Ofsted: Outstanding trending_up Places Available emoji_events #2 in Islington public Top 5% UK

Highbury Fields School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Tim Fox

location_onLondon, N5 1AR

language Visit Website phone 2072881888

verified

Ofsted

Outstanding

Inspected 2016

groups

Students

767

trending_up

Attainment 8

57.4

leaderboard

GCSE Rank

#2 in Islington

#340 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Highbury Fields School is a Community school secondary school in London, serving ages 11-18. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted — the highest possible grade.

article

School Summary

Highbury Fields School is a community school in London, Islington, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. The school has approximately 729 pupils on roll, of whom 54% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 57.4, placing the school #2 in Islington and #340 of 3,216 nationally. 61.90% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 36.0% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 11 A-level subjects. 78.2% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 30.9% at A*–A. A-level value added: +0.34 — students made above-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2016. The school's current overall rating is Outstanding.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.9× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 12.7:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 0.8 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

57.4

Grade 5+ E&M

61.90%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)36.0%

Entering EBacc48.50%

EBacc APS5.26

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.43

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

51.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc30.70%

EBacc APS4.56

2023

Progress 8 Score

0.82

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

57.1

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc52%

EBacc APS5.29

2022

Progress 8 Score

0.6

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

55.8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc49%

EBacc APS5.06

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc50%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

0.82

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

57.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc63%

EBacc APS5.3

2018

Progress 8 Score

0.76

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

52.8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc40%

EBacc APS4.64

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

93%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)92%

Apprenticeships0%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)89%

Apprenticeships0%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)8%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)90%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)7%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)93%

Apprenticeships0%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)94%

Apprenticeships0%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

+0.34

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils do significantly better than expected at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*5.5%

Achieving A*–A30.9%

Achieving A*–B78.2%

VA Banding Above average

Retention rate94.4%

A-level subjects offered11

2024

A-Level Value Added

-0.35

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Retention rate97.00%

2023

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate89.70%

2022

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate93.5%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

27 September 2022

Inspection Report

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04 October 2016

Inspection Report

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18 January 2012

Inspection Report

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10 November 2010

Inspection Report

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18 March 2009

Inspection Report

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07 November 2006

Inspection Report

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27 September 2004

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

2 Evaluations

2016-10-04

Maintained Academy and School Short inspection Legacy

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

2012-01-18

None Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

1.1%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

0.7%(5 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 729 pupils. During this period, there were 8 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 1.1%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	729	8	1.1%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	736	4	0.5%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	747	5	0.7%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	747	10	1.3%	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	750	16	2.1%	8.2%	2
2022/23 (Summer term)	765	11	1.4%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	767	3	0.4%	6.4%	1
2022/23 (Autumn term)	775	3	0.4%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	773	9	1.2%	4.7%	1
2021/22 (Spring term)	768	10	1.3%	4.9%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	768	3	0.4%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	769	9	1.2%	3.6%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	772	6	0.8%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	779	32	4.1%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	762	1	0.1%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	762	20	2.6%	3.2%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	766	49	6.4%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	765	26	3.4%	3.1%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	773	43	5.6%	3.8%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	781	31	4.0%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	770	31	4.0%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	772	17	2.2%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	776	27	3.5%	3.7%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	769	32	4.2%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	765	32	4.2%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	770	33	4.3%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Moderate Learning Difficulty 37 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 23 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 22 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 21 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 21 pupils

Physical Disability 7 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 5 pupils

Hearing Impairment 3 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

88.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

93.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

9.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree57%

agree32%

disagree9%

strongly disagree1%

don't know1%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree46%

agree38%

disagree11%

strongly disagree1%

don't know4%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree32%

agree24%

disagree9%

strongly disagree4%

don't know3%

not applicable29%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree59%

agree32%

disagree5%

don't know4%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree52%

agree34%

disagree4%

strongly disagree1%

don't know9%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree33%

agree39%

disagree15%

strongly disagree3%

don't know10%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree46%

agree46%

disagree5%

strongly disagree3%

don't know1%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree68%

agree30%

don't know1%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree43%

agree34%

disagree5%

strongly disagree4%

don't know14%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes89%

no11%

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Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Islington

St Mary Magdalene Academy

Central Foundation Boys' School

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School

City of London Academy Highbury Grove

City of London Academy, Highgate Hill

City of London Academy Islington