St Mary's Catholic High School, Croydon

Secondary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 1119

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~679m)Possible (~970m)Unlikely (~1.3km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Conal Patrick Shields
Pupils:565 / 1,115 capacity
LA:Croydon
Phone:02086863837
Address:Woburn Road, Croydon, CR9 2EE
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 8 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Inspected 13 January 2026View full report
URN:101814
UKPRN:10017849
Diocese:Archdiocese of Southwark
Constituency:Croydon West
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This is a welcoming, inclusive school where pupils are treated with great care and respect. The school excels at supporting pupils who join at different times throughout the year, including those new to English and those facing challenging circumstances. Strong pastoral support and enriching personal development experiences help all pupils develop a strong sense of belonging and good character.

Key Strengths

  • High attendance rates across all pupil groups including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
  • Positive behaviour and respectful relationships between pupils and staff
  • Strong inclusive climate with effective support for pupils joining at non-standard times
  • Ambitious, well-designed curriculum with secure teacher subject knowledge
  • Excellent pastoral care and personal development opportunities

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent support for written and spoken communication across the curriculum
  • Some pupils with SEND not receiving consistent classroom adaptations to access the curriculum
  • Too many pupils who need additional support for basic writing skills do not access it
  • Gaps in knowledge persist for some pupils, particularly in communication skills

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Football club, choir, crochet club, residential trips in Year 7 and 11, pupil leadership roles, sporting competitions, charitable fundraising, careers guidance with employers, colleges and universities

St Mary's Catholic High School is a deeply caring school with high attendance and positive behaviour, though there are inconsistencies in how well pupils achieve, particularly in written and spoken communication.

At a Glance

34.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

28.2

Avg class size

19

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

West Croydon Station (Entrance)
314m · 5 min walk
West Croydon Rail Station
399m · 6 min walk
East Croydon Rail Station (Entrance)
547m · 9 min walk

Tube / Metro / Tram

West Croydon Tram Stop
314m · 5 min walk
Wellesley Road Tram Stop
574m · 9 min walk
Centrale Tram Stop (Platform 1)
615m · 10 min walk

Bus Stops

Bedford Hall (Stop T)
104m · 2 min walk
St Mary's Church / West Croydon (Stop WG)
119m · 2 min walk
Spurgeon's Bridge (Stop S)
169m · 3 min walk
Delta Point / West Croydon Station (Stop WN)
219m · 4 min walk
West Croydon Bus Station (Stop B1)
269m · 4 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

51%

Available places

565 pupils

1,115 capacity

550 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Croydon

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,822
Projected new pupils:328

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Croydon

Admissions Demand - Croydon

Low demand1.07x oversubscription

Places available

4,128

Applications

4,421

Got 1st preference

71.0%

Got preferred school

95.5%

Secondary admissions across Croydon (2025/26)

Inspection History(12)

13 January 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
13 January 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
3 November 2021

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

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

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

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.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

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.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

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

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.76303%

Overall absence

17.08126%

Persistent absence

603

Enrolments

Authorised3.10809%
Unauthorised2.65493%
Persistent (10%+)17.08126%
Severe (50%+)2.6534%

Absence trend

6.50518%
18/19
5.6445%
20/21
7.73525%
21/22
7.57994%
22/23
6.10708%
23/24
5.76303%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Feeder Primary Schools

Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity

Showing 10 of 15 linked schools

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.