Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon, Croydon
Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Croydon.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon are The Write Time (0.3 miles, Good); Bright Minds Creative Academy (0.5 miles, Inadequate); Aspire Learning (0.7 miles, Good); and Supreme Education AP (0.7 miles, selective).
The Write TimeBright Minds Creative AcademyAspire LearningSupreme Education AP
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon has an education, health and care plan (144 of 144 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Church Street Tram Stop, about 100 metres away (roughly a 1-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church Street Tram Stop, 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 1225 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Croydon (488), as is usual near a town centre.
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 · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's August 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Serenity School is designed around a holistic approach to education, offering pupils flexible pathways through the curriculum based on their individual needs. The school prioritizes personal development and equality, with a strong emphasis on helping pupils develop respect for diversity and difference. The school provides extensive enrichment opportunities including swimming, horse riding, rock climbing and regular half-termly trips, alongside specialist vocational and academic courses.
Key Strengths
- Comprehensive and flexible curriculum across three pathways tailored to individual pupil needs
- Strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion woven throughout all subject planning
- Extensive enrichment activities including arts, sports and independent living experiences
- Thorough safeguarding policies and procedures with experienced, trained staff
- High-quality, purpose-built premises with specialist facilities for art, science and food technology
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a designated safeguarding lead who is experienced and knowledgeable, supported by trained deputy DSLs and comprehensive policies and procedures in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Swimming, horse riding, rock climbing, crochet, pupil-run clubs for younger pupils, trips each half term
Serenity School is a new independent school set to open in September 2025 with 123 registered pupils. 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 Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 111
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 21
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 111 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 21 serious and 90 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
16 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
32%
Available places
144 pupils
450 places
306 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Croydon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for 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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
144
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon 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
144
Total Pupils
101
Boys
43
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon
How many pupils go to Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon?
Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon has around 144 pupils on roll.
Does Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon have specialist SEN provision?
Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon?
Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon 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 Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 111 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 21 serious and 90 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 16 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 Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon?
Serenity School, Old Palace Croydon is at Old Palace School, Old Palace Road, Croydon, CR0 1AX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)