The Best London Secondary Schools: Exactly What the Data Says & 6 Top Areas

When it comes to choosing the right secondary school for your child, the borough in which it is located plays a pivotal role.

If you want to avoid independent school fees, where are the best London secondary schools? Or if you already live in London, what do the secondary schools look like in your area?

I gathered data from each borough to discover which one has the best secondary schools in London. I’ve also analyzed attainment data, and cross-referenced these two data sets.

In this post I’ll detail exactly what the data says about secondary schools in London: which boroughs are the best, which are the worst, and where you should live that’s both affordable and has great schools.

Here are the best secondary schools in London, according to the data.

Note: for this data, I’m only examining State secondary schools in London and schools that are free to attend. I did not include independent schools in this data.

For Primary Schools, check out my previous post where I’ve run all the data to find the best primary schools in London.

Best London Secondary Schools at a Glance:

• Best Boroughs for Budget: Haringey & Harrow
• Best Boroughs for High Ofsted Ratings: Merton & Ealing
• Best Boroughs for High Attainment Scores: Kingston Upon Thames & Bromley

London Secondary Schools: Ofsted Ratings by Borough

Ofsted Ratings – though they may not be the best system and are controversial – are the easiest way to see at a glance which boroughs have the best London secondary schools. Schools are rated with Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate (also called Serious Weakness or Special Measures).

Not every state secondary school in London had a rating in my data set, so the grey you see in the charts are unrated schools.

The chart above shows the percentage of London secondary schools in each borough that fall into each ratings category.

We can see that Merton has a very high percentage of state secondary schools rated “outstanding’ – over 50% of the borough. Other standouts are Islington, Ealing, Kingston Upon Thames, Kensington & Chelsea, Islington, Westminster, and Southwark.

The green graph on the left shows which boroughs have the highest percentage of “outstanding” London secondary schools.

You’re more likely to be able to enroll your child in an outstanding state secondary school in these top 10 boroughs: Merton, Islington, Ealing, Kingston Upon Thames, Kensington & Chelsea, Harrow, Southwark, Westminster, Bromley, and Haringey.

The yellow graph on the right shows the boroughs with the highest percentages of “good” schools – these are boroughs where there might not be as many standout schools, but they offer a solid range of good state secondary schools. These boroughs are solid choices, too, and we’ll cross-reference all this data with Attainment 8 scores below.

Ofsted ratings don’t describe a full picture for state secondary schools; they’re only one factor. Let’s keep going to see what the attainment data says.

Attainment 8 Data: State Secondary Schools in London

The Attainment 8 scores are one of the simplest ways we can see how a London borough stacks up against its Ofsted ratings.

For this data set I downloaded the Attainment 8 scores for each London borough for the most recent year available: 2021-22.

We can see that Sutton, Kingston Upon Thames, Barnet, Richmond, Hammersmith, Westminster, and Redbridge stand out for the highest attainment 8 scores.

If we break it down even further into subjects: English, Maths, and Ebacc, the same boroughs stand out: Westminster, Sutton, Kingston Upon Thames, Barnet, Richmond, and Hammersmith & Fulham.

Some of the boroughs with the lowest Attainment 8 scores are: Lambeth, Croydon, Lewisham, Waltham Forest, Greenwich, Enfield, and Barking & Dagenham.

The Best State Secondary Schools for Cost of Living in London

Sure, moving to Kensington & Chelsea for the schools sounds great. But it’s not affordable!

Let’s find the boroughs were you can actually afford to live that ALSO have great state secondary schools.

Here’s the latest data for cost of rent by London borough.

As you can see, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster – two of the highest rated boroughs for Ofsted ratings – are also two of the most expensive boroughs to live in.

Let’s see how our highest Ofsted-rated boroughs stack up against cost of living:

• ✅ Merton
• ❌ Islington 💰💰💰
• ✅ Ealing
• ✅ Kingston Upon Thames 💰💰💰
• ❌Kensington & Chelsea 💰💰💰
• ✅ Harrow
• ❌ Southwark 💰💰💰
• ❌ Westminster 💰💰💰
• ✅ Bromley
• ✅ Haringey

The Best London Secondary Schools: Top Boroughs

Now that we’ve pulled all that data together, let’s see what the top boroughs are for state secondary schools in London where you can actually afford to live.

This combines Attainment 8 data, Ofsted ratings, and average cost of rent.

1. Merton ✅

Merton has a huge array of stand-out state secondary schools with Outstanding Ofsted ratings, Average Attainment 8 scores are high, and cost of living is on the low end for London. Merton is an excellent choice for secondary schools in London. It’s also one of the safest boroughs in London.

2. Ealing ✅

Ealing has mid-to-high Attainment 8 scores, nearly 50% of the schools have an “outstanding” Ofsted rating, and is one of the more affordable London boroughs to live in. Ealing is an excellent choice for state secondary schools in London.

