SCHOOL PROFILE

The Excelsior Academy

Secondary Academy sponsor led URN 131062
Open
Pupils 8,834,192 Latest school census
Capacity 1,080 Published school capacity
Capacity used 91.0% Pupils as a share of capacity
Age range 11 – 18 Statutory age range
OFSTED

Latest graded inspection

6 February 2024
Latest published outcome Good
OEIF
Quality of education Good
Behaviour & attitudes Good
Personal development Good
Leadership & management Good
SCHOOL DETAILS

About this school

School type Academy sponsor led
Phase Secondary
Gender Mixed
Religious character Does not apply
Local authority Hackney
Trust COMMUNITY SCHOOLS TRUST
Census date 15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE

School community

Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.

2025/26
Total pupils 983 983 full-time · 0 part-time
Female pupils 401 40.8% of pupils
Male pupils 582 59.2% of pupils

Free school meals

Pupils eligible for free school meals.

63.5%
38.7 pts above England
School 63.5%
Hackney 35.8%
London 26.3%
England 24.8%

English as an additional language

Pupils whose first language is not English.

43.7%
23.4 pts above England
School 43.7%
Hackney 29.0%
London 39.2%
England 20.3%

Young carers

Pupils recorded as young carers.

1.2%
0.2 pts above England
School 1.2%
Hackney 0.2%
London 0.5%
England 1.0%

Ethnicity

Largest recorded pupil groups.

African
25.4%
250
Any other White background
16.7%
164
Indian
11.2%
110
Caribbean
8.9%
87
Bangladeshi
6.9%
68
Any other Mixed background
5.9%
58
Council, regional and national comparisons are pupil-weighted using published school census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS

Special educational needs

Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.

2025/26
Pupils with SEN 13.8% 136 of 983 pupils
7.0 pts below England England: 20.8%
School 13.8%
Hackney 22.8%
London 19.8%
England 20.8%
SEN support 9.6% 94 pupils
England 14.8% 5.2 pts below
EHC plans 4.3% 42 pupils
England 6.0% 1.8 pts below
PRIMARY NEEDS

Most common identified needs

Pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder 36
Social, emotional & mental health 29
Speech, language & communication 25
Moderate learning difficulty 20
Hearing impairment 10
Specific learning difficulty 7

SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Key stage 4 outcomes

Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.

2024/25
ATTAINMENT 8

Average attainment score

44.7 5.5 pts above England
School 44.7
Hackney 41.1
London 42.1
England 39.2
English & maths grade 5+ 39.5% England 36.0% 3.5 pts above England
English & maths grade 4+ 60.5% England 51.4% 9.1 pts above England
EBacc entry 86.4% England 30.6% 55.8 pts above England
EBacc average point score 4.11 England 3.41
Progress 8 Not available for 2024/25

Latest published: 0.46 · 2023/24

Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.

ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE

Attendance profile

Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.

2024/25
ABSENCE RATE

Overall absence

8.73%

Percentage of possible sessions missed.

2.51 pts higher than England
School 8.73%
Hackney 6.32%
London 6.38%
England 6.22%
ABSENCE RATE

Persistent absence

27.46%

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

11.65 pts higher than England
School 27.46%
Hackney 17.25%
London 17.60%
England 15.82%
ABSENCE RATE

Severe absence

3.32%

Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.

1.52 pts higher than England
School 3.32%
Hackney 1.36%
London 1.67%
England 1.80%
Council, regional and national comparisons are averages of published school-level percentages rather than pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

School context

Comparison with open secondary schools.

CAPACITY

Capacity utilisation

91.0% 1.3 pts below England
The Excelsior Academy
91.0%
Hackney
85.8%
London
91.3%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the same phase. Capacity utilisation is calculated from published pupil and capacity figures.
Sources: Department for Education · Get Information about Schools · Ofsted monthly management information