Phoenix Academy, The Curve Review 2026: High-expectation comprehensive with an ambitious sixth form

Purposeful routines and strong academic outcomes sit at the centre of daily life here. The most recent inspection (6 and 7 November 2024) graded every key judgement as Outstanding, including sixth form provision, with safeguarding arrangements confirmed as effective.

This is a mixed, non-selective secondary and sixth form serving local families around White City and Shepherd’s Bush, within the Hammersmith and Fulham local authority. Leadership is structured across the wider trust model, with Rowan Pearson named as Principal and Tony MacDowall as Executive Principal.

The daily pattern is tightly organised, including tutor time and an extended day that runs beyond the final line-up. For families looking for a state secondary where expectations are explicit and teaching is carefully planned, this is a school worth serious consideration, provided you are comfortable with a culture that asks students to show up, concentrate, and keep pace.

The culture is built around clear expectations and consistent routines. The inspection describes pupils as keen to learn, motivated to do well, and part of a school where mutual respect makes pupils feel safe and happy. That tone matters, because it suggests a learning environment where students can focus without spending energy managing disruption. Corridors and social spaces are described as calm, and behaviour is characterised as exemplary, including in sixth form.

Values are expressed in straightforward language, Knowledge, Aspiration and Respect, and the wider trust’s motto appears across the organisation as libertas per cultum (freedom through education). Those ideas translate into an academic identity that places knowledge and vocabulary at the centre of what students are expected to remember and apply. The inspection also highlights the use of recognition systems (such as “shoutouts”) to reinforce daily success, which tends to suit students who respond well to frequent feedback and visible milestones.

There is also a practical, forward-looking strand to the school’s identity. The Curve project sets out a redevelopment ambition, replacing older buildings with new teaching spaces and facilities intended for both pupils and local community use. The published timeline indicates construction starting in summer 2026 with completion in winter 2028, which is relevant for families thinking about disruption, temporary arrangements, and a changing site.

Phoenix Academy’s GCSE outcomes are strong on the FindMySchool results set, with a Progress 8 score of +0.87 and an Attainment 8 score of 53.9. A Progress 8 figure well above zero indicates students make substantially above-average progress from their starting points across eight subjects, which is particularly meaningful in a comprehensive intake because it signals impact beyond prior attainment.

In FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking (based on official results data), the school is ranked 1,103rd in England for GCSE outcomes and 13th within Hammersmith and Fulham. This places performance above England average, within the top 25% of schools in England.

EBacc performance also looks credible. The school’s EBacc average point score is 4.92. the England average is 4.08, which gives useful context for how demanding the curriculum appears to be for a broad cohort. The percentage achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc subjects is recorded as 20.8, a figure that is best read alongside the school’s very strong Progress 8 and curriculum sequencing, rather than as a stand-alone headline.

At A-level, results sit closer to the middle of the England distribution, which is not uncommon for schools that are still expanding sixth form cohorts and subject breadth. In the FindMySchool A-level ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 1,278th in England and 12th in Hammersmith and Fulham. The A-level grade profile is recorded as 7.14% A*, 12.5% A, 26.79% B, and 46.43% A* to B. The England A* to B comparator is 47.2%, which suggests results are broadly in line with England patterns at that threshold, even while GCSE progress is particularly strong.

The inspection narrative helps explain the GCSE strength. It describes a curriculum that is extremely ambitious, sequenced step-by-step so pupils build understanding over time, with frequent checks for misconceptions and rapid correction when gaps appear.

Teaching is framed around clarity and retention. The inspection emphasises that leaders have identified the knowledge and skills pupils should learn and remember across subjects, and that the curriculum is sequenced so pupils can tackle increasingly complex ideas as they move through the school. The practical implication for parents is that students who benefit from structured teaching, explicit instruction, and frequent retrieval will often thrive.

Assessment is described as consistent across subjects from Year 7 through Year 13, with multiple opportunities in lessons for teachers to spot misunderstandings and address them immediately. That approach generally supports strong progress because students do not carry misconceptions forward into later units, and it also reduces the chances that only the most confident students participate.

Support for students with special educational needs and disabilities is presented as integrated into daily teaching rather than separated from it. Needs are recorded in individual “pupil passports”, and teachers use them to adapt teaching so students can participate fully; vocabulary is highlighted and revisited, and some pupils receive pre-teaching so key language is familiar before lessons. This is the kind of approach that can be especially helpful in subjects where specialist terminology is a barrier to access.

Reading is also positioned as a whole-school priority, with early identification for pupils who are struggling and targeted support for decoding, fluency, and comprehension. For families with a child whose reading confidence dipped in late primary or early secondary, that commitment can be an important stabiliser.

The school’s sixth form is described as academic in orientation, with an emphasis on seminar-style learning and preparation for competitive higher education pathways. Students have a dedicated study centre and common room, and enrichment is designed to build habits associated with independent study. The inspection also highlights a “library research curriculum” for sixth form, intended to prepare students for academic study at university.

For families that prioritise concrete destination measures, two different official-style data points help. First, the destination snapshot for the 2023/24 leaver cohort records 60% progressing to university, 13% entering employment, and 7% starting apprenticeships (cohort size 15). Second, the Oxbridge dataset records 2 applications and 1 acceptance in the measurement period. Taken together, that points to a sixth form that supports ambitious applications for a small number of students while also supporting a range of realistic routes beyond school.

The school also builds employability directly into its programme. The inspection states that all students in Year 12 complete work experience, and it describes a comprehensive careers programme that continues into sixth form. For many families, that matters as much as university statistics, because it indicates that students are being helped to make informed decisions and gain practical exposure, not only coached towards exam outcomes.

