Harris Academy Purley, South Croydon

In its own words: "Our motto - 'to learn, to think, to act' - enshrines a core tenet of our philosophy and that is that education in the classroom is only the beginning of a young person's development and of education in general. Learning can only come to fruition once it is assimilated and an individual is able to think for themselves."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Harris Academy Purley Sixth Form is part of the Harris Federation Sixth Form, a network spanning nine academies across London. Being part of this wider community enables us to offer Harris students opportunities that are not available elsewhere. We offer a range of academic and vocational courses delivered by subject specialists, developing the skills of collaborative and independent learning."

Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Harris Academy Purley averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.4 in Croydon and 47 across England.

61% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Croydon and 47% in England.

That is up from 46.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.23: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 48.4, against 55.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 109 families put Harris Academy Purley as their first choice and 615 named it as one of their preferences, for 178 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Harris Academy Purley are Thomas More Catholic School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46); Wilson's School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 86.8); The John Fisher School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.8); and Coombe Wood School (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53.9).

Harris Academy Purley's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Harris Academy Purley is one of 59 schools run by Harris Federation, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.5 in 2024/25.

Of the 174 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 41% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 72 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 58% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 11% into work. 4% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

39% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 39.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (29%), Asian (29%) and Mixed (15%).

In 2026, 92 pupils (9.1%) received SEN support and 15 (1.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Purley Oaks, about 920 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Regina Coeli School (->n), 150 metres away.

In 2024/25, Harris Academy Purley issued 47 suspensions, 4.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Harris Academy Purley are Regina Coeli Catholic Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Aerodrome Primary Academy (0.5 miles), Purley Oaks Primary School (0.5 miles) and Harris Primary Academy Haling Park (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.