City of London Academy Highbury Grove Review 2026: A music-led secondary with strong routines and broad routes post-16

This Islington secondary has a clear signature, music. Every Key Stage 3 student learns an orchestral instrument as part of curriculum music, supported by a partnership with the Music in Secondary Schools Trust, and a substantial minority take the Music Specialist School pathway for extra instrumental tuition and ensembles.

It is also a school with established systems. The 2022 inspection described a calm learning environment with high expectations around uniform, attitudes and work, alongside a strong stance on bullying and a broad extra curricular offer.

Leadership continuity matters here, Aimee Lyall has been principal since 2017.

The best way to understand the culture is to look at what the school chooses to repeat. Values are stated as Be Kind, Be Courageous, Be Ambitious, Be Successful, and Be Safe, and those ideas appear in day to day behaviour expectations rather than being left as assembly slogans.

External evaluation points to a community feel with practical purpose. Pupils were reported as feeling happy and safe, with behaviour improved in lessons and around the site, and with pupils looking out for each other. There is also a civic dimension, including pupil involvement in fundraising and support for the local community through a food bank.

Pastoral tone is firm but not uniformly frictionless. The same report records that detentions can sometimes be issued for relatively minor issues, even while behaviour overall is described as typically calm. For some families, that consistency is the point, it creates predictable boundaries. For others, it will be important to explore how staff apply the system, and how the school calibrates consequences for different learners.

A final thread is mobility and diversity, in both directions. The school was described as having a diverse pupil community, and also as receiving large numbers of pupils during the year who may need additional support, particularly with reading. That context helps explain why routines, explicit curriculum sequencing, and targeted catch up feature strongly in the school’s stated approach.

At GCSE level, City of London Academy Highbury Grove is ranked 1,476th in England and 7th in Islington for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), which is solid performance with room to push higher.

The underlying indicators suggest modestly positive progress from pupils’ starting points. The Progress 8 score is 0.10, which indicates progress slightly above the England average. Attainment 8 is 47.2, and the school’s average EBacc APS is 4.36.

EBacc breadth is a theme to watch. Only 23.4% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc measure, which may reflect entry patterns as well as outcomes. Families for whom languages and a full EBacc route are a priority should ask how many pupils are entered for EBacc subjects, and how the school supports pupils to sustain that pathway through Key Stage 4.

Post 16 outcomes are more challenging on the available measures. The school is ranked 2,157th in England and 9th in Islington for A level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), placing it below the England average overall. The A level grade profile recorded is 2.4% at A*, 4.8% at A, 23.2% at B, and 30.4% at A* to B.

That does not mean the sixth form lacks ambition, it means results are uneven and cohort context matters. The better question for many families is whether the sixth form routes match the student in front of them, and whether the support for study habits and course choice is strong enough to lift outcomes over time.

Curriculum intent is described in explicitly academic terms, with an emphasis on ambition, breadth, and sequencing. The school sets out a model of 30 lessons per week (50 minutes each), with daily tutor time that includes reading and personal development, and a dedicated enrichment period for Key Stage 3.

Formal evaluation gives useful detail on how that plays out. Curriculum planning is described as carefully sequenced, with knowledge revisited to help pupils remember what they have learned. In modern foreign languages, for example, vocabulary and grammar are structured to increase in complexity year by year. The same report highlights regular checks for understanding, written feedback, and opportunities for pupils to redraft work.

Support for pupils with SEND is framed as inclusion in the main curriculum, with adaptations and learning broken into smaller steps. The improvement priority is consistency, ensuring all teachers make appropriate adaptations so that a small number of pupils with SEND are not left with weaker access to the curriculum.

Reading is another strategic focus, particularly because significant numbers of pupils join during the year and many need extra support. The inspection narrative points towards continued development of reading for pleasure and the potential value of face to face phonics where needed. That is important for parents because it signals a school that treats literacy as a gateway subject, not a bolt on intervention.

For many families, the headline question is not only “university or not”, but “which universities, and how effectively does the sixth form support competitive applications”. The school’s published destinations reporting for 2024 states that 91% of Year 13 students applied to university, and that 16% of those taking up places did so at Russell Group institutions.

The same report provides a grounded picture of breadth. It references acceptances to a wide range of providers, including Russell Group destinations such as King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London, and UCL, alongside a substantial London focus across other universities.

Competitive pathways are supported structurally rather than left to chance. The 2024 destinations report describes a programme that includes a dedicated destinations platform (Unifrog), UCAS preparation woven through PSHCE and tutor time, a UCAS exhibition visit, progression week inputs, and targeted support via The Access Project, including for Medicine and Dentistry applicants.

Oxbridge is present as an aspiration but remains a developing pipeline. In the most recent measured period, six applications to Oxford were recorded, with no offers or acceptances. That is not unusual for a comprehensive intake school in a single year, and the more useful interpretation is that students are being encouraged to apply, even if outcomes are not yet consistent.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through the Pan London system via the home local authority, and key dates are clearly set out for the 2026 entry cycle. Applications open on 01 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025, with offer day on 02 March 2026 and an acceptance deadline of 16 March 2026.

