City of London Academy Islington

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 April 2025

The school has established a calm and focused school environment with high expectations. Pupils participate happily in learning and in the wider life of the school. As a result, published academic outcomes for pupils at the end of Year 11 are positive. In the sixth form, students are well prepared for their next academic steps. Pupils' respectful behaviour represents leaders' high behavioural expectations. Pupils move around the school between lessons calmly and purposefully. Usually, they settle quickly, contribute to group discussions and complete work readily. Pupils build their leadership skills here. Elected student ambassadors and prefects represent the academy at public events and lead school assemblies. Pupils in Year 8 take it in turns to be the school 'concierge', by helping visitors and supporting the school office for the day. Students in the sixth form volunteer at a local school for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school organises a range of clubs for pupils to deepen their interests beyond the classroom. These include art, basketball and chess clubs. Boys' and girls' football teams compete against local schools. Pupils from Year 9 to Year 13 are encouraged to take part in the combined cadet force. As part of this, pupils are taught to work together and to learn new skills through military-themed, adventurous activities. These include navigation, first aid and camping.

What the school should improve

• In a few instances where pupils receive repeated suspensions, valuable learning is missed and pupils struggle to catch up with their peers. The school should build on its work to support pupils to improve their behaviour so that fixed-term suspensions from school decrease and pupils benefit from all that the school has to offer.
• In a few subjects, work is not routinely adapted for pupils with SEND and is too challenging. As a result, pupils with SEND sometimes struggle to complete work, which hinders them from building their knowledge as securely as they could. The school should ensure that teaching and resources are appropriately adapted for pupils with SEND, so that they are routinely helped to understand and remember what they have learned and build their curriculum knowledge securely.
• Processes to check pupils' understanding are less clear in some subjects. Sometimes, pupils develop gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions that are not identified and addressed. The school should ensure that pupils' misconceptions are identified and addressed routinely across subjects.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)