City Academy

The City Academy, one of Hackney’s newest schools, has been rated “outstanding” in its latest Ofsted report.

The secondary school on Homerton Row opened 18 months ago, and has made considerable progress in raising standards and students’ academic abilities, said the report.

Ofsted also added that there has been a “phenomenal improvement” in schools across Hackney during the past few years.

In the 2001 census, education was an area that was flagged up for improvement.

The Learning Trust, which runs education services in Hackney, found that in 2010, 56 per cent of students achieved five or more GCSEs, putting Hackney above the national average. In 2003, this figure was 26 per cent.

The trust has been working closely with all of the borough’s schools to help them improve standards.

A spokesman for the Learning Trust said: “All this has been made possible by the work of dedicated teachers and support staff in schools.”

A spokesperson for The City Academy, which specialises in business and finance, said: “We aim to develop students’ aspirations and educational achievements, this in turn enables and improves the contribution they can make to the wider community in Hackney.”