For City of London Academy Highbury Grove specifically, the Year 7 published admissions number is 180 places.

Open events follow a recognisable pattern. For the 2026 entry cycle, the Islington admissions guide listed an open evening in late September and open mornings in early October. Those dates have now passed, but the pattern is useful, families looking ahead should expect open events around September and October each year and confirm the current schedule directly.

Oversubscription criteria are published and typical for an academy in a London borough context. Priority includes looked after and previously looked after children, siblings (where the sibling will still be on roll at the date of entry), and exceptional medical, social, or psychological needs, followed by other criteria set out in the published arrangements.

Sixth form admissions are a separate process and welcome external applicants. Applications for entry the following September can be submitted in autumn or spring, with a stated deadline this year of Friday 06 February 2026.

Families trying to be precise about likelihood of offer should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check realistic travel times and shortlist alternatives, then pressure test the plan against the borough’s published deadlines and criteria.

The school’s pastoral work shows up in three practical areas, behaviour culture, safeguarding systems, and access to support services.

First, behaviour is intended to protect learning. The inspection narrative describes a typically calm environment where pupils can learn without disruption, with staff applying the behaviour system consistently and dealing with low level disruption swiftly when it occurs.

Second, safeguarding is treated as a whole school responsibility. Inspectors confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Third, the school signposts and works with external agencies, including local authority and health linked services, and frames that as part of supporting students and families rather than a crisis only response.

For parents, the practical takeaway is to ask about the day to day experience of pastoral support, who holds responsibility at year level, how concerns are logged and followed up, and how the school balances firmness with relational work when a student is struggling.

Music is the defining pillar, and it is unusually comprehensive for a state secondary. Every Key Stage 3 student learns an orchestral instrument as part of curriculum music, supported by the Music in Secondary Schools Trust, and students are expected to practise regularly and take instruments home.

For students who want more, the Music Specialist School pathway adds paired or individual lessons on any orchestral instrument plus weekly ensemble rehearsals. The school reports that almost 25% of Key Stage 3 students opt into this specialist programme.

Performance opportunities are concrete, not abstract. The enrichment programme describes four orchestras, rock bands, choirs and chamber ensembles, plus termly concerts and a musical theatre production. It also lists performances at major London venues including the Barbican, London Palladium, Hackney Empire, Guildhall, and Camden Roundhouse, as well as an annual residential trip to Gresham’s School.

Clubs and enrichment extend well beyond music. A published 2025 to 2026 enrichment offer includes SPARX Maths club, Latin Club, School of Rock, Clarinet Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, and Swim Squad, alongside a range of football, netball and basketball sessions.

The 2022 inspection narrative also references clubs such as robotics and electronics, which complements the school’s emphasis on structured learning and applied skills.

Activities Week is another differentiator because it is planned as a programme rather than a one off trip. The school’s description of 2025 includes options such as Film Week, Code Breakers (including Bletchley Park), a Music Production Masterclass using Logic Pro X, and Fashion Textiles with a visit to the V and A Museum, alongside residential experiences such as a Paris cultural tour and an Outward Bound Lake District adventure. For 2026, Activities Week is stated to begin on Monday 13 July, with the programme released in February.

Sixth form adds two additional strands, elite sport pathways and a broad course mix. The sixth form course guide outlines a wide A level range plus BTEC options, with a football academy stated to be launching in September 2026 alongside an established basketball programme.

The school day is published as 8.40am to 3.10pm.

Transport is straightforward for many Islington families. The borough admissions guide lists Highbury and Islington and Canonbury as the nearest stations, with multiple local bus routes serving the area.

Before and after school opportunities exist through the enrichment programme, including morning and after school clubs across sport and music. Families should check the current term’s schedule because club timetables can change across the year.

• Sixth form outcomes are mixed. The A level ranking sits below the England average overall, and the A* to B rate recorded is 30.4%. For some students, a vocational pathway or a different post 16 provider may be a better fit.

• Behaviour expectations are clear and consistently applied. That supports learning, but the 2022 inspection report notes that some pupils feel detentions can be issued for relatively minor issues. This is worth exploring if your child is sensitive to sanctions.

• EBacc strength is not the main headline. Only 23.4% achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc measure, and families who want a strong languages led academic route should ask about entries and support in Key Stage 4.

• Open event dates move each year. Published open mornings and evenings for the 2026 intake were in late September and early October 2025, so future cycles are likely to sit in a similar window, but families should confirm current dates directly.

City of London Academy Highbury Grove offers a distinctive proposition for a state secondary, serious music education for all in Key Stage 3, backed by clear routines and a wide enrichment menu. The academic picture is steady at GCSE with slightly positive progress; the sixth form is ambitious and broad, but outcomes are more variable and need close scrutiny against your child’s profile.

Who it suits: families who want a structured school culture, who value music and performance opportunities, and who are comfortable engaging actively with course choice and post 16 planning to secure the right pathway.