The Crescent Primary School, Croydon
The Crescent Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Croydon, part of The Pioneer Academy. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 33rd-highest of the 34 schools in Croydon with published results, and 12,831st of 14,452 across England. It was 60% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Croydon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Crescent Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils at The Crescent Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 80% in Croydon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 84% in reading and 75% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Crescent Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put The Crescent Primary School as their first choice and 117 named it as one of their preferences, for 31 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Crescent Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Crescent Primary School are Broadmead Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 73% reading, 66% maths); St Chad's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 88% reading, 78% maths); Robert Fitzroy Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 75% maths); and Whitehorse Manor Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 76% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than The Crescent Primary School.
Broadmead Primary SchoolSt Chad's Catholic Primary SchoolRobert Fitzroy AcademyWhitehorse Manor Junior School
The trust
The Crescent Primary School is one of 23 schools run by The Pioneer Academy, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
29 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Crescent Primary School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child does well at the school (93%).
Who goes there
39.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 37.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (53%), Mixed (17%) and Asian (12%).
In 2026, 72 pupils (22.6%) received SEN support and 22 (6.9%) 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 Crescent Primary School has a SEN unit for moderate learning difficulties: 40 places, 18 pupils on roll.
Staffing
The Crescent Primary School had 25 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Selhurst Station, about 390 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Beaconsfield Road (CR0), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Crescent Primary School 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 1015 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Croydon (488), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Crescent Primary School issued 20 suspensions, 5.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Crescent Primary School are BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology (0.1 miles), Ark Blake Academy (0.6 miles), St Mary's Catholic High School (0.6 miles) and Harris Invictus Academy Croydon (0.8 miles).
BRIT School for Performing Arts and TechnologyArk Blake AcademySt Mary's Catholic High SchoolHarris Invictus Academy Croydon
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a caring and ambitious school where pupils are well looked after by staff who get to know them well. This encourages pupils to talk to adults about any concerns they have. Leaders take careful account of the school community, including listening to parents and making changes based on their views.
In the early years, children are expertly supported to develop detailed knowledge across the curriculum. Typically, pupils in the rest of the school achieve well. This is not typically represented in nationally published outcomes because many pupils join the school part way through their primary education. Pupils' starting points are swiftly identified, and the curriculum typically builds securely on what they know.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders, including the trust and governing body, have worked effectively together to bring about clear improvements and provide a good quality of education for all groups of pupils. The school has a detailed knowledge of the needs of pupils, includ-ing those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who benefit from the enhanced learning provision. Pupils' needs are met through a range of adaptations to resources and approaches.
Children in the early years benefit from a well thought through curriculum. Clear guidance and training support staff in the early years to provide thoughtful activities and interactions that focus sharply on the concepts and vocabulary children need to know to be successful.
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 Good at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
39.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
29 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 84% to 62% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 75% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.8
Avg class size
19.0
Infant (KS1)
23.3
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Crescent Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Crescent Primary School.
- Early Start Late Finish830m away · Not yet graded
- Arisekidz950m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
The Crescent Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Croydon's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Crescent Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Crescent Primary School is in Croydon; for families living there:
Apply to Croydon for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 108
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 108 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 98 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
19 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
Your chances of a place at The Crescent Primary School
Will you get a place at The Crescent Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Crescent Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Crescent Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Crescent Primary School.
- Croydon publishes last distance offered figures, but none for The Crescent Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Crescent Primary School for 2016 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Croydon got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
60%
Available places
381 pupils
630 places
249 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Croydon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Croydon
Across Croydon council
Places available
4,828
Applications
4,082
Got 1st preference
89.6%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Croydon council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
72
SEN Support
22
EHC Plans
29.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Crescent Primary School has a SEN unit for moderate learning difficulties: 40 places, 18 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
318
Total Pupils
161
Boys
157
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
12.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,599
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,531
Per pupil
£2922k
Total funding
£242k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.7%
Overall absence
21.0%
Persistent absence
367
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about The Crescent Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Crescent Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Crescent Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 62% reached the expected standard in reading and 59% did so in maths.
What is The Crescent Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Crescent Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2021 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for The Crescent Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Crescent Primary School is oversubscribed, Croydon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Crescent Primary School?
The Crescent Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 60% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at The Crescent Primary School?
Classes at The Crescent Primary School average 22.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Crescent Primary School?
The Crescent Primary School has around 318 pupils on roll. 40% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Crescent Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
The Crescent Primary School has a SEN unit for moderate learning difficulties: 40 places, 18 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at The Crescent Primary School?
6.7% of sessions were missed at The Crescent Primary School in 2024/25. 21% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Crescent Primary School?
Apply through Croydon's coordinated admissions process, naming The Crescent Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does The Crescent Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of The Crescent Primary School: Early Start Late Finish (830m away, registered, not yet graded) and Arisekidz (950m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near The Crescent Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 108 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 98 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 19 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 The Crescent Primary School?
The Crescent Primary School is at The Crescent, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2HN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)