Lambeth’s best secondary schools 2026

Trying to find the right school for your child in Lambeth? You’re in the right place.

With so many options, many parents find themselves drowning in league tables and Ofsted reports. That’s exactly why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Our expert team has analysed the latest 2024/2025 Department for Education data to bring you a list of the top-performing state secondary schools in Lambeth.

We show two ranking tables, one for Progress 8 and one for GCSE 9–7 results, and also provide a complete list of all secondary schools in Lambeth. This full list includes Progress 8 scores, GCSE 9–7 percentages, and Ofsted ratings where available. The schools in this table are ordered alphabetically rather than ranked, so you can easily see every school in one place, even if some data points are missing.

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Top secondary schools in Lambeth by GCSE % 9–7

Streatham & Clapham High School GDST in Streatham Hill is currently ranked #1 in Lambeth based on the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7. This measure highlights how many pupils achieve the very top exam results, giving a clear picture of each school’s academic excellence.

RankSchool nameTypeGenderProgress 8GCSE 9-7%Ofsted ᐧ Quality of educationOfsted ᐧ Behaviour & attitudesOfsted ᐧ Personal developmentOfsted ᐧ Leadership & management
1Streatham & Clapham High School GDSTOther independent schoolGirls-77.4%----
2Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary SchoolVoluntary aided schoolMixed-34.8%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
3The Norwood SchoolCommunity schoolMixed-29%GoodGoodGoodGood
4Oasis Academy South BankFree schoolsMixed-27.4%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
5The Elms AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-26.8%GoodGoodGoodGood
6Woodmansterne SchoolCommunity schoolMixed-22.6%GoodOutstandingOutstandingGood
7La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' SchoolVoluntary aided schoolGirls-22.5%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
8Dunraven SchoolAcademy converterMixed-22.2%GoodGoodOutstandingGood
9Saint Gabriel's CollegeVoluntary aided schoolMixed-20.6%----
10DLD CollegeOther independent schoolMixed-19.7%----
11Lilian Baylis Technology SchoolCommunity schoolMixed-18.4%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
12The Elmgreen SchoolAcademy converterMixed-16.8%GoodGoodGoodGood
13Harris Academy ClaphamFree schoolsMixed-16.5%GoodGoodOutstandingGood
14Platanos CollegeAcademy converterMixed-12.8%GoodGoodGoodGood
15Ark Evelyn Grace AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-11.8%GoodGoodGoodGood
16City Heights E-ACT AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-10.7%GoodOutstandingOutstandingGood
17Trinity AcademyFree schoolsMixed-10.4%----
18Vanguard SchoolFree schools specialMixed-2%GoodGoodGoodGood
19Lansdowne SchoolCommunity special schoolMixed-0%----
20Octavia House Schools, LondonOther independent special schoolMixed-0%----

Note: Rankings use 2024/2025 CSP data for state-funded schools and may not reflect recent changes, check school websites for the latest information.

Source

All secondary schools in Lambeth

Below is the complete list of secondary schools in Lambeth, including both state-funded and independent schools where data is available. This table provides an at-a-glance view of each school’s key performance metrics, including Progress 8 scores, the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7, and Ofsted ratings, where published.

School nameTypeGenderProgress 8GCSE 9-7%Ofsted ᐧ Quality of educationOfsted ᐧ Behaviour & attitudesOfsted ᐧ Personal developmentOfsted ᐧ Leadership & management
Ark Evelyn Grace AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-11.8%GoodGoodGoodGood
Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary SchoolVoluntary aided schoolMixed-34.8%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
Burlington House School TootingOther independent special schoolMixed------
City Heights E-ACT AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-10.7%GoodOutstandingOutstandingGood
DLD CollegeOther independent schoolMixed-19.7%----
Dunraven SchoolAcademy converterMixed-22.2%GoodGoodOutstandingGood
Elm Court SchoolCommunity special schoolMixed------
Harris Academy ClaphamFree schoolsMixed-16.5%GoodGoodOutstandingGood
Heron AcademyAcademy special sponsor ledMixed--InadequateInadequateInadequateInadequate
La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' SchoolVoluntary aided schoolGirls-22.5%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
Lansdowne SchoolCommunity special schoolMixed-0%----
Lilian Baylis Technology SchoolCommunity schoolMixed-18.4%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
London Nautical, City of London AcademyAcademy sponsor ledBoys--Requires improvementGoodGoodRequires improvement
Maypole School (Leigham Court)Other independent special schoolMixed------
Oasis Academy South BankFree schoolsMixed-27.4%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
Octavia House Schools, LondonOther independent special schoolMixed-0%----
Platanos CollegeAcademy converterMixed-12.8%GoodGoodGoodGood
Saint Gabriel's CollegeVoluntary aided schoolMixed-20.6%----
Streatham & Clapham High School GDSTOther independent schoolGirls-77.4%----
The Elmgreen SchoolAcademy converterMixed-16.8%GoodGoodGoodGood
The Elms AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-26.8%GoodGoodGoodGood
The Norwood SchoolCommunity schoolMixed-29%GoodGoodGoodGood
Trinity AcademyFree schoolsMixed-10.4%----
Turney Primary and Secondary Special SchoolFoundation special schoolMixed--GoodGoodGoodGood
Vanguard SchoolFree schools specialMixed-2%GoodGoodGoodGood
Woodmansterne SchoolCommunity schoolMixed-22.6%GoodOutstandingOutstandingGood