3. Kingston Upon Thames ✅

Kingston Upon Thames has almost 50% of the borough with “Outstanding” Ofsted-rated schools, some of the highest Attainment 8 scores, and the average cost of living is much more affordable than most of the rest of London. It’s also one of the safest boroughs in London.

4. Harrow ✅

Harrow has over 40% of the borough rated “outstanding”, excellent Attainment 8 scores, and the average rent is pretty affordable for London. Harrow is a great choice for London state secondary schools.

5. Bromley ✅

Bromley has over 30% of state secondary schools rated “outstanding,” high Attainment 8 scores, and affordable rent. Bromley is an outstanding choice for the best London secondary schools.

6. Haringey ✅

Haringey has over 30% “outstanding” schools, good Attainment 8 scores, and an average rent you can afford. Haringey is a great choice for the best secondary schools in London.

Secondary Schools in London: Borough by Borough

Here I’ll go through each borough one by one and explore the Ofsted ratings and Attainment 8 data so you can see how your borough stacks up.

1. State Secondary Schools in Barking & Dagenham

Barking & Dagenham has 2 outstanding State secondary schools and 12 good-rated schools. Attainment 8 data is average to low.

2. State Secondary Schools in Barnet

Barnet has 7 outstanding schools, 23 good schools, and higher than average Attainment 8 scores. Barnet is a good choice for the best London secondary schools.

3. State Secondary Schools in Bexley

Bexley has 2 outstanding schools, 13 good schools, 2 schools that require improvement, and 1 with serious weaknesses. Attainment 8 scores are average to low. Do your research when applying for state secondary schools in Bexley. It’s one of the safest boroughs in London, so it’s worth exploring.

4. State Secondary Schools in Brent

Brent has 7 outstanding state secondary schools and 10 good-rated schools. Average Attainment 8 scores are middle average. Brent is a good choice for secondary schools in London.

4. State Secondary Schools in Bromley

Bromley has 9 outstanding-rated schools and 12 good ones. There are 2 that require improvement. Attainment 8 scores are average, but overall Bromley is a good choice for the best London secondary schools.

5. State Secondary Schools in Camden

Camden has only one outstanding state secondary school, 9 good ones, and 2 that require improvement. Attainment 8 scores are average. Camden may not be the best choice for state secondary schools in London – do your research.

6. State Secondary Schools in Croydon

Croydon has 4 outstanding schools, 21 good, 3 that require improvement, and 1 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are mid-to-low. Do your research when applying for state secondary schools in Croydon.

7. State Secondary Schools in Ealing

Ealing has 10 outstanding state secondary schools and 10 good ones. Attainment 8 scores are mid to high. Ealing is an excellent choice, where you can find some of the best London secondary schools.

8. State Secondary Schools in Enfield

Enfield has 5 outstanding schools, 18 good, 1 that requires improvement and 1 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are low. Do your research when enrolling your child in state secondary schools in Enfield.

9. State Secondary Schools in Greenwich

Greenwich has 4 outstanding schools, 14 good schools, 1 that requires improvement and 1 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are average.

10. State Secondary Schools in Hackney

Hackney has 5 outstanding state secondary schools, 14 good, 1 that requires improvement and 1 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are average to high. Hackney is a good choice for secondary schools in London if you do your research.

11. State Secondary Schools in Hammersmith and Fulham

Hammersmith & Fulham – though one of the more expensive boroughs to live in – has 5 outstanding schools and 11 good ones. Attainment 8 scores are high. Hammersmith & Fulham is a great choice for the best secondary schools in London, if you can afford to live there!

12. State Secondary Schools in Haringey

Haringey has 6 outstanding schools and 11 good ones. Attainment 8 scores are average to high. Haringey is an excellent choice, and is a great area to find the best secondary schools in London.

13. State Secondary Schools in Harrow

Harrow has 7 outstanding state secondary schools, 6 good ones, and 2 that require improvement. Attainment 8 scores are average to high. Harrow is a good choice if you make sure to do your research.

14. State Secondary Schools in Havering

Havering has 3 outstanding schools and 18 good ones. Attainment 8 scores are average. Havering is a solid choice, and it’s a more affordable borough to live in.

15. State Secondary Schools in Hillingdon

Hillingdon has 4 outstanding state secondary schools, 19 good ones, 3 that require improvement, and 1 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are high, so do your research when enrolling in state secondary schools in Hillingdon and it’s a great choice.

16. State Secondary Schools in Hounslow

Hounslow has 7 outstanding schools and 16 good ones. Attainment 8 scores are high. Hounslow is a great choice for the best secondary schools in London!

17. State Secondary Schools in Islington

Islington has 8 outstanding schools and 7 good ones. Attainment 8 scores are average to high. Islington is a great choice, if you can afford to live there!

