Apex Secondary School for Girls, Ilford
Apex Secondary School for Girls is an independent school for girls aged 11 to 16 in Ilford. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2026, ended in a report card: 6 expected standard.
- Ofsted report card
- 0 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Apex Secondary School for Girls in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 24 March 2026 inspection grades Apex Secondary School for Girls on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils generally achieve well across the curriculum."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils' attendance is similar to that seen nationally."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a curriculum which is ambitious in content and breadth."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school has grown rapidly in recent years."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The proprietor has a clear vision to provide effective secondary education for the community."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's personal development programme is well planned."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "The proprietor should ensure that the systems for recording and analysing pupil and staff information are consistently well used to provide leaders with the insights they need to enhance the support that pupils and staff receive"; "Leaders should ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to ensure that pupils' learning is consistently supported by high-quality modelling".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Apex Secondary School for Girls are Apex Secondary School for Boys (under 0.1 miles); Apex Primary School (0.2 miles); Read Academy Education (0.2 miles, Good); and Beehive Preparatory School (1.1 miles).
Apex Secondary School for BoysApex Primary SchoolRead Academy EducationBeehive Preparatory School
Who goes there
In 2026, 4 pupils (12.1%) received SEN support and 2 (6.1%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ilford Station, about 800 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Valentines Park, 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Apex Secondary School for Girls stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 694 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Redbridge (338), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Apex Secondary School for Girls
Apex Secondary School for Girls has high expectations for pupils. Pupils benefit from a well-designed curriculum that prepares them for the next stage of their education, and the contribution they can make to their wider communities and society. Pupils study a broad and ambitious curriculum, including a wide range of sports and games as well as academic subjects. Teachers design interesting activities in lessons and support pupils to make progress. Pupils achieve well, including pupils who may have barriers to learning. Pupils are happy and safe here. They learn how to stay safe, including staying safe online. Pupils know how to report any concerns they may face. They have confidence in staff to take action where necessary. Pupils have a deep reverence and respect for everyone's uniqueness and difference. This contributes to making the school a calm and pleasant place to be. Pupils feel included in all aspects of school life. Staff and other pupils welcome new arrivals of all ages as they join the school. Supportive induction processes help pupils quickly settle into the school. Staff reaffirm a sense of community daily, with greetings in lessons and encouraging participation in activities and social events across year groups. Pupils enjoy their education and take it seriously. They have pride in their work and in their school and are confident, articulate young women.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- The proprietor should ensure that the systems for recording and analysing pupil and staff information are consistently well used to provide leaders with the insights they need to enhance the support that pupils and staff receive.
- Leaders should ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to ensure that pupils' learning is consistently supported by high-quality modelling.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 24 March 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Apex provides a well-rounded education with high academic expectations alongside strong spiritual development through Islamic faith. Pupils are happy, safe and confident, with excellent support for new arrivals and those who need extra help. The school creates a calm, inclusive community where pupils respect each other's differences and take pride in their learning and school.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve well across the curriculum with particular strength in speaking, reading and mathematics reasoning
- Calm, orderly school environment with positive relationships and very low behaviour incidents
- Well-designed, ambitious curriculum covering all required areas with unique offerings in Islamic calligraphy and Arabic
- Effective support for new pupils and those with barriers to learning through early identification and tailored provision
- Strong focus on character development, inclusion and sense of community through events and activities
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent embedding of some teaching practices such as modelling activities across lessons
- Recent rapid school growth has contributed to slight decrease in attendance rates
- Management information systems need to be used more effectively to provide leaders with better insights
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and acted upon, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Islamic calligraphy, Arabic qualifications, wide range of sports and games, workshops for parents, Iftar during Ramadan, sports festival, visiting speakers for careers education, work experience for older pupils
Apex Secondary School for Girls is an Islamic girls' secondary school in Ilford that has achieved an 'Expected standard' overall rating. The school has grown rapidly in recent years while maintaining high academic expectations and a strong focus on pupils' spiritual development.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Apex Secondary School for Girls
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 58
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 58 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 52 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Redbridge is 56 (the median across 94 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
26%
Available places
33 pupils
125 places
92 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ilford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ilford
Across Redbridge council
Places available
3,708
Applications
3,422
Got 1st preference
68.4%
Got preferred school
93.3%
All secondary applications across Redbridge council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
4
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
18.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
33
Total Pupils
0
Boys
33
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Apex Secondary School for Girls
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Apex Secondary School for Girls
Does Apex Secondary School for Girls meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2026, Apex Secondary School for Girls met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Apex Secondary School for Girls?
Apex Secondary School for Girls has around 33 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Apex Secondary School for Girls?
Apex Secondary School for Girls is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Apex Secondary School for Girls?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 58 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 52 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Redbridge is 56 (the median across 94 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Apex Secondary School for Girls?
Apex Secondary School for Girls is at 287 Cranbrook Road, Ilford, IG1 4UA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)