Source

Disclaimer

All data on this page is sourced from the Department for Education’s 2024/2025 Compare School Performance dataset. It includes state-funded and, where available, independent secondary schools. Please note that Progress 8 scores were not published by the DfE for the 2024/25 academic year, as this cohort did not have Key Stage 2 prior attainment data due to pandemic-related assessment cancellations.

Some schools may also be missing data for GCSE 9–7 results or Ofsted ratings due to unpublished or unavailable figures. Rankings are based only on schools with published data and may not reflect recent changes. Please check school websites for the latest information.

How we ranked the best schools in Lambeth?

Why trust our rankings? Our analysis is based on the latest 2024/2025 data from the Department for Education’s Compare School Performance (CSP) database, which publishes official performance data for all secondary schools in England, including both state-funded and independent schools where available.

We’ve created separate tables to highlight top performers in three key areas:

  • Progress 8 (pupil progress from KS2 to GCSE)
  • GCSE 9–7 grades (academic excellence)
  • Overall school listings, with available Ofsted ratings

Schools are primarily ranked by their Progress 8 score. This clever metric doesn’t just reward schools with high-attaining intakes – it highlights the ones that genuinely support student growth by measuring progress from the end of primary school to GCSEs. It adjusts for prior attainment, making it one of the fairest ways to compare schools.

Where available, we also show the percentage of GCSE grades at 9–7 to reflect high academic achievement, and Ofsted ratings for added context. All figures come directly from CSP’s official dataset.

Where Progress 8 data is not available for any schools in Lambeth, the corresponding table will not be shown. This simply means that no schools in this area had published Progress 8 scores at the time of the latest dataset, it does not reflect on the quality of the schools themselves.

How to support your child at home

Helping your child succeed at school doesn’t just happen in the classroom, the right support at home can make a big difference. Encourage a regular study routine, provide a quiet space for learning, and take an interest in what they’re covering in lessons. Even small actions, like checking in on homework or discussing what they learned that day, can build motivation and accountability.

If you’re looking for extra structure, our GCSE Revision Resources are designed to make studying easier. With expert-written notes, topic-by-topic exam questions, and mark schemes, your child can practise exactly what they need to know, when they need to know it.

Boosting confidence before exams

Confidence can make a huge difference to exam performance. Start by helping your child identify their strengths and weaknesses, then focus revision time on areas that need improvement. Practising under timed conditions can reduce exam-day nerves, while celebrating small wins along the way builds self-belief.

Our GCSE Exam Practice pages include hundreds of past-paper style questions and worked solutions, so students can walk into their exams knowing exactly what to expect. By building familiarity with the question styles and formats, they’ll feel prepared and ready to perform at their best.

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FAQs - best secondary schools in Lambeth

Based on the latest Department for Education CSP data, the highest-rated secondary school in Lambeth is Streatham & Clapham High School GDST by GCSE 9–7 results. In the case of an exact tie across these measures, the first school in alphabetical order is shown here. For full details and to compare all schools, please refer to the performance tables above.
No. This guide covers state-funded secondary schools only, including grammar, comprehensive, academy, and free schools. Independent/private schools are not included in our rankings.
Applications are usually managed by Lambeth local authority. You can find deadlines, admissions policies, and catchment area maps on the council’s official website.
Use Ofsted inspection reports, the Department for Education’s CSP performance tables, and our rankings to compare schools side by side. Visit schools during open days for first-hand impressions.
A Progress 8 score above 0 means students make better progress than the national average. Scores above +0.5 indicate well above average progress, while top-performing secondary schools typically achieve +0.7 or higher. The best schools in Lambeth consistently score above +0.8.

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