18. State Secondary Schools in Kensington and Chelsea

Kensington & Chelsea is a small borough for state secondary schools (there are so many independent schools there, and it’s very wealthy), with 4 outstanding schools, 2 good ones, and 1 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are high. It’s a good choice if you do your research and you can afford it.

19. State Secondary Schools in Kingston upon Thames

Kingston Upon Thames is an excellent choice and has some of the best secondary schools in London. It has 7 outstanding schools and 7 good ones, with very high attainment 8 scores. This borough is a great choice.

20. State Secondary Schools in Lambeth

Lambeth is a mixed borough, with 6 outstanding schools, 12 good, 4 that require improvement, and 2 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are average to low. Do your research before enrolling in state secondary schools in Lambeth.

21. State Secondary Schools in Lewisham

Lewisham is a mixed borough with 3 outstanding schools, 13 good ones, and 3 that require improvement. Attainment 8 scores are average to low.

22. State Secondary Schools in Merton

Merton is a great choice, and is one of our top picks for the best secondary schools in London. Merton has 7 outstanding schools and 5 good ones, with high attainment 8 scores. It’s also one of the safest boroughs in London.

23. State Secondary Schools in Newham

Newham has 6 outstanding state secondary schools, 14 good, 2 that require improvement and 2 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are average to high. Do your research when enrolling in Newham and it can be a good choice.

24. State Secondary Schools in Redbridge

Redbridge has 6 outstanding schools, 12 good, and 3 that require improvement. Attainment 8 scores are high, so do your research and Redbridge can be a great borough for the best secondary schools in London.

25. State Secondary Schools in Richmond upon Thames

Richmond Upon Thames – recently surging in popularity for its role in TV hit Ted Lasso – has always been a great borough for schools. But can you afford to live there? It’s expensive, but boasts 5 outstanding state secondary schools and 8 good ones, with very high attainment 8 scores.

Richmond may be expensive, but it’s also one of the safest boroughs in London.

26. State Secondary Schools in Southwark

Southwark is an outstanding borough for some of the best state secondary schools in London. But be warned – it’s pricey. Southwark boasts 11 outstanding free to attend schools and 13 good ones. Attainment 8 scores are high. It’s a great choice if you can afford to live there.

27. State Secondary Schools in Sutton

Sutton has 6 outstanding schools, 13 good, and 1 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are very high. It’s also one of the most affordable boroughs to live in. Sutton is a top choice for the best secondary schools in London. It’s also one of the safest boroughs in London.

28. State Secondary Schools in Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets has 5 outstanding schools, 15 good, and 3 that require improvement. Attainment 8 scores are average.

29. State Secondary Schools in Waltham Forest

Waltham Forest has 3 outstanding schools, 12 good, 1 that requires improvement and 1 with serious weakness. Attainment 8 scores are average.

30. State Secondary Schools in Wandsworth

Wandsworth has 5 outstanding schools and 12 good ones. Attainment 8 scores are high. Wandsworth is a great choice, and it’s in the middle range for cost of living in London.

31. State Secondary Schools in Westminster

Westminster is one of the top scorers for both school ratings and attainment scores. But be warned – it’s the most expensive borough in London to live in. But if you can do it, you won’t have to pay for independent school fees, as you have excellent state choices on your doorstep.

How I Analyzed the Data for Secondary Schools in London

I downloaded the school information from the Gov.uk website, amalgamating data from each London borough into a comprehensive 32-borough spreadsheet.

Additionally, I acquired the Attainment 8 data for all boroughs for the academic years 2021-22 from the same source.

I refined the data to encompass only state secondary schools or institutions that are accessible without charge. It’s plausible that this list includes religious schools, provided they offer free attendance within their catchment areas.

I excluded independent or tuition-based schools from this analysis.

Following this, I enumerated each state secondary school in every borough based on their ratings: outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate/serious weakness.

This entire dataset pertains to the academic year 2021-2022. It’s crucial to acknowledge that not every school is assessed annually; hence, some schools lack a rating. The proportions of “not rated” schools are depicted to ensure a holistic view.

It’s pivotal to recognize that the pandemic has had a profound impact on all facets of education. Therefore, a comprehensive examination of both the school and the borough is essential, considering the pre and post-COVID scenarios.

For the sake of brevity, this analysis is confined to the year 2021-22. However, when researching schools and boroughs, it’s advisable to consider the historical attainment data and Ofsted ratings to obtain a more complete understanding.

More on Living in London: 

Masterlist: 68 Indoor Playgrounds for the Best Soft Play in London (2023)

Pros and Cons of Living in London

Raw Truths about Living in London

The Cheapest Places to Live in London

London Postcodes: How they Work and How to Use Them 

Where are the Best Primary Schools in London? Here’s What the Data Says