Greenwich primary schools achieve strong results, but secondary outcomes lag behind London average
Royal Greenwich schools continue to demonstrate high standards, particularly at nursery and primary levels, with a significant proportion rated Good
or Outstanding
by Ofsted. However, outcomes for secondary schools, while remaining above the national average, are slightly below London averages.
The findings were presented to the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, during a review of education standards and achievements for 2025. The report, available in the Public reports pack, highlighted that 100% of nursery and primary schools in the borough were rated Good
or Outstanding
for Quality of Education and Leadership and Management, exceeding both national and London averages.
Ofsted inspections judge schools on four key areas: 'Quality of Education', 'Leadership and Management', 'Personal Development', and 'Behaviour and Attitude'. While the specific metrics used to define 'Quality of Education' and 'Leadership and Management' are not detailed in the report, it is noted that all schools inspected in the 2024-25 year were judged as good or better in all outcomes, with many attaining Outstanding in at least one judgement area.
While secondary school outcomes are also strong, with 84% of schools rated Good
or better by January 2026, they lag slightly behind London averages. The report noted that two secondary schools had moved from Good
to Requiring Improvement
in the 2023-24 academic year but are now showing good progress. The overall exclusion rate for secondary schools in Royal Greenwich remains exceptionally low compared to national and London averages.
At Key Stage 2, Royal Greenwich schools continue to exceed national averages across all measures, with writing outcomes at a greater depth
significantly higher than nationally. However, the report identified a gap for disadvantaged learners, although this has reduced from the previous year and is lower than the London gap. There is a gap of 14 percentage points for Reading, Writing, and Maths (RWM) combined for disadvantaged learners, a reduction from 15 percentage points in the 2023-24 academic year. This figure is lower than the London gap of 18 percentage points, and significantly lower than the national gap of 22 percentage points, which has not reduced compared with the previous year. In Royal Greenwich, 63% of disadvantaged students achieve the expected standard, compared with 47% nationally. Closing this gap is a key focus, with School Improvement Advisors working with school leaders to identify and address learning gaps within cohorts.
For Key Stage 4, pupils in Royal Greenwich perform above the national average across all measures, though slightly below the London average. The proportion of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) at grades 9-5 has increased by 3.1 percentage points in Royal Greenwich, outperforming the national rise of 1.6 percentage points and the London rise of 2.3 percentage points. The specific national average for EBacc attainment at grades 9-5 is 18.6%, and the London average is 27.2%.
At Key Stage 5, while there is a steady increase in outcomes, Greenwich pupils continue to underperform compared to England and London at A-level. However, performance in vocational qualifications is significantly above national and London averages.
The Be Great in Greenwich
programme aims to retain more high-achieving pupils within the borough's secondary schools and sixth form provision. The initiative targets high-attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6, inviting them to events hosted by local secondary schools to strengthen confidence in the borough's secondary offer and highlight strong local pathways. Early outcomes show that 10% of pupils who had planned to attend selective schools outside the borough chose instead to transition into comprehensive schools within Greenwich.
