Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School, London

Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School on 6 areas: 1 expected standard and 5 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have prioritised pupils' personal development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Achievement varies across the curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Overall attendance is close to the national average."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The school's curriculum is broad and appropriate."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders do not always identify pupils' needs quickly or accurately enough."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "School leaders have a clear and in-depth understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that pupils' needs are identified accurately and promptly so that timely support and adaptations reduce barriers to learning and attendance"; "Leaders should ensure that all staff understand the individual needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and that staff know and consistently use the best strategies to help these pupils access the curriculum"; "Leaders should ensure that the school's agreed pedagogical approaches are effectively embedded across all subjects so that pupils develop secure knowledge and achieve well across the curriculum"; "Leaders should refine their attendance strategy to improve attendance rapidly, particularly for persistently absent pupils and those with additional needs"; "Leaders and those responsible for governance should act decisively where standards fall short so that improvements are secured quickly and sustained over time".

In 2026, pupils at Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.7 in Southwark and 47 across England.

32% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 53% in Southwark and 47% in England.

That is up from 42.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.25: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 42.2, against 47.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 19 families put Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School as their first choice and 93 named it as one of their preferences, for 31 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School are Oasis Academy South Bank (0.3 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 56.7); Haberdashers' Borough Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.2); London Nautical, City of London Academy (0.7 miles, Attainment 8 42); and Ark Globe Academy (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.4).

Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School is one of 16 schools run by St Oscar Romero Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 124 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 23% to a further education college and 1% into work.

57.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 15 pupils (4.2%) received SEN support and 19 (5.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest Underground station is Elephant & Castle Underground Station, about 370 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).

21 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Georges Rd/Imperial War Mus, 30 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 2352 crimes within a mile of the school, most often theft from the person, anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Southwark (1438), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School issued 32 suspensions, 7.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Notre Dame Catholic Girls' School are St Jude's Church of England Primary School (under 0.1 miles), St George's Cathedral Catholic Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Friars Primary Foundation School (0.3 miles) and Oasis Academy South Bank Primary (0.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.