The City Academy, Hackney, London

In its own words: "Our aim: to provide a high quality education for students in Hackney Our mission: to develop highly qualified and skilled young adults who achieve to the best of their individual ability and embrace a desire for lifelong learning in their chosen path when they leave."

From the headteacher's welcome: "At The City Academy Hackney, we are dedicated to providing all the students in our community with the best possible educational opportunities. We believe excellence is achieved through three key ingredients: clear structures, high expectations and strong relationships."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include athletics, drama, choir, orchestra, chess, STEM, art, debating and book club.

Coming up: an open day on Thursday 19 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at The City Academy, Hackney averaged an Attainment 8 score of 53.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 52.3 in Hackney and 47 across England.

62% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 57% in Hackney and 47% in England.

That is up from 49.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.56: pupils made well 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 49.5, against 60.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 165 families put The City Academy, Hackney as their first choice and 779 named it as one of their preferences, for 173 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 36 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The City Academy, Hackney are Cardinal Pole Catholic School (0.1 miles, Attainment 8 46.1); The Urswick School - A Church of England Secondary School (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.7); Clapton Girls' Academy (0.4 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 60.7); and Mossbourne Community Academy (0.6 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 67.2).

The City Academy, Hackney's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

The City Academy, Hackney is one of 12 schools run by City of London Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.4 in 2024/25.

Of the 184 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 16% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 100 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 73% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 6% into work. 29% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

58.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 38.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (38%), Asian (16%) and Mixed (12%).

The City Academy, Hackney had 97 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Homerton Rail Station, about 460 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).

23 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The City Academy, 80 metres away.

In 2024/25, The City Academy, Hackney issued 174 suspensions, 15.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to The City Academy, Hackney are St John and St James CofE Primary School (under 0.1 miles); Morningside Primary School (0.2 miles); The Olive School, Hackney (0.2 miles); and Berger Primary School (0.2 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.