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Sydenham School[1]

Secondary · ages 11–18

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Headline results

Attainment 8
A8 53 53.4 2025/26[2]
A-level average grade
AL B B 2024/25[3]

Results

GCSE (key stage 4)

Attainment 8
53.4 2025/26[2]
Grade 5+ in English & maths
57.7% 2025/26[2]
Grade 7+ in English & maths
21.2% 2025/26[2]
Progress 8
+0.10 2023/24[4]
Progress 8, 2025/26
Not calculated[5]
Progress 8, 2024/25
Not calculated[5]
Earlier years
Year Attainment 8 Grade 5+ in English & maths Grade 7+ in English & maths Progress 8
2024/25 50.8[6] 48.6%[6]
2023/24 49.7[4] 48.1%[4] +0.10[4]
2022/23 51.6[7] 53%[7] -0.02[7]
2021/22 54.6[8] 58%[8] +0.20[8]

A level (16–18)

A-level average grade
B 2024/25[3]
AAB or better, at least two in facilitating subjects
19.3% 2024/25[3]
All results, 2020/21
Not published (exams cancelled, COVID-19)[9]
All results, 2019/20
Not published (exams cancelled, COVID-19)[9]
Earlier years
Year A-level average grade AAB or better, at least two in facilitating subjects
2023/24 B-[10] 15.8%[10]
2022/23 B-[11] 16.9%[11]
2021/22 B[12] 13%[12]
2018/19 C+[13] 11.4%[13]

Destinations after GCSEs

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
95% 2022/23[14]
School sixth form
75% 2022/23[14]
Sixth-form college
5% 2022/23[14]
Further education college
12% 2022/23[14]
Apprenticeship
2% 2022/23[14]
Employment
0% 2022/23[14]
Earlier leavers
Left in Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment School sixth form Sixth-form college Further education college Apprenticeship Employment
2021/22 94%[15] 71%[15] 4%[15] 16%[15] 1%[15] 1%[15]
2020/21 98%[16] 77%[16] 6%[16] 12%[16] 2%[16]
2019/20 99%[17] 72%[17] 8%[17] 17%[17] 1%[17]
2018/19 96%[18] 66%[18] 11%[18] 17%[18] 1%[18]

Destinations after 16–18 study

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
83% 2022/23[19]
UK higher education
65% 2022/23[19]
Education
69% 2022/23[19]
Apprenticeship
1% 2022/23[19]
Employment
13% 2022/23[19]
Earlier leavers
Left in Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment UK higher education Education Apprenticeship Employment
2021/22 77%[20] 50%[20] 56%[20] 2%[20] 19%[20]
2020/21 85%[21] 69%[21] 74%[21] 2%[21] 9%[21]
2019/20 86%[22] 57%[22] 76%[22] 1%[22] 8%[22]
2018/19 86%[23] 61%[23] 66%[23] 3%[23] 18%[23]

Higher education after 16–18 study

Progressed to higher education
73% 2021/22[24]
Top third of most selective universities
21% 2021/22[24]
Russell Group universities
31% 2019/20[25]
Oxford or Cambridge
2% 2019/20[25]
Earlier leavers
Left in Progressed to higher education Top third of most selective universities Russell Group universities Oxford or Cambridge
2020/21 84%[26] 37%[26]
2019/20 87%[25] 31%[25] 31%[25] 2%[25]
2018/19 77%[27] 20%[27] 19%[27] 2%[27]
2017/18 74%[28] 18%[28] 18%[28] 0%[28]

Shares of the pupils who left in the year shown. Russell Group and Oxford or Cambridge figures were published for leavers up to 2019/20 only.

