St Paul's Academy, London

Ofsted's report card from its 23 June 2026 inspection grades St Paul's Academy on 6 areas: 1 strong standard, 3 expected standard and 2 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 - Strong standard. "The ambitious personal development curriculum builds pupils' confidence and character over time."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils attend well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Pupils learn a broad and balanced range of subjects."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate picture of the school's strengths and the areas that need further development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' attainment and progress in national examinations such as GCSEs are not as good as they need to be over time."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Staff have started to put new systems in place to understand pupils' needs, but this work is still developing."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders must ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly and accurately so that pupils receive the support they need to make effective progress"; "Leaders must ensure that the support for pupils with SEND is regularly reviewed to ensure that they are accessing a provision that is suitable for their needs"; "Leaders must ensure that all staff know and understand the needs of pupils with SEND and consistently use the best strategies to help pupils learn in the classroom"; "Leaders must ensure that teachers consistently check what pupils know and can do so that any misconceptions or learning gaps that pupils have can be quickly addressed"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers provide opportunities to extend and deepen the learning of pupils, including pupils with high prior attainment, to ensure that they achieve the best possible outcomes".

From the headteacher's welcome: "As the Principal, and more importantly, as a former student of this very institution, I am immensely proud to lead a community that shaped me and continues to drive the future of the Royal Greenwich Borough. I am just one of many who walked these corridors."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance, drama, coding, debating and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at St Paul's Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 49.1 in Greenwich and 47 across England.

36% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 51% in Greenwich and 47% in England.

That is up from 40.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.25: pupils made below 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 37.1, against 45.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 77 families put St Paul's Academy as their first choice and 265 named it as one of their preferences, for 202 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 St Paul's Academy are Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); Woolwich Polytechnic School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.2); Plumstead Manor School (1.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41); and Harris Garrard Academy (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.2).

St Paul's Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

St Paul's Academy is one of 10 schools run by St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 234 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 14% to a further education college, 0% to an apprenticeship and 0% into work.

38.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 170 pupils (15.9%) received SEN support and 32 (3%) 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.

St Paul's Academy had 55 teachers in 2026, one for every 21 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Abbey Wood Station, about 1010 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Pauls Academy (->e), 110 metres away.

In 2024/25, St Paul's Academy issued 617 suspensions, 55.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St Paul's Academy are St Thomas A Becket Roman Catholic Primary School (0.1 miles), De Lucy Primary School (0.3 miles), Boxgrove Primary School (0.5 miles) and Alexander McLeod Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.