Maypole School - Melville, South Croydon
Maypole School - Melville is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in South Croydon.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Maypole School - Melville in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Maypole School - Melville are Rutherford School (0.2 miles, Good); Oak Bridge School (0.3 miles); Aspire Learning (0.7 miles, Good); and Bright Minds Creative Academy (0.9 miles, Inadequate).
Rutherford SchoolOak Bridge SchoolAspire LearningBright Minds Creative Academy
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Lloyd Park Tram Stop, about 290 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lloyd Park Tram Stop (->w), 340 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Maypole School - Melville stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 320 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Croydon (488).
Sources: NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 9 months agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Maypole School - Melville is designed specifically for children with complex SEND needs. It combines a carefully planned curriculum with a strong therapeutic approach that prioritises emotional safety, trust and individual support. The school will offer very small classes with typically one-to-one support and access to a multidisciplinary team, helping children feel secure and able to engage in learning.
Key Strengths
- Strong therapeutic and nurturing approach underpinned by high staff-to-pupil ratios and one-to-one support
- Broad, balanced curriculum carefully sequenced from Year 1 to key stage 4, with targeted phonics and reading support
- Comprehensive safeguarding arrangements with clear policies, trained staff and strong child protection procedures
- Specialist accommodation including spaces for therapy, calm regulation and small-group teaching
- Clear focus on emotional wellbeing, independence and preparation for adulthood for older pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with comprehensive policies in place, trained designated safeguarding leads, clear reporting systems and a planned strong culture of vigilance.
Extracurricular Activities
pupil council, voting and discussion activities, personal, social and health education (PSHE), preparation for adulthood experiences
Maypole School - Melville is a new special school for up to 75 pupils aged 5-19 with SEND and EHC plans, built on an established therapeutic approach from the proprietor's existing Maypole schools. The inspection found the school is likely to meet all independent school standards when it opens.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Maypole School - Melville
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - South Croydon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for South Croydon
Across Croydon council
Places available
4,025
Applications
4,184
Got 1st preference
71.2%
Got preferred school
95.3%
All secondary applications across Croydon council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
Special educational needs provision
Maypole School - Melville is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Maypole School - Melville
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Maypole School - Melville
Does Maypole School - Melville have specialist SEN provision?
Maypole School - Melville is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Maypole School - Melville?
Maypole School - Melville is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Maypole School - Melville?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Maypole School - Melville?
Maypole School - Melville is at 8 Melville Avenue, South Croydon, CR2 7HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)