The Courtyard Islington

Special free school · Secondary, ages 13 to 19 · Mixed · Sixth form

Part of THE COURTYARD ISLINGTON

Holloway Road, Islington, London, N7 8LT

020 3859 6350 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedGoodInspected 9 May 2017; confirmed 2023
Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%England 45% · 2024/25
Pupils76Room for 72 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 36 in 2019, 48 in 2021, 49 in 2022, 55 in 2023, 67 in 2024, 68 in 2025, 76 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals57%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 9 May 2017.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Outcomes for pupilsGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Leadership and managementGood
Sixth formGood
SafeguardingEffective

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 22 February 2023: Ofsted found the school was still Good.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

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Results

GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25

14 pupils in this year group.

0% — 48 points below the Islington average, and 45 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolIslingtonEngland
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 0% 48% 45%
Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. 2 47 46.1
EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. 0.2 4.3 4.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% England 2022/23: 45%England 2023/24: 46%England 2024/25: 45% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 45% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.

Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

19 pupils in this year group.

100% — 9 points above the Islington average, and 8 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolIslingtonEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 91% 92%
School sixth form 0% 39% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 5% 13%
Further education college 5% 41% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 1% 3%
Work 0% 1% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
92%100%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Islington. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Islington

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Speech, language and communication needs; Autism.

PupilsThis schoolIslingtonEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 65.5% 69.9%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 100.0%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.0%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 19.1% 34.3%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 19.1% 14.2%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 50.0% 41.8%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 0.3 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 0.3% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.00% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 4.0 6.0 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 2.1 2.0 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 14.2% 14.2%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is The Courtyard Islington's Ofsted rating?

The Courtyard Islington was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 9 May 2017. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 22 February 2023, Ofsted found the school was still Good.

How did The Courtyard Islington do in its GCSEs?

In 2024/25, 0% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 45 points below the England average of 45%.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.