Saint John Bosco College, London

Ofsted's report card from its 15 September 2026 inspection grades Saint John Bosco College on 7 areas: 3 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Typically, pupils develop secure knowledge and skills across the curriculum."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have built an inclusive and welcoming community."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Leaders have an informed understanding about pupils' attendance and behaviour."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders have accurately identified areas of the school that need improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Leaders have recently reviewed their personal, social and health education (PSHE) to increase its coherence so that pupils' knowledge can develop securely over time."

Post-16 provision - Needs attention. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of their post-16 provision and have designed a secure 16-19 curriculum."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently check what pupils' know and understand so they can swiftly intervene when needed, including when teaching literacy and introducing new vocabulary"; "Leaders should improve pupils' attendance. They should ensure that new approaches to supporting pupils' attendance are used consistently to identify and address any barriers, including new and emerging barriers"; "Leaders should ensure that there is a suitable and well taught relationships and sex education (RSE) and health programme which develops pupils' knowledge of healthy relationships and respect which informs appropriate behaviours and attitudes, including in the sixth form"; "Leaders should ensure that the sixth form curriculum is delivered to ensure students deeply embed their learning and attain well"; "Leaders should ensure that the sixth form provision for personal development supports students to be ready for their next steps in education, employment and training"; "Leaders should strategically implement and quality assure the new processes and systems they are rolling out so that have maximum impact".

In its own words: "St John Bosco College is a vibrant 11-18 Roman Catholic School, part of the worldwide family of Salesian schools. Based in the heart of Battersea, in state of the art facilities, we are proud of the achievements of our pupils. On these pages you can learn more about our school and how you can become a part of it."

Coming up: an open evening on Monday 26 October 2026 and an admissions event on Saturday 31 October 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Saint John Bosco College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 52.8 in Wandsworth and 47 across England.

42% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 58% in Wandsworth and 47% in England.

That is up from 43.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.17: 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 39.9, against 51.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 59 families put Saint John Bosco College as their first choice and 206 named it as one of their preferences, for 107 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 Saint John Bosco College are Chelsea Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53.3); Harris Academy Battersea (0.6 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 45.3); The London Oratory School (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 59.9); and The Hurlingham Academy (1.2 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 58.4).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Saint John Bosco College.

Of the 143 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 34% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 82 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 76% went on to university or other higher education, 1% to apprenticeships and 5% into work. 13% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

54.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 47.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (33%), Mixed (15%) and other ethnic groups (12%).

In 2026, 135 pupils (16.3%) received SEN support and 86 (10.4%) 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.

Saint John Bosco College has a resourced provision (45 places, 45 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (18 places, 18 pupils on roll) for autism.

Saint John Bosco College had 82 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Imperial Wharf Station, about 730 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St John Bosco College (->w), 30 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 1055 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wandsworth (649), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Saint John Bosco College issued 84 suspensions, 10.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Saint John Bosco College are Westbridge Academy (0.2 miles); Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Battersea (0.4 miles); Falconbrook Primary School (0.4 miles); and Ashburnham Community School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.