If you are comparing routes, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you view GCSE and sixth form outcomes side-by-side with nearby alternatives, using the same dataset basis so the comparisons stay fair.

Year 7 applications are coordinated through Hammersmith and Fulham as part of the standard secondary admissions process. The school’s admissions information indicates the September 2026 process opens on 1 September 2025, routed via the local authority rather than direct applications to the school. For Hammersmith and Fulham’s 2026 secondary transfer, the published closing date is 31 October 2025, with national offer day listed as 2 March 2026. (As of January 2026, those on-time deadlines have passed, so late applications should be made via the local authority route.)

Open events are clearly signposted and, importantly, date-stamped. For September 2026 entry, the school listed Year 6 open mornings on 30 September 2025 and 1 October 2025, plus an open evening on 2 October 2025. If you are planning for later years, the practical takeaway is that open events typically cluster in late September and early October.

Sixth form admissions are handled through a separate process with explicit academic entry thresholds. For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 8 October 2025 and the deadline was 8 January 2026. The published requirements state that applicants are expected to be predicted six GCSE subjects at grade 6 or higher, with grade 7 required for Mathematics and Sciences A-levels; the process includes an application and formal interview, followed by a conditional offer if successful.

Because distance cut-offs vary year-to-year and are not published here in a single headline, families using proximity as a strategy should use the FindMySchool Map Search to understand practical travel time and realistic options, then validate admission criteria on the local authority portal.

Pastoral care is underpinned by consistency. The inspection describes pupils feeling safe and happy, behaviour being exemplary, and staff applying routines consistently so expectations feel fair. That combination typically reduces low-level disruption and helps students who are anxious about unpredictable environments.

Safeguarding is treated as an organisational priority. The school publishes named safeguarding roles, including a designated safeguarding lead and multiple deputies, and it describes annual staff training and close working with families and external agencies. The inspection’s safeguarding judgement is clear and unambiguous.

Support for SEND is described as broad-based, covering cognition and learning, communication and interaction, sensory and physical needs, and social, emotional and mental health. The school also references working with external professionals, including speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, and counsellors. For parents, the key question to probe at open events is how this support looks in practice for your child’s specific profile, particularly in high-demand subjects with heavy vocabulary loads.

Enrichment is a genuine pillar here, and it is framed as part of the school’s wider offer rather than an optional extra. The school describes clubs, societies and visits designed to sit alongside the academic programme, with named employer and higher education partnerships including Imperial, L’Oréal, Blenheim Chalcot and Santander. That kind of partnership approach can be especially helpful for students who need to see where subjects lead, whether that is university, apprenticeships, or specific industries.

Sport is integrated into the rhythm of the week. The inspection notes that all pupils participate in weekly sports clubs built into the school day, and it lists a mix of activities including coding, dance, cooking, and music as part of wider opportunities. On the enrichment page, sport is also linked to external support, with London Sports Trust running activities such as basketball, trampolining, football and table tennis. The practical implication is that activity is not restricted to the already-sporty, and students can find a place even if they arrive without confidence.

Arts and culture are treated as a core part of enrichment. The school references longstanding links with the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, plus visits to the Bush Theatre and Globe Theatre, alongside museum trips and visits to the Royal Academy exhibitions. For families who value cultural capital as part of education, this is one of the most distinctive parts of the offer because it uses London’s institutions as an extension of the curriculum.

Student voice has a clear vehicle through council structures. The school’s enrichment description references work on environmental initiatives, including a drive to reduce plastic use and change canteen disposables, and it describes a student-led cultural day linked to fundraising. The inspection also notes that students worked with leaders to reopen the school library, described as a well-used space, which is a strong sign of ownership and responsibility among older pupils.

The published timetable indicates gates open from 08:00, with lessons beginning at 08:30, and an end-of-day line-up at 15:00. An extended day runs from 15:00 to 16:00 for after-school clubs and interventions.

Food provision includes a free breakfast offer, with free porridge breakfasts available each morning, and additional low-cost breakfast items listed as starting from £1.05. Term dates are published through 2026/27, which is helpful for planning, including the Year 7 and Year 12 phased start at the beginning of autumn term.

For travel, the school’s facilities information states it is around a 10-minute walk from White City station and about 12 minutes from Wood Lane station. For families driving, the practical point to confirm is local parking and drop-off constraints, given the density of the area and the wider regeneration around White City.

• A culture that demands consistency. The calm environment described in the inspection is built on routines and high expectations. This suits students who respond well to structure, but families should be confident their child will cope with a fast pace and frequent checking of knowledge.

• Sixth form entry thresholds are explicit and ambitious. The published requirement of six GCSE subjects at grade 6 or above, with grade 7 for Mathematics and Sciences A-levels, makes the sixth form feel academically selective even within a non-selective school.

• Redevelopment may change the day-to-day experience. The Curve project timeline indicates construction beginning in summer 2026 and completing in winter 2028. Families should ask what temporary arrangements, site logistics, and noise mitigation look like during building phases.

• Admissions is local-authority coordinated, with hard deadlines. For September 2026 Year 7 entry, the local authority deadline was 31 October 2025, with offer day listed as 2 March 2026. Late applications follow a different process and may reduce choice.

Phoenix Academy, The Curve is a high-expectation state comprehensive that pairs structured teaching with an unusually detailed enrichment and careers offer. GCSE outcomes are a clear strength, reinforced by an inspection picture of ambitious curriculum planning, consistent checking for misconceptions, and calm behaviour.

Best suited to students who benefit from routine, explicit teaching, and frequent feedback, and to families who want a strong London comprehensive without paying fees, alongside a sixth form that expects serious academic commitment. The main decision points are whether your child will enjoy the pace, and whether the sixth form entry bar matches their likely GCSE profile.