What did Ofsted judge Central Foundation Boys' School's quality of education to be?

Ofsted judged Central Foundation Boys' School's quality of education as Outstanding at its inspection in March 2025, on Ofsted's own scale.

How many pupils attend Central Foundation Boys' School?

Central Foundation Boys' School has 1,152 pupils on roll.

What ages does Central Foundation Boys' School take?

Central Foundation Boys' School admits pupils aged 11 to 18.

Where is Central Foundation Boys' School located?

Central Foundation Boys' School is located in London, EC2A 4SH, Islington.

How do I apply to Central Foundation Boys' School?

Central Foundation Boys' School is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.

How close do you need to live to get into Central Foundation Boys' School?

On offer day for 2026-27 (Year 7), the furthest place offered at Central Foundation Boys' School was 1.337 miles from the school. That is the distance the last place reached in one year, not a boundary and not a guarantee — it moves with the number of applicants.

How are Year 7 places decided at Central Foundation Boys' School?

When Central Foundation Boys' School has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked After Children — Students who are looked after (in the care of a local authority) or who have been adopted (or made subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately after having been looked after, including those who appear to have been in state care outside of England; 2. Siblings — Students who have a brother or a sister who will be at the school when the transferring student is due to attend; (For this criterion, "brother/sister" include any whole or half‐brother/half-sister by blood or adoption, and any step or foster brother/sister who lives with the child for whom the application is made at the date of application);; 3. Children of the School's staff — Students whose parents (including step-parents)/carers (i.e. with legal responsibility for the student) are members of staff at the School: a) where the member of staff, teaching or non-teaching, has been employed at and directly by the School for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the School is made, or b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. If the member of staff resigns or leaves the School prior to an offer of a secondary place for their child is made, the School reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place, and 1 further criteria. The school offers 180 places at this entry point. Tie-break: Where it is necessary to differentiate between applicants living equal distance from the school, a random allocation using a computerised system will be applied.

What is the largest ethnic background at Central Foundation Boys' School?

According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 21.5% of pupils at Central Foundation Boys' School are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

Central Foundation Boys' School: Ofsted, Results & Catchment

School AtlasIslington

Islington

School AtlasIslington

Islington

How close did you need to live?

1.337miles

was the furthest place offered on offer day for 2026-27 (Year 7). That is how far the last place reached in ONE year — not a boundary, and not a guarantee. It moves with the number of applicants, so treat it as a guide rather than a line on a map.

Last distance offered at Central Foundation Boys' School, year by year →

How places are decided at Central Foundation Boys' School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked After Children — Students who are looked after (in the care of a local authority) or who have been adopted (or made subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately after having been looked after, including those who appear to have been in state care outside of England.
2Siblings — Students who have a brother or a sister who will be at the school when the transferring student is due to attend; (For this criterion, "brother/sister" include any whole or half‐brother/half-sister by blood or adoption, and any step or foster brother/sister who lives with the child for whom the application is made at the date of application);
3Children of the School's staff — Students whose parents (including step-parents)/carers (i.e. with legal responsibility for the student) are members of staff at the School: a) where the member of staff, teaching or non-teaching, has been employed at and directly by the School for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the School is made, or b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. If the member of staff resigns or leaves the School prior to an offer of a secondary place for their child is made, the School reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place.
4Distance — Students will be prioritised by distance (starting with the nearest). Nearness to the School will be measured on a computerised mapping system using a straight line distance measurement. Routes will be calculated from the home address (as defined by the Land and Property Gazetteer) to the midpoint of the school grounds (as determined by the London Borough of Islington). Where it is necessary to differentiate between applicants living equal distance from the school, a random allocation using a computerised system will be applied.

If two applications tie: Where it is necessary to differentiate between applicants living equal distance from the school, a random allocation using a computerised system will be applied.

The oversubscription criteria apply within each band. If in any band there are fewer than the required numbers of applicants, places will be filled from unallocated applicants from the nearest band, taking a student first from the higher band and then from the lower band in turn. Students with an EHCP are encouraged to sit the literacy test but if they do not, they will be allocated to an appropriate band at the School's discretion.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.

