Arts and Media School Islington
Foundation school · 577 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.3
Academy sponsor led
St Mary Magdalene Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,561of 1,360 places
- Free school meals
- 38.1%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 198
- Ofsted
- Outstanding, 3 July 2023Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary School (URN 100445).
What the data says
Of the 180 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Mary Magdalene Academy in 2023, 48% stayed on in St Mary Magdalene Academy’s own sixth form (Islington average 39%), 41% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 141 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 59% went to university (Islington 50%, England 37%), and 42% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 59.3 against 46.1 across England and 47.0 in Islington, with 71% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Sociology is unusually popular at GCSE: 35% of the year group took it, against 4% 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 Islington and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | St Mary Magdalene Academy | Islington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 180 | 1,530 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 95% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 92% | 89% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 48% | 39% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 2% | 5% | 13% |
| — further education college | 41% | 41% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 4% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 1% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 1% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 4% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | St Mary Magdalene Academy | Islington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 141 | 785 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 82% | 81% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 59% | 50% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 42% | 21% | 19% |
| Further education | 3% | 3% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 1% | 7% |
| Employment | 19% | 19% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 9% | 13% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | St Mary Magdalene Academy | Islington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 59.3 | 47.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 71% | 48% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 82% | 64% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 58% | 48% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 5.55 | 4.27 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 35% | 56% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 48.0 | 40.9 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 65.5 | 54.7 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 20% | 36% | 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.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 197 | 99% | 88% | 48% | 22% | 86% |
| English Language | 197 | 99% | 89% | 48% | 20% | 83% |
| English Literature | 193 | 97% | 86% | 41% | 21% | 85% |
| Geography | 133 | 67% | 41% | 38% | 25% | 79% |
| Combined Science | 107 | 54% | 65% | 9% | 9% | 71% |
| History | 92 | 46% | 41% | 51% | 26% | 86% |
| Biology | 87 | 44% | 23% | 64% | 45% | 98% |
| Physics | 85 | 43% | 23% | 69% | 46% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 85 | 43% | 23% | 68% | 47% | 100% |
| Sociology | 70 | 35% | 4% | 40% | 21% | 79% |
| Spanish | 62 | 31% | 19% | 34% | 27% | 84% |
| Design and Technology | 37 | 19% | 11% | 51% | 23% | 92% |
| Art and Design | 29 | 15% | 7% | 24% | 24% | 83% |
| Chinese | 24 | 12% | 1% | 96% | 75% | 100% |
| German | 24 | 12% | 5% | 63% | 33% | 100% |
| French | 23 | 12% | 18% | 83% | 29% | 100% |
| Religious Studies | 22 | 11% | 31% | 36% | 32% | 86% |
| Music | 21 | 11% | 5% | 57% | 33% | 90% |
| Drama | 21 | 11% | 7% | 5% | 27% | 62% |
| Physical Education | 9 | 5% | 11% | 44% | 24% | 100% |
| Turkish | 4 | 2% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Italian | 3 | 2% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Russian | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Astronomy | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 29% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Graphic Communication | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 23% | — |
| Japanese | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 53 | 36% | — |
| Sports Coaching | 47 | 32% | — |
| Sports Studies | 1 | 1% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | St Mary Magdalene Academy | Islington | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 309 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 149 | 472 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 38.87 | 37.46 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 22% | 14% | 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.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 79 | 53% | 31% |
| Biology | 43 | 29% | 20% |
| Economics | 39 | 26% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 36 | 24% | 17% |
| Sociology | 30 | 20% | 13% |
| Physics | 30 | 20% | 12% |
| Psychology | 29 | 19% | 23% |
| History | 29 | 19% | 13% |
| Politics | 23 | 15% | 6% |
| English Literature | 18 | 12% | 11% |
| Geography | 16 | 11% | 10% |
| Further Mathematics | 15 | 10% | 5% |
| Computer Science | 15 | 10% | 5% |
| Philosophy | 14 | 9% | 1% |
| Art and Design | 8 | 5% | 1% |
| French | 7 | 5% | 1% |
| Product Design | 6 | 4% | 2% |
| History of Art | — | — | 0% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
| Italian | — | — | 0% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 15 | 10% | — |
Other secondary schools in Islington
Central Foundation Boys' School
Voluntary aided school · sixth form · 1,152 pupils
94% stayed in education · Attainment 8 55.2
City of London Academy Highbury Grove
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 892 pupils
87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.4
City of London Academy, Highgate Hill
Free schools · sixth form · 641 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.3
City of London Academy Islington
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 852 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.8
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School
Community school · 888 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 52.7
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.