Our extra‑curricular offer blends both chosen and taught experiences to ensure students have a range of experience and the ability to shape their own sense of self.

All students in Years 7–9 attend a compulsory weekly club, rotating twice a year so they take part in two different clubs annually. Students submit preferences once a year, and for the remaining terms we place them in clubs that broaden their experience - everything from baking and pottery to Minecraft, cricket, origami, football, and music tech.

To bring joy and spontaneity to school life, we host weekly playground pop‑ups, which include games, performances and activities designed to spark curiosity and lift the energy in the day. These take place in the playground at break and lunch time and provide moments for student to have fun.

A welcome from our Head Boy and Head Girl

“We wanted to introduce ourselves, I’m Soham and I’m Sarah, as head girl and boy we drive forward initiatives with the support of the Junior Leadership Team. This role has allowed us to take ownership, lead and support our school on a variety of different events. We want to leave a legacy at this school that we’ll be proud of.”

Who are the Junior Leadership Team

The Junior Leadership Team (JLT) is a key part of school life, bringing together student representatives from every year group to ensure the student voice is heard. The team includes roles such as Head Boy and Head Girl, Heads of House, Prefects, Climate Committee members, Newsletter Editors, Community of Belonging representatives, and lower school members of the School Council and Paddington Press. Working closely with staff, the JLT helps shape school initiatives and leads projects that support both the school and the wider community.

These positions are very sought out by our students, with student interest rising each year – In 2024-25, 112 Year 12 students applied for 24 leadership positions. Due to this demand, we expanded the number of roles for students to provide them with more opportunities to lead and serve.

Our commitment to service extends across the community. Fundraising is an essential part of Paddington Academy life, it underpins our mission and values, provides our students with the opportunity to activity support the community and demonstrate integrity.

We set ambitious targets every year to ensure we’re striving for the best. JLT member plan, advertise and execute events such as cake sales, non-school uniform day and pancake day sales and since 2023 we have managed to raise over £20,000.

Three charities that are especially important to our community are Pursuing Independent Pathways (PiP), for whom we have raised £7,815.30 over the past three years, Macmillan Cancer Support, for whom we have raised £3,405.31, and Sufra NW London, which we have supported through regular food donations.

Year 11 and 13 are important years for students at Paddington as they prepare to sit their public GCSE and A level exams. We believe that attaining exceptional grades is paramount to success later in life and so provide subject specific tutor time sessions at these years. As such, personal development at Year 11 and 13 takes place in our Enrichment Weeks rather than during tutor time. Across the year, Year 11 and 13 students take part in several bespoke weeks where they participate in house competitions, external speaker events and developmental activities to prepare them for life after Paddington.

One of our most recent enrichment weeks saw students take part in:

At the core of our mission statement is ensuring that students have the opportunity to attend university and live a happy and fulfilled life. As such, we make university visible reality for our students by ensuring they have as many university encounters as we can.

As part of this, we ensure each student has visited at least one university in Year 8, as it’s the perfect time to get them thinking about their prospects and what they would like to do after they complete their journey at Paddington Academy and before they select their GCSE options in Year 9. In 2026 Year 8 students visited Royal Holloway University for the day.

In Sixth Form, we focus on ensuring students are fully prepared for both their A-Level examinations and the next stage of their academic journey. Applying to university can feel daunting, but we support our students every step of the way, so they approach applications and interviews with confidence.

To help students feel ready for university life, we provide a range of opportunities, including:

• University visits to explore a variety of campuses and courses in and outside of London, providing them will all the information they need to help them make informed decisions about their future, and
• External University Support, working with organisations such as Realising Opportunities, Into University and Oaklin to support our students with upskilling themselves, applications and offers.
• A week of work experience, allowing students to immerse themselves in the world of work and develop practical skills.
• Academic enrichment opportunities, such as book presentations and early-entry preparation resources, helping students deepen their knowledge and prepare for higher-level study.

Through these experiences, our Sixth Formers gain the confidence, independence and skills they need to thrive at university and beyond.

To learn more about how we support our Sixth Formers with university, view our designated Sixth Form page.

It’s our mission to ensure our students have the opportunity to attend university, and we’ll do everything we can to ensure they can.

Houses create a framework for care and competition at Paddington: students belong to a team, support one another, demonstrate loyalty and leadership, and uphold integrity. Through inter-house competitions in sports, arts, and fundraising, students develop resilience, teamwork, and a sense of pride in their community. ​

Our entitlement model extends to our house system, where each half term, all students from 7-10 and 12 take place in a house competition. The winners of this round then progress to the finals and at each stage points are awarded which ultimately conclude in Victory for one house at the end of the year.

Our house figures were entirely chosen by our school community for the significant impact they have had towards British society, shaping Britain intellectually, morally, and socially for the better. Introducing our houses:

• Equiano - Chosen for his courage and advocacy for equality, reflecting resilience, leadership and social justice.
• Hawking - Chosen for his extraordinary contributions to science and determination in overcoming challenges.
• Seacole - Chosen for her compassion, bravery and commitment to caring for others.
• Lovelace - Chosen for her pioneering work in computing, representing innovation, creativity and academic ambition.

Congratulations to Seacole our 2024 – 2025 winners of the House Cup

Our External Speaker Programme gives every year group one inspiring speaker per year. By inviting external speakers, it provides our students the opportunity to broaden their views and listen to public speakers from who have achieved remarkable feats. It improves their critical thinking, broadens their understanding on various topics, and provide them a safe space to ask questions and learn more.

We have welcomed a range of guests including Linda Plant, Eva Clarke, Chris Sutton, Zainab Badawi, and hosted networking events with Sol De Janerio, The London Stock Exchange and Leaders in the Tech industry.

Welcome to Climate Council, a passionate group of students dedicated to promoting sustainability and reducing our school's environmental impact. Led by Fouad Abou Khalil and Amelia Mugalaasi, the Climate Council has been working on initiatives to make our school a greener and an eco-friendly place.

For one week every January, our school will be marking Energy Saving Week.

During this time, the Climate Council will focus on ways to reduce the school's daily energy consumption. There will be signs around the building to help remind us to reduce our energy consumption.

This highlights how important small energy-saving actions can be for both the environment and our school budget.

Here’s how you can help during Energy Saving Week:

• Switch off lights in empty classrooms or shared spaces.
• Unplug devices such as chargers, projectors and smartboards when they are not in use.

We encourage everyone to take part. Small actions from everyone can make a big difference and help our school become more environmentally responsible.

Proud partner with Let's Go Zero and ReFood.

What is the Duke of Edinburgh's Award?

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) is a fantastic opportunity for our students to get world ready, build confidence and develop skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. By taking part, they will learn independence, resilience and teamwork while discovering new interests and pushing themselves outside their comfort zones.

The Award includes four main sections:

• Volunteering – helping the local community
• Physical – improving in a sport or physical activity
• Skills – developing a new talent or interest
• Expedition – planning and completing a team outdoor adventure

DofE is open to young people aged 14–24. Each participant creates their own programme by choosing activities they enjoy and a cause they want to volunteer for, working towards a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.

You can develop hobbies you already love or try something new - from sports and music to coding or volunteering with animals. Along the way, you’ll spend time with friends, get more active, learn new skills, support your community, and take part in an exciting expedition.

Learn more about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

PGL Residential Trip

As part of our entitlement, we believe that a residential is a hugely important life experience for young people to come together as a year group and develop their social and emotional skills, try to activities and spend time outdoors. We take our Year 9 students to the Isle of Wight where they can experience the seaside and see another part of the country.

It is a brilliant 3 days for the year group filled with much fun and joy.