The Palmer Catholic Academy, Ilford

Ofsted's report card from its 3 February 2026 inspection grades The Palmer Catholic Academy on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well across the curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders monitor attendance closely and consistently."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders identify pupils' needs in a timely way and use appropriate systems to assess and review those needs."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have identified the right priorities to move the school forward."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Pupils in the early stages of reading do not consistently receive teaching through an effective systematic synthetic phonics programme."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Many pupils do not develop their understanding of fundamental British values, such as democracy and the rule of law, with confidence or depth."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "Despite some students progressing well from their low starting points, historically, students have not achieved well."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that they develop staff's expertise in phonics so that staff can support weaker readers effectively"; "Leaders should ensure that teaching builds consistently on what pupils already know and can do and that assessment is used reliably to check pupils' understanding and inform next steps"; "Leaders should ensure that their planned actions to improve the school are implemented with precision and clarity"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils develop their understanding of fundamental British values and that the school's enrichment offer improves so that pupils benefit fully"; "Leaders should ensure that strategies to improve learning and achievement in the post-16 provision are fully embedded. Leaders and governors should continue to exercise robust oversight and act swiftly, where improvements are required".

On phones, the school says: "Mobile Phones From September 2026, we will begin using Phone Locker pouches with all students in Years 7 to 13."

In 2026, pupils at The Palmer Catholic Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 55.7 in Redbridge and 47 across England.

47% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 63% in Redbridge and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 48.8.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.49: 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 39.6, against 51.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.8 points.

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

For September 2026 entry, 120 families put The Palmer Catholic Academy as their first choice and 362 named it as one of their preferences, for 186 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Palmer Catholic Academy are Ark Isaac Newton Academy (0.2 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 60.7); Seven Kings School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 62); Oaks Park High School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 54.3); and Loxford School (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 54.1).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than The Palmer Catholic Academy.

The Palmer Catholic Academy is one of 8 schools run by The Good Shepherd Catholic Trust, an academy trust.

37 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Palmer Catholic Academy (as of April 2026): 81% would recommend the school, 78% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (81%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (68%).

Of the 184 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 25% to a further education college and 1% to an apprenticeship.

Of the 115 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 70% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 15% into work. 13% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

42.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (50%), Black (26%) and Mixed (8%).

In 2026, 97 pupils (8.6%) received SEN support and 25 (2.2%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.

The nearest railway station is Seven Kings Rail Station, about 180 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is New Road Seven Kings, 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 700 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Redbridge (338), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Palmer Catholic Academy issued 115 suspensions, 10 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Palmer Catholic Academy are St Aidan's Catholic Primary Academy (0.3 miles), Downshall Primary School (0.4 miles), Aldborough Primary School (0.4 miles) and South Park Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.