Ofsted

Latest inspection
19 May 2026[29]
Type
S5 Inspection[29]
Report published
6 Jul 2026[29]
Inclusion
Strong standard[29]
Achievement
Expected standard[29]
Safeguarding standards
Met[29]
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard[29]
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard[29]
Leadership and governance
Strong standard[29]
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard[29]
Post-16 provision (where applicable)
Strong standard[29]
Earlier inspections
InspectionTypeOverall
21 Jun 2022[30] Section 8 inspection of good and outstanding schools[30] No overall grade[30]
14 Mar 2017[31] Maintained Academy and School Short inspection[31] No overall grade[31]

Competition to get in

Applications and offers, Year 7

Applications per place
2.9 Entry Sept 2026[32]
Applications (any preference)
681 Entry Sept 2026[32]
First preferences
217 Entry Sept 2026[32]
Places offered
235 Entry Sept 2026[32]
First preferences per place
0.9 Entry Sept 2026[32]
Earlier years
Entry Applications First preferences Places offered Per place First preferences per place
Entry Sept 2025 684[32] 228[32] 231[32] 3.0[32] 1.0[32]
Entry Sept 2024 655[32] 197[32] 238[32] 2.8[32] 0.8[32]
Entry Sept 2023 747[32] 239[32] 238[32] 3.1[32] 1.0[32]
Entry Sept 2022 712[32] 222[32] 235[32] 3.0[32] 0.9[32]

Character & practicalities

Type
Community school[1]
Ages
11–18[1]
Boys / girls
Girls[1]
Admissions
Non-selective[1]
Sixth form
Yes[1]
Boarding
No boarders[1]
Capacity
1580[1]
Local authority
Lewisham[1]
Website
http://www.sydenham.lewisham.sch.uk/[1]
District
Lewisham[33]
Postcode
SE26 4RD[1]
URN
100741[1]

School details as recorded in Get Information About Schools on 14 Oct 2026.

Pupils

Number on roll
1507 2024/25[34]
English as an additional language
18.9% 2024/25[34]
SEN support
13.9% 2024/25[34]
EHC plan
1.7% 2024/25[34]
Free school meals in the last 6 years
29% 2024/25[34]

Pupils' ethnicity 2025/26

White
45.8%[35]
Mixed
18.5%[35]
Asian
5%[35]
Black
22.8%[35]
Any other ethnic group
4.1%[35]
Unclassified
3.7%[35]

The school census's major ethnic groups as shares of the school's pupils, summed by us from the published counts. For information only: never used to rank, filter or colour schools.

Sources

  1. Department for Education: Get Information About Schools: all establishments. Period 2026-10-14, published 2026-10-14. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  2. Department for Education: Performance tables schools data (explore education statistics). Period 2025/26, provisional, published 2026-10-15. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  3. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  4. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2023/24, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  5. Department for Education: Key stage 4 performance 2024/25: data guidance. Period 2024/25. Archived copy; original. Licence: OGL-3.0.
    Quote
    It is not possible to calculate Progress 8 for academic years 2024/25 and 2025/26 due to gaps in the baseline caused by COVID-19 disruption.
  6. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  7. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  8. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  9. Department for Education: A level and other 16 to 18 results 2020/21. Period 2020/21. Archived copy; original. Licence: OGL-3.0.
    Quote
    Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, and alternative processes were set up to award grades.
  10. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2023/24, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  11. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  12. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  13. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  14. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  15. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  16. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  17. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  18. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  19. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  20. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  21. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  22. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  23. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  24. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  25. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  26. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  27. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  28. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2017/18, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  29. Ofsted: State-funded schools inspections and outcomes. Period 2025/26. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  30. Ofsted: State-funded schools inspections and outcomes. Period 2021/22. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  31. Ofsted: State-funded schools inspections and outcomes. Period 2016/17. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  32. Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers: school level. Period Entry Sept 2026, final, published 2026-06-29. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  33. Office for National Statistics: Parish to Ward to Local Authority District (May 2026) Lookup in EW. Period 2026-05-01. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  34. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: School census. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  35. Department for Education: Schools, pupils and their characteristics: school level underlying data. Period 2025/26, published 2026-06-04. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.