The City Academy, Hackney

School overview

The City Academy, Hackney is a secondary school serving London, Hackney, classified by the DfE as a sponsor-led academy. It has 1,152 pupils aged 11 to 19 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated The City Academy, Hackney 'Good'. The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 49.1 — above the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has fallen by 4.0 points compared with the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the top 33% of secondary schools nationally.

48% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, in line with the national average of about 45%. 71% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. 78% of the families who made The City Academy, Hackney their first choice were offered a Year 7 place for September 2026, even though the school made at least as many offers as it had first choices - the rest withdrew, moved or fell outside a priority group. After Year 11, 93% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 6.8%. There are about 32.9 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 57% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. Given the recent dip in results, it may be worth asking the school what is behind the change and what is being done in response. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.