The beginning of September is an exciting time for parents and pupils as children head back to school after the summer break.

For many parents, their child may be stepping into secondary school for the first time.

While schools have typically been evaluated based on their Ofsted rating, this is all set to change as single headline grades for schools will be scrapped with “immediate effect” according to the government website.

This is planned to “boost school standards and increase transparency for parents”.

Single headline grades have been described by the government as “reductive” as they do not provide an assessment of the school’s performance overall across a range of areas.

This academic year, parents will instead see four grades across each of the following sub-categories: Quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary, said: “The need for Ofsted reform to drive high and rising standards for all our children in every school is overwhelmingly clear.

“The removal of headline grades is a generational reform and a landmark moment for children, parents, and teachers.

“Single headline grades are low information for parents and high stakes for schools.

“Parents deserve a much clearer, much broader picture of how schools are performing – that’s what our report cards will provide.

“This government will make inspection a more powerful, more transparent tool for driving school improvement.

“We promised change, and now we are delivering.”

Therefore, the ratings that schools have now will be the final single headline grades they receive before this change in evaluation is implemented.

We have compiled a list of the ratings of all of the secondary schools in Lewisham prior to the change as well as the date they were most recently inspected.

 

Outstanding:

Greenvale School – November 23, 2023

Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich – December 5, 2023

Harris Boys’ Academy East Dulwich – November 28, 2023

St Thomas the Apostle College – November 5, 2020

 

Good:

The Young Women’s Hub – May 24, 2022

Education-My Life Matters – April 30, 2024

Brent Knoll School – June 5, 2019

Urban Missing School – July 5, 2022

Trinity Church of England School – October 19, 2021

Forest Hill School – December 13, 2023

Sedgehill Academy – September 28, 2022

St Matthew Academy – October 16, 2019

Newlands Academy – March 13, 2023

Drumbeat School and ASD Service – March 19, 2019

Sydenham School – June 21, 2022

Haberdashers’ Hatcham College – February 26, 2019

Addey and Stanhope School – September 26, 2023

Deptford Green School – April 26, 2022

 

There are currently no secondary schools in the borough rated as requires improvement of inadequate.

 

Prendergast Ladywell School has been converted into an academy.

However, before being converted it was evaluated as good by Ofsted after inspectors visited on February 26, 2019.

Prendergast School, based in Adelaide Avenue, has also been converted into an academy.

Prior to the conversion, the school was rated as outstanding on November 6, 2013.

Prendergast Vale School, based in Elmira Street, has been converted into an academy and therefore also does not yet have an Ofsted rating.

It had previously been rated as good after an inspection on January 30, 2018.

Coinsborough College is a newly registered school and has not been inspected by Ofsted yet.

These ratings are accurate as of September 4, 2024.