pupils, 810 places
Pupils per teacher16.2School workforce census
Pupils on roll818Census January 2026

The Archer Academy is a free school in London for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 818 pupils, 8 more than it has places for. About 14 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 85 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it.

Eagans Close, London, N2 8GA020 8365 4110thearcheracademy.org.ukLucy Harrison headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

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

Average GCSE score55.9
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths57%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths81%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.61In 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
2018 to 2025
2018: 58.058.020182019: 56.956.920192022: 58.258.220222023: 60.360.320232024: 58.958.920242025: 55.955.92025
Since 2018: -2.1Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018BarnetEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11156159159160146150
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 855.958.960.358.256.958.058.246.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.61+0.74+0.51+0.67+0.60
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths57%67%69%69%60%68%65%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths81%81%87%81%78%77%80%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score5.365.665.795.465.355.545.404.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry72%81%86%71%81%77%59%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged45.940.245.051.450.047.5
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged57.763.362.759.959.662.4
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers29.137.038.333.024.0
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers74.675.870.768.868.7

Subjects

Results came out for 21 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

Dance95%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
Social Studies87%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 40th of 1,043 schools
Geography83%grades 9 to 5, England 51% · 196th of 3,116 schools
Drama90%grades 9 to 5, England 60% · 101st of 844 schools
What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer 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 Language157 entries · 17th of 27 in Barnet
70%England 54%
Mathematics155 entries · 19th of 27 in Barnet
61%England 53%
English Literature154 entries · 19th of 27 in Barnet
71%England 58%
Combined Science127 entries · 11th of 26 in Barnet
61%England 36%
History101 entries · 19th of 27 in Barnet
66%England 52%
Social Studies61 entries · 2nd of 9 in Barnet
87%England 54%
Spanish59 entries · 10th of 19 in Barnet
64%England 54%
French56 entries · 9th of 22 in Barnet
82%England 60%
Geography53 entries · 5th of 25 in Barnet
83%England 51%
Drama30 entries · 3rd of 11 in Barnet
90%England 60%
Chemistry26 entries · 17th of 23 in Barnet
92%England 81%
Biology26 entries · 13th of 23 in Barnet
96%England 82%
Physics26 entries · 16th of 23 in Barnet
96%England 82%
Art and Design25 entries · 9th of 24 in Barnet
88%England 58%
Design & Technology22 entries · 7th of 18 in Barnet
68%England 50%
Other Modern Languages22 entries · 15th of 19 in Barnet
36%England 49%
Dance19 entries
95%England 58%
78%England 56%
Economics12 entries
67%England 70%
Music11 entries
73%England 61%
55%England 56%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Language15732%70%82%54%465 of 3,210
Mathematics15529%61%85%53%858 of 3,211
English Literature15427%71%84%58%574 of 3,202
Combined Science12731%61%80%36%211 of 3,084
History10136%66%78%52%632 of 3,126
Social Studies6141%87%97%54%40 of 1,043
Spanish5936%64%70%54%650 of 1,941
French5643%82%88%60%366 of 1,974
Geography5349%83%91%51%196 of 3,116
Drama3033%90%97%60%101 of 844
Chemistry2669%92%96%81%960 of 2,537
Biology2669%96%96%82%660 of 2,570
Physics2662%96%96%82%691 of 2,546
Art and Design2552%88%96%58%251 of 2,818
Design & Technology2236%68%77%50%314 of 1,478
Other Modern Languages2223%36%36%49%388 of 454
Dance1953%95%100%58%
Computer Science1828%78%89%56%
Economics128%67%75%70%
Music1118%73%73%61%
Physical Education1127%55%91%56%

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.

