Big Creative Academy, London
Big Creative Academy is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 19 in London. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2024.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Big Creative Academy in detail
Big Creative Academy in its own words
In its own words: "450 students are currently studying at our Clifton Avenue Campus with Big Creative Academy. Specialising in Performing Arts, Fashion, Art & Design, Music, Media and Health & Fitness. 350 students studying at our Uplands House and Digital Future campus with Big Creative Training. Specialising in Games Design, Animation, Music, Media, Performing Arts & Events Management."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 221 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 32% went on to university or other higher education, 2% to apprenticeships and 18% into work. 2% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
Big Creative Academy has a resourced provision (500 places, 419 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (200 places, 124 pupils on roll) for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackhorse Road Station, about 220 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Pretoria Avenue, 130 metres away.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its January 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Big Creative Academy is a free school sixth form located in the Walthamstow area of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Resourced provision and SEN unit: SpLD, Other, Hearing +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
c
Average grade
c
Best 3 A-Levels
z
Value added
1
A-Level students
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 221 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
2%
Top-third university
50%
Degree course
52%
Any L4+ destination
0%
Apprenticeships
Based on 181 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Big Creative Academy
Amplify
28 Sep 2026
Listen Out - PRESS RELEASE
14 Sep 2026
CreativiTEA 2026: How Big Creative Education and Mother Are Opening Doors to the Next Generation of Creative Talent
5 Aug 2026
Coach Carel Health & Fitness Club: Building Confidence, Wellbeing and Community
4 Aug 2026
Big Creative Education celebrates student talent at annual showcase in Walthamstow
5 Jul 2026
STYLED: Where Fashion, Music, and the 90s Collide
10 Jun 2026
From Big Creative Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Big Creative Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 72
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 72 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 11 serious and 60 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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 Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 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
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Waltham Forest council
Places available
3,090
Applications
2,724
Got 1st preference
79.5%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Waltham Forest council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
Special educational needs provision
Big Creative Academy has a resourced provision (500 places, 419 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (200 places, 124 pupils on roll) for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Workforce
1
Teachers
2017 data
Questions parents ask about Big Creative Academy
What is Big Creative Academy's Ofsted rating?
Big Creative Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024.
What is the catchment area for Big Creative Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Big Creative Academy is oversubscribed, Waltham Forest allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Big Creative Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Big Creative Academy has a resourced provision (500 places, 419 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (200 places, 124 pupils on roll) for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
How do I apply to Big Creative Academy?
Apply through Waltham Forest's coordinated admissions process, naming Big Creative Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Big Creative Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 72 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 11 serious and 60 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Big Creative Academy?
Big Creative Academy is at 38, Clifton Avenue, Walthamstow, London, E17 6HL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)