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Schools across Croydon

Local authority · 156 schools across 13 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Croydon (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Croydon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Croydon →

Schools in Croydon (156)

Showing 20 of 156 schools

Total Schools

156

87 primary · 27 secondary

Total Pupils

63,135

81% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

49

10 outstanding · 39 good

Capacity

77,474

14,339 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

39
100
Outstanding: 10
Good: 39
Requires Improvement: 7
Not inspected: 100

Best Schools in Croydon

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

36.6

GCSE Eng+Maths

33.7%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

82% full
31,654 pupils38,519 capacity

6,865 spare places

Secondary Schools

80% full
22,538 pupils28,310 capacity

5,772 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.8%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

19.0%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

119

2024/25

Absence trend across Croydon schools

4.5%
18/19
4.8%
20/21
7.1%
21/22
7.4%
22/23
6.6%
23/24
6.8%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

61%

Plans Issued

1,038

Assessment Requests

1,367

Tribunal Cases

10

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

75%
2019
60%
2020
41%
2021
38%
2022
83%
2023
73%
2024
61%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

5,619 admissions

57

Lodged

(1.0%)

27

Heard

1

Successful

(4%)

Primary (infant classes)

4,415 admissions

51

Lodged

(1.2%)

25

Heard

0

Successful

(0%)

Secondary

4,630 admissions

55

Lodged

(1.2%)

39

Heard

2

Successful

(5%)

Total

10,249 admissions

112

Lodged

(1.1%)

66

Heard

3

Successful

(5%)

Total appeals lodged per year

684
2019
667
2020
498
2021
510
2022
448
2023
273
2024
359
2025
275
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Croydon

Croydon

64 schools

London

29 schools

South Croydon

20 schools

Thornton Heath

16 schools

Purley

12 schools

Coulsdon

7 schools

Kenley

2 schools

Whyteleafe

1 schools

Beckenham

1 schools

Haling Park

1 schools

Old Coulsdon

1 schools

149 CENTRAL HILL

1 schools

Addiscombe West

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Croydon

How many schools are there in Croydon?

Croydon has 156 open schools: 87 state primary, 28 state secondary or all-through, 16 independent, 18 special and 7 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Croydon are rated Outstanding?

25 schools in Croydon were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Bensham Manor School, Chipstead Valley Primary School, Fairchildes Primary School, Park Hill Infant School, Harris Aspire Academy and 20 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 128 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Bensham Manor SchoolChipstead Valley Primary SchoolFairchildes Primary SchoolPark Hill Infant SchoolHarris Aspire Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Croydon get the best GCSE results?

Of the 28 schools in Croydon with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Coloma Convent Girls' School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.8 and 62% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Riddlesdown Collegiate, with an Attainment 8 score of 55.3 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Coombe Wood School, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.9 and 55% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Coloma Convent Girls' SchoolRiddlesdown CollegiateCoombe Wood School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Croydon have the best SATs results?

Of the 77 primary schools in Croydon with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Kenley Primary School (100% in reading, 94% in maths); Krishna Avanti Primary School (92% in reading, 100% in maths); and St Peter's Primary School (95% in reading, 93% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Kenley Primary SchoolKrishna Avanti Primary SchoolSt Peter's Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Croydon?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Croydon selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Croydon have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Croydon have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Croydon allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Croydon?

Apply to Croydon through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables