Aerodrome Primary Academy, Croydon

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~318m)Possible (~454m)Unlikely (~590m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Zoe Foulsham
Pupils:447 / 420 capacity
LA:Croydon
Phone:02086884975
Address:Goodwin Road, Croydon, CR0 4EJ
Trust:REACH2 ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 December 2012

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 10 months ago
-

Overall

Requires Improvement

Quality of Education

Requires Improvement

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Requires Improvement

Leadership & Management

Requires Improvement

Early Years

Inspected 11 November 2025View full report
URN:139094
UKPRN:10039699
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Croydon West
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school excels at making every child feel valued and supported, regardless of their needs or background. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use clever strategies to help all pupils learn, with particular strength in reading and mathematics. The school creates wonderful opportunities for children to explore the world beyond the classroom and understand different cultures, preparing them well for life in modern Britain.

Key Strengths

  • Exceptional inclusion and support for pupils with SEND, including specialist provision with expert staff
  • Comprehensive personal development programme with educational visits (restaurants, farms, seaside, theatre, different counties) and cultural activities
  • Very well-behaved pupils in a respectful, tolerant school culture
  • Strong attendance rates, particularly for pupils with SEND
  • High staff morale and retention with supportive collaborative environment

Areas for Improvement

  • Writing quality needs to improve, particularly letter formation, pencil grip and sentence structure
  • Teaching of writing has not yet consistently improved despite school-wide focus
  • Some pupils struggle with fluency in writing

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Educational visits to restaurants, farms, seaside, theatre, career development days, 11 before 11 programme, cultural carnival, fundraising, volunteering (meal preparation for local church), Sunshine Room calm space

Aerodrome Primary Academy is a strongly inclusive school where leaders are committed to helping all pupils thrive both personally and academically. The school provides a nurturing environment with excellent support for pupils with additional needs and a comprehensive personal development programme.

At a Glance

30.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SLCN - Speech, language and Communication

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+10ppMaths+2ppWriting+2pp

Reading has improved from 72% to 82%. Maths has remained stable at around 80%. Writing has remained stable at around 70%.

Class Sizes

23.8

Avg class size

30.0

Infant (KS1)

27.6

KS2

19

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Crowley Crescent (->W)
262m · 4 min walk
Whitgift Avenue (N-bound)
266m · 4 min walk
Heath Close (Stop GY)
288m · 5 min walk
Bramley Hill (->E)
299m · 5 min walk
Haling Park Gardens (Stop GW)
332m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

106%

Over capacity

447 pupils

420 capacity

27 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Croydon

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,822
Projected new pupils:456

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Croydon

Admissions Demand - Croydon

Low demand0.88x oversubscription

Places available

4,890

Applications

4,309

Got 1st preference

86.7%

Got preferred school

98.1%

Primary admissions across Croydon (2025/26)

Inspection History(4)

11 November 2025
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesRequires Improvement
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Early YearsRequires Improvement
18 May 2021
14 June 2016
Leadership & ManagementGood

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.11337%

Overall absence

17.97468%

Persistent absence

395

Enrolments

Authorised3.89856%
Unauthorised2.21481%
Persistent (10%+)17.97468%
Severe (50%+)0.50633%

Absence trend

4.16906%
18/19
4.51988%
20/21
5.7548%
21/22
6.45328%
22/23
5.61922%
23/24
6.11337%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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