Sydenham School
Dartmouth Road, London, SE26 4RD
1,467 pupils · 93% of 1,580 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Community school
- Ages
- 11–18
- Gender
- Girls
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Local authority
- Lewisham
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 27.8%
Ofsted
Strong standard (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Strong standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard |
| Achievement | Expected standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Strong standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Strong standard |
| Leadership and governance | Strong standard |
| Post-16 | Strong standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 19 May 2026, published 6 July 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 50.8 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 48.6% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 72.5% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 67.9% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.92 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 235 | 217 | 681 | 235 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 231 | 228 | 684 | 231 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 238 | 197 | 655 | 238 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 238 | 239 | 747 | 238 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 235 | 222 | 712 | 235 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 237 | 188 | 690 | 237 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 237 | 168 | 742 | 237 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 237 | 265 | 938 | 237 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Forest Hill School 0.8 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- Kingsdale Foundation School 1.8 km · Outstanding (2023) · previous system
- Harris Girls Academy Bromley 2.4 km · Outstanding — confirmed 2024 · previous system
- Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich 2.6 km · Outstanding (2023) · previous system
- Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich 2.6 km · Outstanding (2023) · previous system
- Harris City Academy Crystal Palace 2.8 km · No overall grade (2025)
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.