Schools in Purley

How many schools are there in Purley?

Purley has 13 open schools: 4 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through, 3 independent, 2 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Purley are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Purley were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Riddlesdown Collegiate, Beaumont Primary School and Purley Nursery School. Counting Good as well, 89% of the 9 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Riddlesdown CollegiateBeaumont Primary SchoolPurley Nursery School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Purley get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Purley with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Riddlesdown Collegiate, with an Attainment 8 score of 55.3 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The John Fisher School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.8 and 59% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Thomas More Catholic School, with an Attainment 8 score of 46 and 43% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Riddlesdown CollegiateThe John Fisher SchoolThomas More Catholic School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Purley have the best SATs results?

Of the 4 primary schools in Purley with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Beaumont Primary School (93% in reading, 90% in maths); Margaret Roper Catholic Primary School (88% in reading, 91% in maths); and Christ Church CofE Primary School (Purley) (82% in reading, 83% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Beaumont Primary SchoolMargaret Roper Catholic Primary SchoolChrist Church CofE Primary School (Purley)

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Purley?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Purley selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Purley have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Purley have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Purley?

Apply to your council - Croydon or Sutton, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.