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City Lit, London

Outstanding
Post-16
Further education
Mixed
Ages 16–99

City Lit is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in London. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2023.

Ofsted
Outstanding (2023)
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Data last updated 27 Oct 2026

City Lit in detail

Getting there

The nearest tram or metro stop is Holborn Station, about 270 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).

16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kingsway / Holborn Station, 210 metres away.

The area around the school

In August 2026, police recorded 4342 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft, theft from the person and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Camden (1254), as is usual near a town centre.

Sources: NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Mark Malcomson
LA:Camden
Phone:02072429872
Address:Keeley Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 4BA
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 3 years ago
Outstanding

Overall

Outstanding

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Outstanding

Leadership & Management

Inspected 9 May 2023View full report

Safeguarding: effective

Contribution to meeting skills needs: Strong

Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)

URN:130401
UKPRN:10001463
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Holborn and St Pancras
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its May 2023 inspection.

Rated Outstanding for

Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.

At a Glance

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Special Measures

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 5 nearby schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with City Lit

Getting There

Tube / Metro / Tram

Holborn Station
273m · 4 min walk
Holborn Underground Station
290m · 5 min walk
Covent Garden Station
341m · 6 min walk

Bus Stops

Kingsway / Holborn Station (Stop M)
206m · 3 min walk
Holborn Station (Stop N)
219m · 4 min walk
Aldwych / Kingsway (Stop F)
247m · 4 min walk
Aldwych / Drury Lane (Stop E)
259m · 4 min walk
Aldwych (Stop D)
267m · 4 min walk

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
341
Fatal
3
Serious
72
Children hurt
4

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 341 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 3 fatal, 72 serious and 266 slight.

4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.

49 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 Camden is 130 (the median across 102 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.

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Commute and house prices

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Capacity & Demand

Area Demand Pressure - London

Medium pressure
New homes approved:114,409
Projected new pupils:20,594

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London

Across Camden council

Low demand council-wide0.80 applications per place

Places available

1,577

Applications

1,261

Got 1st preference

73.7%

Got preferred school

93.3%

All secondary applications across Camden council (2026/27), not just this school.

Inspection History(9)

9 May 2023
OutstandingReport

Further education and skills inspection

Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
24 November 2020
6 December 2016

Questions parents ask about City Lit

What is City Lit's Ofsted rating?

City Lit was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2023.

What is the catchment area for City Lit?

No fixed boundary. When City Lit is oversubscribed, Camden allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

How do I apply to City Lit?

Apply through Camden's coordinated admissions process, naming City Lit 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 City Lit?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 341 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 3 fatal, 72 serious and 266 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 49 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 Camden is 130 (the median across 102 schools, same distance and years).

Where is City Lit?

City Lit is at Keeley Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 4BA.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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