City of London Academy Southwark

Welcome to City of London Academy (Southwark). We offer high-quality education in a vibrant, innovative learning environment to students aged 11-18. We provide added focus on Business & Enterprise and Sport, and are one of only 10 schools in England to be awarded Basketball Academy status by Basketball England. We are passionate about helping every student achieve their full potential in a caring, inclusive community. CoLA is sponsored by the City of London, allowing our students to access unique, exciting career opportunities in the heart of the capital.

City of London Academy is high-achieving and oversubscribed. The majority of our students progress to leading universities - including Oxbridge - apprenticeships or employment. Many also go on to prestigious college basketball scholarships in America.

We continue to raise attainment and achievement, boasting academic results significantly above the national average. In 2017, CoLA has achieved its best ever GCE A-level results in its history and matching our best ever GCSE results for the second year running. At A-level, the pass rate remained at 100%, with 79% gaining A*- C.

We celebrated a further 11% increase in last year’s GCSE results, with the best ever results of 38% of students achieving the English Baccalaureate measure and 76% of students secured 5 or more A*-C grades including English and maths. Overall 86% of students received 5 or more GCSEs grade A*-C, with great results in subjects including the essential core areas of Maths, English and Science.

Top-achieving students gained between 9 and 14 A*/A grades each and 32% of all grades were A*/A. A significant achievement was also recorded by Pupil Premium students, with 72% achieving 5 or more A*-C, including English and maths.

We offer a broad, balanced curriculum, with small class sizes ensuring no child is left behind. But City of London Academy is renowned for being more than just a school; we are dedicated to nurturing every student’s holistic development. We believe every child matters and were awarded the Investors in Careers (gold) for our exceptional work in supporting students’ development.

We are also joint lead school of London South East Maths Hub, part of a national programme dedicated to improving the quality of mathematics education.

City of London Academy is entering a new and exciting era, with our purpose-built Sixth Form centre opening at 399 Rotherhithe New Road in September 2017, ready to accommodate 400 students.

This will transform facilities for our students as we embrace the latest technology on a specialist Sixth-Form campus to improve learning, motivation and aspirations.

The City of London Academy’s vision is to be an inspirational, ambitious, inclusive and happy learning community; one in which pupils, parents and staff are motivated, respectful and have high expectations of one another. We are proud of our City heritage and value the opportunities it brings our community.

Aspiration and hard work are at the heart of our vision. We strive to shape resourceful, resilient and well-rounded young people who can each make valuable contributions to our diverse Academy and society at large.

Our vision embraces a culture of life-long learning in which all members of our Academy community matter and where both endeavour and achievement are celebrated. Positive relationships are underpinned by a relentless drive for excellence, and are rewarded with communication, creativity, confidence and success.

At The City of London Academy Southwark, we believe that our pupils are entitled to receive an inspiring, broad and balanced curriculum which will enable pupils to succeed in the world today. Our curriculum offers a wide range of academic and vocational courses taught by highly qualified staff. The curriculum is design with latest research and is underpinned by three main principles in mind: choice, challenge and progression.

The Key Stage 3 curriculum is followed by students in Years 7 and 8. From Year 7, students are placed in teaching sets according their ability in Maths, Science and English. All other subjects are taught in tutor groups which match their needs so that they can achieve their best potential and make the highest possible progress.

The Key Stage 4 curriculum is followed by students in Years 9 to 11. The majority of students will sit eleven GCSE examinations at the end of Key Stage 4. However, our most able scientists and mathematicians will sit more GCSEs. All students are provided with high quality careers advice and guidance before making their option choices at the end of Year 8. City of London Academy Southwark offers a wide range of subject choices within the timetable.

Our Sixth Form is large and has a specialist accommodation to enable us to offer a wide range of GCE AS or A2, Vocational and Applied courses. City of London Academy Southwark Sixth Form is a top performing Sixth Form Academy in London Borough of Southwark with over 300 students and has been recognised by the Department for Education as one of the top ten non-selective schools/colleges for progression to higher education.