Academy sponsor led

City of London Academy (Southwark)

Mixed · ages 11–19 · with sixth formSouthwark, London · London SE1 5LATrust: City of London Academies TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,589of 1,200 places
Free school meals
52.5%
Year 11 cohort 2025
230
Ofsted
Report card, 3 February 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Strong standardAchievement Strong standardAttendance and behaviour Strong standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Strong standardLeadership and governance Strong standardPost-16 provision Strong standardSafeguarding Met
What the data says

Of the 234 pupils who finished Year 11 at City of London Academy (Southwark) in 2023, 52% stayed on in City of London Academy (Southwark)’s own sixth form (Southwark average 58%), 24% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 200 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 65% went to university (Southwark 65%, England 37%), and 25% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 52.9 against 46.1 across England and 52.1 in Southwark, with 58% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

Spanish is unusually popular at GCSE: 36% of the year group took it, against 19% of pupils across England.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Southwark and England.

This school
Southwark
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolSouthwarkEngland
Pupils in the cohort2343,117607,348
Any sustained destination91%94%92%
Stayed in education88%92%86%
— school sixth form52%58%34%
— sixth form college11%10%13%
— further education college24%21%37%
— other education1%3%2%
Apprenticeship2%1%3%
Employment1%1%3%
No sustained destination7%4%6%
Destination unknown2%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

This school
Southwark
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolSouthwarkEngland
Students in the cohort2001,527541,441
Any sustained destination89%87%79%
University (higher education)65%65%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students25%33%19%
Further education2%3%5%
Apprenticeship6%4%7%
Employment15%14%28%
No sustained destination6%9%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThis schoolSouthwarkEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)52.952.146.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths58%55%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths78%73%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects58%67%41%
EBacc average point score4.924.824.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort51%45%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils49.244.934.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils56.658.050.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language23%33%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Mathematics229100%88%27%22%80%
English Literature229100%86%34%21%85%
English Language229100%89%22%20%78%
Combined Science19987%65%16%9%71%
History12956%41%42%26%85%
Spanish8236%19%38%27%82%
Geography8135%41%28%25%64%
French6629%18%33%29%91%
Business Studies6227%18%24%20%84%
Citizenship Studies5725%3%19%19%84%
Economics5223%1%15%34%65%
Sociology4319%4%42%21%81%
Computer Science2913%13%24%30%55%
Biology2913%23%83%45%90%
Chemistry2812%23%82%47%93%
Physics2812%23%82%46%93%
Physical Education2511%11%4%24%48%
Photography198%6%5%19%53%
Music198%5%11%33%58%
Fine Art177%9%59%28%88%
Religious Studies177%31%35%32%71%
Drama136%7%8%27%54%
Design and Technology125%11%25%23%75%
Latin83%1%88%74%100%
Arabic21%1%47%
Persian21%0%77%
Portuguese10%0%50%
Chinese10%1%75%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Computer Appreciation / Introduction3120%
Health Studies3019%
Hospitality / Catering Studies2013%
Sports Studies21%
Computer Appreciation / Introduction11%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureThis schoolSouthwarkEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study401
— of whom A level students1541,360261,341
Average A level gradeB-BB-
Average points per A level entry37.6338.7935.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsB-BB-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects13%21%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics5737%31%
Psychology5334%23%
Sociology4529%13%
Economics4328%13%
Chemistry3825%17%
Biology3623%20%
Business Studies3120%13%
English Literature2516%11%
Politics1711%6%
History149%13%
Religious Studies149%4%
Fine Art117%3%
English Language and Literature117%2%
Computer Science106%5%
Physics106%12%
Further Mathematics96%5%
Geography96%10%
Physical Education75%3%
Music0%
Media Studies4%
Philosophy1%
Russian0%
French1%
Spanish2%
Drama2%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Health StudiesBTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D*1610%
Sports StudiesBTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D*128%
Further MathematicsGCE AS level (All)85%
FrenchGCE AS level (All)
SpanishGCE AS level (All)
FrenchGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
SpanishGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)

Other secondary schools in Southwark

Ark All Saints Academy

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 568 pupils

90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.2

Ark Globe Academy

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,272 pupils

87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.4

Ark Walworth Academy

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 973 pupils

89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.3

Bacon's College

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,025 pupils

90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.4

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.