Side by side
Leigh Academy Bexley and St Columba's Catholic Boys' School
The published facts for both schools, each with its source. Where a school or the government has not published something, the cell says so. We do not name a winner.
What differs
- Leigh Academy Bexley takes boys and girls; St Columba's Catholic Boys' School is a boys' school.
- Leigh Academy Bexley takes ages 11 to 19; St Columba's Catholic Boys' School takes ages 11 to 16.
- The two schools are 1.6 miles apart in a straight line.
Facts side by side
| Fact | Leigh Academy Bexley | St Columba's Catholic Boys' School |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Type | State-funded: Academy sponsor led DfE register | State-funded: Academy converter DfE register |
| Ages | 11 to 19 DfE register | 11 to 16 DfE register |
| Gender | Mixed DfE register | Boys DfE register |
| Pupils | 873 DfE register | 805 DfE register |
| Religious character | Not published | Roman Catholic DfE register |
| Borough | Bexley DfE register | Bexley DfE register |
| Boarding | No DfE register | No DfE register |
| Admissions policy | Not published | Non-selective DfE register |
| Admissions for 2027 | ||
| Next deadline to apply or register | 31 October 2026 (closes in 21 days) school or council page | 31 October 2026 (closes in 21 days) school or council page |
| Applications and places, last round | 170 first preferences for 170 places DfE, September 2026 entry | 84 first preferences for 159 places DfE, September 2026 entry |
| Cost | ||
| Published day fees | No tuition fees (state-funded) | No tuition fees (state-funded) |
| Inspection | ||
| Latest inspection | Ofsted report card, 12 May 2026 Ofsted | Ofsted ungraded inspection, 27 November 2024: Standards maintained Ofsted |
| Results | ||
| GCSE: Attainment 8 | 35.4 (2024/25) DfE | 51.4 (2024/25) DfE |
| GCSE: grade 5+ in English and maths | 27% (2024/25) DfE | 53% (2024/25) DfE |
| A level: average grade | C (2024/25) DfE | Not published |
| A level: points per entry | 29.4 (2024/25) DfE | Not published |
| Where leavers went | ||
| Stayed in education or work after GCSEs | Not published | 93% (left 2022/23) DfE |
| Pupils | ||
| Eligible for free school meals | 42.3% DfE register | 24% DfE register |
| English as an additional language | 19.3% school census 2024/25 | 22.4% school census 2024/25 |
| Receiving SEN support | 20.2% school census 2024/25 | 8.3% school census 2024/25 |
| Pupils per teacher | 17 DfE workforce census | 16.2 DfE workforce census |
| Overall absence | 10.2% DfE, 2024/25 | 5.3% DfE, 2024/25 |
DfE register: Get Information About Schools, daily extract as at 2026-10-07. Other sources are named in each cell; every figure links to its source on the school's own page.
Shaded cells differ between the two schools. A blank is not a weakness: it means the figure has not been published, or does not apply to that type of school. Fees and results are not comparable between state and independent schools.