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

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
45.957.7
Gap 11.8England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
42%60%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
52.958.7
Gap 5.8England 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

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Full803 pupils for 750 places, 2024/25
107% full

The school is full, with 53 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Barnet council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll818Census January 2026
Places810101% full
Pupils from low-income families14%14% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English26%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%135 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%48 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.934 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils18%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)17%£148,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls403 / 415
White British pupils32%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (58), Specific learning difficulty (46), Autistic spectrum disorder (44), Other difficulty or disability (14), language and communications needs (7), Physical disability (5).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll818809808813804798
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals14%13%13%10%10%10%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language26%28%26%27%26%28%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%16%15%17%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%7%6%5%6%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance92.8%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school20.6%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils4.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.2%7.6%7.8%6.9%4.6%5.0%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.8%6.2%5.9%5.6%4.1%4.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.5%1.4%1.9%1.3%0.5%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence20.6%19.8%23.0%18.1%10.4%9.1%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate4.27.49.57.52.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00201

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 159 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training97%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 95%, compared with 98% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training97%94%95%98%
Education96%93%94%98%
Apprenticeship1%1%1%0%
Work1%0%1%0%
Not in education, work or training2%3%3%0%

Staff and money

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

Teachers50.4full-time equivalent, 52 people
Pupils per teacher16.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants13.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£58,709
Teachers who left in the year4%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.42024/25

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£9,316England £7,965. Total £7.5m
Income per pupil£9,331England £8,423. Total £7.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£5,127England £4,444
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £310k, £383 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£12kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,316spent 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 m63212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate75 per 1,000 people18% lower than the England average
Typical house price£580,000Barnet
Nearest bus stop210 mStanley Road (N2), 11 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
Bishop Douglass School FinchleyAcademy660 m968Good 202278Compare
Christ's College FinchleyAcademy0.8 miles1,000Not inspected91Compare
Fortismere SchoolFoundation0.8 miles1,746Good 202283Compare
The Henrietta Barnett SchoolAcademy (grammar)1.1 miles812Good 202296Compare
The Compton SchoolAcademy1.3 miles1,381Outstanding 202492Compare
Wren Academy FinchleyAcademy1.5 miles1,623Not inspected93Compare
Alexandra Park SchoolAcademy1.6 miles1,888Outstanding 202396Compare
St Michael's Catholic Grammar SchoolRoman Catholic (grammar)1.6 miles908Outstanding 202298Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Archer Academy with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats46%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 85 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 48 · middle 86 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than The Archer Academy, 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
Yavneh CollegeAcademy6.1 miles1,085Good 202391Compare
Ada Lovelace Church of England High SchoolFree school7.3 miles1,089Outstanding 202398Compare
Ealing Fields Church of England High SchoolFree school9.0 miles803Not inspected98Compare
Orleans Park SchoolAcademy11.8 miles1,403Outstanding 202398Compare
St Richard Reynolds Catholic High SchoolAcademy12.2 miles1,175Outstanding 202498Compare
Grey Court SchoolAcademy12.2 miles1,650Outstanding 202497Compare
Rickmansworth SchoolAcademy12.8 miles1,575Outstanding 202392Compare
The Kingston AcademyFree school12.9 miles1,213Outstanding 202497Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 85 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 85% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 81 to 89. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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%well above
+0.29
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 156 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%well above
+0.31
DfE progress measure; 156 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.07
2024/25; 817 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 156 pupils
What pupils do next5%well above
+0.07
159 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 The Archer Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. The Archer Academy scores 85 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 81 to 89, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

How good are The Archer Academy's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 57% 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 55.9, 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 The Archer Academy have?

818 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 810 places, so it is 101% full.

Is The Archer Academy oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 53 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at The Archer Academy?

Pupils were in school 92.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at The Archer Academy?

The average class had 23.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 18% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does The Archer Academy have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 97% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.

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

Contact and details

Address
Eagans Close, London, N2 8GA
Telephone
020 8365 4110
Website
thearcheracademy.org.uk
Headteacher
Lucy Harrison
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Single-academy trust
The Archer Academy (1 schools)
Local authority
Barnet
Ward
East Finchley
Constituency
Finchley and Golders Green
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
3 September 2013 (new provision)
URN
139594 · LAESTAB 3024001 · UKPRN 10041683

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from