Sedgehill Academy Review 2026: Music-led culture, clear routines, and improving confidence

A large, mixed secondary school with sixth form in Lewisham, Sedgehill Academy has built a distinctive identity around character education, strong routines, and an unusually central place for music. Values are explicitly framed as Hard Work, Kindness, Integrity and Excellence, and these ideas are reinforced through a structured day, a competitive house system, and a consistent enrichment offer.

Academically, GCSE outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile) on FindMySchool’s rankings, while sixth form outcomes are below England average on the same methodology. The latest inspection judgement is Good across all categories, including sixth form.

For families weighing it up, the most useful headline is this: expectations are clear and pupils benefit from a calm, disruption-free learning climate, but post-16 results suggest sixth form is best approached with a realistic sense of what it does well and what it is still strengthening.

The school’s culture is organised around a small number of consistent ideas, both in language and in daily practice. The stated values, Hard Work, Kindness, Integrity and Excellence, are presented as the foundation for success in school and beyond, and the ethos emphasises that pupils can achieve as highly as they would elsewhere when expectations and support are aligned.

There is also a deliberate emphasis on belonging. In September 2024, the house system was reformed using student voice, and pupils are placed into one of four houses: Malorie Blackman, Mo Farah, Benjamin Zephaniah, and Rosalind Franklin. House competition is not just branding; it is linked to attendance, achievement points, and regular events such as Fun Friday, plus whole-school moments like Sports Day.

External evaluation aligns with this picture of a cohesive community. Pupils are described as happy and safe, with a strong sense of community and a student body that sees the school as inclusive and diverse. Behaviour is framed as sensible and polite, supported by a rewards approach that pupils value.

Sedgehill Academy is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. The question for most families is how effectively it turns strong routines and culture into outcomes at GCSE and in the sixth form.

GCSE performance

On FindMySchool’s GCSE rankings (based on official data), Sedgehill Academy is ranked 2,142nd in England and 9th within Lewisham. This places it in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), which is a solid, broadly typical national position.

Key headline measures include:

• Attainment 8 score: 45.1

• Progress 8 score: +0.2 (above-average progress from pupils’ starting points)

• Average EBacc APS: 4.05

• Percentage achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc: 13.5%

Sixth form performance

For A-level outcomes, the FindMySchool A-level ranking is 2,257th in England and 7th within Lewisham, placing the sixth form below England average on this measure. The grade distribution shows 23.08% at A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2% for A* to B; A* to A is also below the England average.

Interpretation for parents: GCSE performance is the stronger story, particularly given a positive Progress 8. Sixth form outcomes suggest that students and families should focus carefully on subject fit, entry requirements, and the support structures available for post-16 study.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to view GCSE and sixth form outcomes side by side.

Teaching is structured around an intentionally sequenced curriculum. The inspection report describes curricular thinking as coherent and logical, with subject content planned to build over time, including in the sixth form. Teachers are described as having strong subject knowledge, and pupils with SEND are expected to access the same curriculum as peers, with adaptations that support learning over time.

A practical example of how that structure is reinforced is the school’s focus on assessment and checking for understanding. Leaders use assessment to identify gaps, and teachers routinely check understanding during lessons. The improvement point, and one that matters for families with children who are anxious about getting stuck, is that checking is not yet uniformly sharp across all classrooms, and at times misconceptions are missed and pupils move on before they are fully ready.

Reading is treated as a whole-school responsibility. Pupils who struggle with reading are supported by skilled adults, and all pupils are given time to practise reading so that fluency and confidence build.

The school does not publish a Russell Group or Oxbridge figure on its own website, so the most reliable destination picture comes from the published leaver outcomes data.

For the 2023/24 leaver cohort (43 students), 51% progressed to university. Smaller proportions progressed to further education (2%) and apprenticeships (2%), while 16% entered employment.

What this means in practice is that the sixth form supports a mixed set of next steps, not a single pipeline. Families considering post-16 should therefore look for subject-level strength, careers guidance, and the specific enrichment offer that supports applications.

On careers support, the school sets out a structured programme with employer talks, careers fairs, guest speakers, and one-to-one guidance appointments in Years 10 and 12. Work experience is planned as a one-week placement in Year 10, with a further week entitlement in Year 12.

Year 7 entry

Year 7 applications are coordinated through Lewisham’s admissions process rather than directly with the school. For September 2026 entry, the school publishes clear key dates: applications open on Monday 1 September 2025, with a closing date of Friday 31 October 2025. Offers are released on Monday 2 March 2026, and the published deadline to accept an offer is Monday 16 March 2026.

The school’s oversubscription criteria follow a standard structure that prioritises looked-after children and other defined categories before allocating remaining places.

Parents should treat open events and tours as part of due diligence, especially if their child thrives on a calm learning climate or, conversely, needs a very small setting. Tours are available most Friday mornings during term time at 9am, with booking via the school’s website.

