School portraits: a snapshot of four notable schools | September 2021

Brampton manor academy

This co-educational state school in Newham, east London, is setting the standard for the academies programme. With hundreds of high-achieving pupils, its selective sixth-form, which opened in 2012, has attracted attention for its stand-out Oxbridge achievements. This summer, 55 pupils secured Oxbridge places, beating Eton for the first time.

The sixth-form receives around 3,000 applications for about 300 places per year, while some two out of three pupils are eligible for free school meals. One pupil puts its high achievement rates down to discipline, highlighting the rules around punctuality (there’s detention if you’re late) and a strict uniform code. Ofsted highlights the school’s ‘relentless ambition and high expectations’ — but students are as high-achieving as the school itself. Sixth-formers are encouraged to be in from 6 a.m., and there is a wide range of recreational activities, from Mandarin to chess, rowing, and cooking on a budget.