Central Foundation Boys' School: key facts

What did Ofsted judge Central Foundation Boys' School's quality of education to be?: Ofsted judged Central Foundation Boys' School's quality of education as Outstanding at its inspection in March 2025, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend Central Foundation Boys' School?: Central Foundation Boys' School has 1,152 pupils on roll.
What ages does Central Foundation Boys' School take?: Central Foundation Boys' School admits pupils aged 11 to 18.
Where is Central Foundation Boys' School located?: Central Foundation Boys' School is located in London, EC2A 4SH, Islington.
How do I apply to Central Foundation Boys' School?: Central Foundation Boys' School is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How close do you need to live to get into Central Foundation Boys' School?: On offer day for 2026-27 (Year 7), the furthest place offered at Central Foundation Boys' School was 1.337 miles from the school. That is the distance the last place reached in one year, not a boundary and not a guarantee — it moves with the number of applicants.
How are Year 7 places decided at Central Foundation Boys' School?: When Central Foundation Boys' School has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked After Children — Students who are looked after (in the care of a local authority) or who have been adopted (or made subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately after having been looked after, including those who appear to have been in state care outside of England; 2. Siblings — Students who have a brother or a sister who will be at the school when the transferring student is due to attend; (For this criterion, "brother/sister" include any whole or half‐brother/half-sister by blood or adoption, and any step or foster brother/sister who lives with the child for whom the application is made at the date of application);; 3. Children of the School's staff — Students whose parents (including step-parents)/carers (i.e. with legal responsibility for the student) are members of staff at the School: a) where the member of staff, teaching or non-teaching, has been employed at and directly by the School for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the School is made, or b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. If the member of staff resigns or leaves the School prior to an offer of a secondary place for their child is made, the School reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place, and 1 further criteria. The school offers 180 places at this entry point. Tie-break: Where it is necessary to differentiate between applicants living equal distance from the school, a random allocation using a computerised system will be applied.
What is the largest ethnic background at Central Foundation Boys' School?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 21.5% of pupils at Central Foundation Boys' School are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

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How close did you need to live?

1.337miles

Last distance offered at Central Foundation Boys' School, year by year →

How places are decided at Central Foundation Boys' School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked After Children — Students who are looked after (in the care of a local authority) or who have been adopted (or made subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately after having been looked after, including those who appear to have been in state care outside of England.
2Siblings — Students who have a brother or a sister who will be at the school when the transferring student is due to attend; (For this criterion, "brother/sister" include any whole or half‐brother/half-sister by blood or adoption, and any step or foster brother/sister who lives with the child for whom the application is made at the date of application);
3Children of the School's staff — Students whose parents (including step-parents)/carers (i.e. with legal responsibility for the student) are members of staff at the School: a) where the member of staff, teaching or non-teaching, has been employed at and directly by the School for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the School is made, or b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. If the member of staff resigns or leaves the School prior to an offer of a secondary place for their child is made, the School reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place.
4Distance — Students will be prioritised by distance (starting with the nearest). Nearness to the School will be measured on a computerised mapping system using a straight line distance measurement. Routes will be calculated from the home address (as defined by the Land and Property Gazetteer) to the midpoint of the school grounds (as determined by the London Borough of Islington). Where it is necessary to differentiate between applicants living equal distance from the school, a random allocation using a computerised system will be applied.

If two applications tie: Where it is necessary to differentiate between applicants living equal distance from the school, a random allocation using a computerised system will be applied.

Central Foundation Boys' School: key facts

What did Ofsted judge Central Foundation Boys' School's quality of education to be?: Ofsted judged Central Foundation Boys' School's quality of education as Outstanding at its inspection in March 2025, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend Central Foundation Boys' School?: Central Foundation Boys' School has 1,152 pupils on roll.
What ages does Central Foundation Boys' School take?: Central Foundation Boys' School admits pupils aged 11 to 18.
Where is Central Foundation Boys' School located?: Central Foundation Boys' School is located in London, EC2A 4SH, Islington.
How do I apply to Central Foundation Boys' School?: Central Foundation Boys' School is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How close do you need to live to get into Central Foundation Boys' School?: On offer day for 2026-27 (Year 7), the furthest place offered at Central Foundation Boys' School was 1.337 miles from the school. That is the distance the last place reached in one year, not a boundary and not a guarantee — it moves with the number of applicants.
How are Year 7 places decided at Central Foundation Boys' School?: When Central Foundation Boys' School has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked After Children — Students who are looked after (in the care of a local authority) or who have been adopted (or made subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately after having been looked after, including those who appear to have been in state care outside of England; 2. Siblings — Students who have a brother or a sister who will be at the school when the transferring student is due to attend; (For this criterion, "brother/sister" include any whole or half‐brother/half-sister by blood or adoption, and any step or foster brother/sister who lives with the child for whom the application is made at the date of application);; 3. Children of the School's staff — Students whose parents (including step-parents)/carers (i.e. with legal responsibility for the student) are members of staff at the School: a) where the member of staff, teaching or non-teaching, has been employed at and directly by the School for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the School is made, or b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. If the member of staff resigns or leaves the School prior to an offer of a secondary place for their child is made, the School reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place, and 1 further criteria. The school offers 180 places at this entry point. Tie-break: Where it is necessary to differentiate between applicants living equal distance from the school, a random allocation using a computerised system will be applied.
What is the largest ethnic background at Central Foundation Boys' School?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 21.5% of pupils at Central Foundation Boys' School are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

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