School WiselyBeta

South Bank University Academy[1]

Secondary · ages 11–19

Open in the map

Headline results

Attainment 8
A8 33 32.6 2025/26[2]
A-level average grade
AL D+ D+ 2024/25[3]

Results

GCSE (key stage 4)

Attainment 8
32.6 2025/26[2]
Grade 5+ in English & maths
26.2% 2025/26[2]
Grade 7+ in English & maths
6.6% 2025/26[2]
Progress 8
-0.16 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 41.5[6] 38.4%[6]
2023/24 44.4[4] 37.5%[4] -0.16[4]
2022/23 42.1[7] 34%[7] -0.26[7]
2021/22 42.2[8] 37%[8] -0.62[8]

A level (16–18)

A-level average grade
D+ 2024/25[3]
AAB or better, at least two in facilitating subjects
17.6% 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 D[10] 0%[10]
2022/23 C-[11] 6.3%[11]
2021/22 C[12] 9.1%[12]
2018/19 E[13] 0%[13]

Destinations after GCSEs

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
85% 2022/23[14]
School sixth form
40% 2022/23[14]
Sixth-form college
8% 2022/23[14]
Further education college
35% 2022/23[14]
Apprenticeship
1% 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 92%[15] 50%[15] 8%[15] 31%[15] 1%[15] 2%[15]
2020/21 93%[16] 49%[16] 14%[16] 26%[16] 2%[16] 1%[16]
2019/20 95%[17] 58%[17] 15%[17] 20%[17] 0%[17] 1%[17]
2018/19 91%[18] 41%[18] 12%[18] 30%[18] 2%[18] 2%[18]

Destinations after 16–18 study

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
93% 2022/23[19]
UK higher education
63% 2022/23[19]
Education
66% 2022/23[19]
Apprenticeship
16% 2022/23[19]
Employment
11% 2022/23[19]
Earlier leavers
Left in Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment UK higher education Education Apprenticeship Employment
2021/22 87%[20] 53%[20] 57%[20] 3%[20] 27%[20]
2020/21 80%[21] 60%[21] 63%[21] 0%[21] 17%[21]
2019/20 81%[22] 52%[22] 57%[22] 5%[22] 19%[22]
2018/19 77%[23] 47%[23] 50%[23] 13%[23] 13%[23]

Higher education after 16–18 study

Progressed to higher education
64% 2021/22[24]
Top third of most selective universities
7% 2021/22[24]
Russell Group universities
6% 2019/20[25]
Oxford or Cambridge
0% 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 78%[26] 26%[26]
2019/20 71%[25] 12%[25] 6%[25] 0%[25]
2018/19 67%[27] 0%[27] 0%[27] 0%[27]
2017/18 70%[28] 10%[28] 10%[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
6 May 2026[29]
Type
S5 Inspection[29]
Report published
8 Jul 2026[29]
Inclusion
Expected standard[29]
Achievement
Expected standard[29]
Safeguarding standards
Met[29]
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard[29]
Attendance and behaviour
Needs attention[29]
Leadership and governance
Expected standard[29]
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard[29]
Post-16 provision (where applicable)
Expected standard[29]
Earlier inspections
InspectionTypeOverall
8 Jun 2022[30] Section 8 inspection of good and outstanding schools[30] No overall grade[30]
9 May 2017[31] Academy First Section 5[31] Good[31]

Competition to get in

Applications and offers, Year 7

Applications per place
5.3 Entry Sept 2025[32]
Applications (any preference)
138 Entry Sept 2025[32]
First preferences
15 Entry Sept 2025[32]
Places offered
26 Entry Sept 2025[32]
First preferences per place
0.6 Entry Sept 2025[32]
Earlier years
Entry Applications First preferences Places offered Per place First preferences per place
Entry Sept 2024 214[32] 20[32] 41[32] 5.2[32] 0.5[32]
Entry Sept 2023 230[32] 31[32] 67[32] 3.4[32] 0.5[32]
Entry Sept 2022 236[32] 42[32] 112[32] 2.1[32] 0.4[32]
Entry Sept 2021 265[32] 52[32] 99[32] 2.7[32] 0.5[32]

Character & practicalities

Type
Academy sponsor led[1]
Ages
11–19[1]
Boys / girls
Mixed[1]
Sixth form
Yes[1]
Boarding
No boarders[1]
Capacity
900[1]
Trust
SOUTH BANK ACADEMIES[1]
Local authority
Southwark[1]
Website
www.southbankua.org.uk[1]
District
Southwark[33]
Postcode
SE17 2TP[1]
URN
140221[1]

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

Pupils

Number on roll
491 2024/25[34]
English as an additional language
40.3% 2024/25[34]
SEN support
8.6% 2024/25[34]
EHC plan
3.3% 2024/25[34]
Free school meals in the last 6 years
55.3% 2024/25[34]

Pupils' ethnicity 2025/26

White
16.8%[35]
Mixed
15.3%[35]
Asian
4.2%[35]
Black
50.9%[35]
Any other ethnic group
10.9%[35]
Unclassified
2%[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.