Lewisham’s best secondary schools 2026

Trying to find the right school for your child in Lewisham? 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 Lewisham.

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 Lewisham. 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 Lewisham by GCSE % 9–7

St Dunstan's College in Catford is currently ranked #1 in Lewisham 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
1St Dunstan's CollegeOther independent schoolMixed-83%----
2Sydenham High School, GDSTOther independent schoolGirls-64.7%----
3Prendergast SchoolAcademy converterGirls-53.4%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
4Forest Hill SchoolCommunity schoolBoys-29.5%GoodGoodGoodGood
5Sydenham SchoolCommunity schoolGirls-29%----
6Haberdashers' Hatcham CollegeAcademy sponsor ledMixed-27.6%----
7Prendergast Ladywell SchoolAcademy converterMixed-25.1%----
8Bonus Pastor Catholic CollegeAcademy converterMixed-23.8%----
9Deptford Green SchoolCommunity schoolMixed-21.2%GoodGoodGoodGood
10Trinity Church of England School, LewishamVoluntary aided schoolMixed-18.6%----
11St Matthew AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-18.5%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
12Sedgehill AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-16.4%GoodGoodGoodGood
13Prendergast Vale SchoolAcademy converterMixed-13.6%----
14Addey and Stanhope SchoolVoluntary aided schoolMixed-13.3%----
15Conisborough CollegeAcademy sponsor ledMixed-11.7%Requires improvementRequires improvementRequires improvementRequires improvement

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 Lewisham

Below is the complete list of secondary schools in Lewisham, 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
Addey and Stanhope SchoolVoluntary aided schoolMixed-13.3%----
Bonus Pastor Catholic CollegeAcademy converterMixed-23.8%----
Brent Knoll SchoolFoundation special schoolMixed------
Conisborough CollegeAcademy sponsor ledMixed-11.7%Requires improvementRequires improvementRequires improvementRequires improvement
Deptford Green SchoolCommunity schoolMixed-21.2%GoodGoodGoodGood
Drumbeat School and ASD ServiceCommunity special schoolMixed------
Education-My Life MattersOther independent schoolMixed------
Forest Hill SchoolCommunity schoolBoys-29.5%GoodGoodGoodGood
Greenvale SchoolCommunity special schoolMixed------
Haberdashers' Hatcham CollegeAcademy sponsor ledMixed-27.6%----
Marathon Science SchoolOther independent schoolBoys------
New Woodlands SchoolCommunity special schoolMixed------
Prendergast Ladywell SchoolAcademy converterMixed-25.1%----
Prendergast SchoolAcademy converterGirls-53.4%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
Prendergast Vale SchoolAcademy converterMixed-13.6%----
Sedgehill AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-16.4%GoodGoodGoodGood
St Dunstan's CollegeOther independent schoolMixed-83%----
St Matthew AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-18.5%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
Sydenham High School, GDSTOther independent schoolGirls-64.7%----
Sydenham SchoolCommunity schoolGirls-29%----
The Anchor SENDfriendly CentreOther independent special schoolMixed------
The Young Women's HubOther independent special schoolGirls------
Trinity Church of England School, LewishamVoluntary aided schoolMixed-18.6%----
Urban Mission SchoolOther independent schoolMixed------

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 Lewisham?

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 Lewisham, 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 Lewisham

Based on the latest Department for Education CSP data, the highest-rated secondary school in Lewisham is St Dunstan's College 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 Lewisham 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 Lewisham consistently score above +0.8.

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