Sixth form entry

Sixth form admissions are run directly by the school. For September 2026 entry, applications close on Friday 30 January 2026. Entry requirements include at least grade 4 in English and Maths, plus pathway-specific thresholds such as at least five GCSEs at level 5 and above for A-level pathways, with subject-level requirements that may be higher for certain courses.

Pastoral support is grounded in clear expectations and consistent staff responses. The inspection report describes a disruption-free environment with orderly behaviour at lunch and breaktimes, and pupils who feel supported when issues arise, including bullying, which staff are described as addressing quickly.

The school also signals an explicit focus on wellbeing education, including age-appropriate relationships and sex education, and an approach that encourages pupils to build mental and physical health.

For families with additional needs, it is also worth noting that the local authority directory flags a specialist resource provision related to hearing impairment, which can be relevant for pupils who need targeted support alongside mainstream education.

Sedgehill’s co-curricular life is not presented as an optional extra. It is built into the school’s identity, and some elements are unusually distinctive for a state secondary.

Music as a whole-school entitlement

Every student has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument free of charge from Years 7 to 9, and the wider narrative around music is consistent across sources. The inspection report notes that every pupil learns an instrument in Years 7 to 9, and highlights music and performing arts as central to school life.

The local authority also references the school’s work with the Music in Secondary Schools Trust, including the claim that every child is given a violin and taught to play for their first three years.

The practical implication: pupils who may not self-select into music elsewhere still get a structured start, and for families seeking confidence-building through performance and ensemble work, that matters.

Creative arts with specialist facilities

Creative arts is also unusually well resourced for a mainstream secondary. The school describes three fully equipped drama studios, a mirrored dance studio with a sprung floor, and recording studios, alongside access to stage design, lighting and sound, costume, and set design. It also references links with theatres such as the Old Vic, Donmar Warehouse and The Albany, plus a sixth form offer including Drama and Photography at A-level.

The inspection report adds an additional signal of ambition and opportunity: pupils have performed at the Albert Hall, and access theatre workshops as part of the wider programme.

Clubs, leadership, and inclusion

For clubs, the school is explicit that enrichment is broad and includes named options. Examples include the LGBTQ+ Club, described as student-run and meeting weekly with 20 to 25 students attending from Years 7 to 13. Chess is also cited as a pupil activity in the inspection report, and the school promotes choirs and musical ensembles as a regular part of its offer.

For older students, there are also targeted structures around independent study and support. The school day information references a compulsory homework club and a Year 11 Excellence Hour from 4pm to 5pm.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The school offers Duke of Edinburgh’s Award pathways across secondary and sixth form, with Bronze available in Years 9 and 12, Silver in Years 10 and 12, and Gold available in sixth form for those who have completed Silver. The published participation fees are £60 for Bronze, £80 for Silver, and £100 for Gold, with further costs depending on choices within sections such as volunteering and skills.

The official school day for students runs from 8.25am to 3.05pm, with a timetable that includes roll call, six teaching periods, tutor time, break, and lunch.

In terms of access and travel, the local authority directory lists Beckenham Hill as the nearest station for the school and notes bus routes including 54, 136, 138, 181, 208, and 320.

Wraparound care is not typically a feature of secondary schools in the way it is in primary, and the school does not present a breakfast club or after-school childcare model as standard. Families needing structured end-of-day supervision should ask directly about supervised study, clubs, and any paid provision available.

• Sixth form outcomes. A-level results sit below England averages on the published grade distribution and the FindMySchool A-level ranking. This does not mean sixth form is a poor choice, but it does mean subject selection, independent study habits, and the support offer should be assessed carefully.

• A strong arts identity. Music and performing arts are central, with universal instrument learning in Years 7 to 9 and substantial creative arts facilities. This is a positive differentiator for many students, but families seeking a narrower academic-only experience may find the arts presence more prominent than expected.

• Admissions deadlines are non-negotiable. For September 2026 Year 7 entry, the closing date is Friday 31 October 2025 and offers arrive on Monday 2 March 2026. Families moving late or deciding late should plan around the local authority process and waiting list timelines.

• House culture is an active feature. The reformed four-house structure and weekly competitions are designed to strengthen belonging and participation. Some pupils enjoy the team identity, others prefer a quieter profile, so it is worth discussing what motivates your child.

Sedgehill Academy presents as a well-organised, values-led school with clear routines, an inclusive community ethos, and a genuinely distinctive commitment to music and the arts. GCSE outcomes sit broadly in line with England’s middle performance band on FindMySchool’s ranking, supported by a positive Progress 8. Sixth form outcomes are weaker on the same measures, so post-16 is best judged through the lens of subject fit and the student’s readiness for independent study.

Who it suits: families who want a structured, calm learning environment, and a school where enrichment and creative opportunities are part of the mainstream rather than an add-on. For students with a spark for music, drama, or performance, it can be a particularly strong match.