Olympus, South Croydon
Olympus is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in South Croydon. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Olympus in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Olympus are Abingdon House School Purley (1.9 miles); Red Gates School (2 miles, Good); Sunnydown School (2.4 miles, Outstanding); and Rutherford School (2.4 miles, Good).
Abingdon House School PurleyRed Gates SchoolSunnydown SchoolRutherford School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Olympus has an education, health and care plan (48 of 48 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Whyteleafe Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wentworth Way (->s), 300 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 28 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Croydon (488).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils enjoy coming to school. They appreciate being part of a small community. Pupils build strong professional relationships with staff and their peers. They prefer learning in small-group and one-to-one sessions. Pupils feel safe at school. They behave well in class and around the building. There have been recent incidents of bullying on social media. Staff have dealt with these effectively.
Staff expect pupils to achieve well. They equip pupils with the skills and knowledge that they need to lead happy and independent lives. In the main school, pupils take a bespoke range of qualifications including GCSEs. In the sixth form 'pathways' provision, pupils access college courses to supplement the core curriculum. This helps to prepare them for the next stage of their education or employment. Leaders prioritise reading for all pupils. They ensure that appropriate help with reading is in place if needed. Despite this high ambition, the quality of education is variable. The implementation of the school's curriculum is not consistent. This limits pupils' knowledge and understanding of important subject content.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum. In English, for example, pupils study whole texts, including by Shakespeare and William Blake. The curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of individual pupils. It prepares them well for adulthood. Pupils in Year 9 select option subjects such as design and technology and media studies. In the sixth form, students access a core curriculum. This is supplemented by college courses in art and design, mechanics and animal care.
Staff prioritise pupils' ability to read and therefore to access the curriculum. They assess pupils on arrival at the school and at the start and end of each academic year. This helps staff to measure the impact of the school's work on phonics and comprehension. Typically, pupils read well with confidence and expression. Leaders are developing a culture of reading for pleasure in the school.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Sixth form.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
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 Olympus
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot.
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
School Occupancy
87%
Available places
48 pupils
55 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
48
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Olympus is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
48
Total Pupils
34
Boys
14
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Olympus
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Olympus
What are GCSE results like at Olympus?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Olympus can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Olympus's Ofsted rating?
Olympus was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024.
Does Olympus meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2024, Olympus met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Olympus?
Olympus has around 48 pupils on roll.
Does Olympus have specialist SEN provision?
Olympus is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Olympus?
Olympus 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 Olympus?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot. 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 Olympus?
Olympus is at 112 Orchard Road, South Croydon, CR2 9LQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)