Ages 
City and Islington College offers students a new beginning with a wealth of courses and great facilities. The students are encouraged to take advantage of their position in the heart of London to forge connections with the world of work and academia. Throw in supportive staff, a savvy head and a blessed central location at Angel and no wonder they are off to a flying start.
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Overview & data
- Pupil numbers
- 1,600 ·
- Religion
- Non-denom
- Local authority
- London Borough of Islington
Headteacher
Director
Dominic Eady
Dominic Eady.
Entrance
Five 4s needed at GCSE to study three A levels, higher grades required to take four subjects, and the college sets its own entrance test for maths. Applicants are encouraged to visit the open day in November and apply before the end of January. Ov
- Open days
- see website for details
Exit
The college is rightly proud of the statistics: 70-80 per cent to university, one fifth to the Russell Group. Three to Oxbridge in 2022; other recent destinations include City University, King’s College London, Queen Mary, Ravensbourne University
Latest results
In 2022, 14 per cent A*/A at A level (39 per cent A*-B).
Teaching & learning
A sixth form college for A levels, sheltering under broader academic umbrella of City and Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College, has the advantage of offering a wide range of subjects (over 34 on offer when we visited), delivered by A
Learning support & SEN
An inclusion co-ordinator supports a full range of special needs, from mild dyslexia to autism, with one-to-one support in class or in separate smaller rooms, depending on the level of need. The user-friendly building, complete with lifts, accommo
Arts & extracurricular
As part of Wednesday enrichment, there’s an in-house dance troupe and theatre shows, including an annual talent show and a Christmas production, which take place in the drama studio or at Islington’s Almeida Theatre. Students from both music and m
Sport
Wednesday afternoons are for enrichment. Students who aren’t lucky enough to be visiting the Supreme Court or meeting a Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist can enjoy more earthly activities, including football, basketball, netball, boxercise and gy
Ethos & heritage
In an area that Dickens refers to as where ‘London began in earnest’, the college site at Angel stands at a confluence of the metropolis’s business and residential life. To the south and east it touches the City with its commercial and banking qua
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
Dress is teen-casual and it’s first-name terms for teachers. The relationship relies on mutual respect – ‘we are trying to turn them into young adults’ – and students we spoke to were aware of the journey. ‘It’s preparing me for life after,’ said
Pupils & parents
Starting afresh in a new sixth form, rather than staying at their secondary school, gives the students a real chance to reinvent themselves, and the ones we spoke to described a variety of reasons for choosing the college: ‘it gives you more indep
Money matters
Centrally funded by Education Funding Agency; international students self-fund. Dedicated college advisor supports applications for a host of bursaries, sponsorships and additional expenses, including travel. Parents pay towards school trips.
The last word
City and Islington College offers students a new beginning with a wealth of courses and great facilities. The students are encouraged to take advantage of their position in the heart of London to forge connections with the world of work and academ
