City of London Academy in Highgate Hill has said its ‘requires improvement’ Ofsted rating was “unexpected” and that “concerns have been raised”.

The watchdog published its result this week after a visit to the academy in Holland Walk in Archway in January. City of London was rated ‘good’ for ‘quality of education’ and ‘personal development’. But for ‘behaviour and attitudes’ and ‘leadership and management’ was rated ‘requires improvement’ - which was the overall grade.

The report noted the “ambitious curriculum” and that teachers use their “subject knowledge well to support pupils’ learning”. It also criticised anti-bullying measures and said that absences remain high among pupils but did acknowledge the importance of debate and cultural understanding such as a Year 7 visit to Kew Gardens.

It stated: “Although leaders have ensured that pupils get a good quality of education, in
some other areas have had limited impact. Actions to prevent bullying, and
to stop it once it is reported, are not always effective. This means that bullying
sometimes continues.”

The report added: “A significant minority of pupils have missed too much of
their learning. Leaders must ensure that pupils who are persistently absent are
more effectively managed and that their attendance improves significantly.”

The school has 633 pupils aged 11-18 and opened on September 1, 2017.

A spokesperson for the City of London Academies Trust said: “Ofsted inspectors visited the school in January and found that the quality of education and personal development were rated ‘good’.

“But despite this, inspectors gave an overall judgement of ‘requires improvement’.

“This outcome was unexpected; our concerns on the inspection process have been shared with Ofsted and the outcome remains the subject of an independent review by the school’s adjudicator.

“Although our concerns have been raised with Ofsted, we always welcome feedback because it allows us to improve the educational experience for the children we serve.

“Since the inspection, various measures have been put in place to address the issues that were highlighted.”