1
Riddlesdown Collegiate
Purley • Surrey • CR8 1EX
1
17 May 2023
Top 10 Secondary schools in Croydon
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2022)
This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the local authority of Croydon. It’s built from the latest graded Ofsted inspections. We rank Outstanding (grade 1) above Good (grade 2), then prioritise newer inspections. As tie-breakers, we consider the “Quality of education” sub-judgement (where available), then %FSM and school size.
Total secondary schools
23
Outstanding
3
Good
14
Median inspection year
2022
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 14% · G: 67% · RI: 19% · I: 0%
2
Harris Invictus Academy Croydon
Croydon • CR0 2TB
1
14 Nov 2016
3
Harris City Academy Crystal Palace
London • SE19 2JH
1
10 Nov 2014
4
Harris Academy Purley
South Croydon • Surrey • CR2 6DT
2
26 Apr 2023
5
Ark Blake Academy
Croydon • CR0 6NA
2
26 Apr 2023
6
Meridian High School
Croydon • Surrey • CR0 0AH
2
20 Mar 2023
7
Coombe Wood School
South Croydon • CR2 7HY
2
1 Mar 2023
8
Shirley High School Performing Arts College
Croydon • Surrey • CR0 5EF
2
31 Jan 2023
9
Harris Academy South Norwood
London • SE25 6AE
2
21 Sep 2022
10
St Joseph's College
London • SE19 3HL
2
23 Jun 2020
How we rank these schools
- Headline Ofsted grade: Outstanding (1) outranks Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
- More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
- Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
- Lower free school meals (%) may break remaining ties.
- Larger roll (pupil count) is a final tie-breaker.
Only the ten highest-ranked schools are shown; we also list “near misses” just below.
About Ofsted grades
- Outstanding (1): Highest judgement across key areas.
- Good (2): Strong effectiveness; meets standards consistently.
- Requires improvement (3): Not yet good; clear areas to improve.
- Inadequate (4): Significant weaknesses found.
Ungraded Section 8 visits check whether the previous graded judgement still stands, but they don’t replace it.
Data freshness & coverage
We refresh inspections and school snapshots regularly. If a school was inspected very recently, its report may not yet appear here.
Top-10 pages only appear for areas with at least 10 secondary schools that have a graded Ofsted inspection.
Map of the Top 10
Also highly rated nearby
- Thomas More Catholic School 2 • Jun 2019
- Orchard Park High School 2 • Nov 2018
- St Mary's Catholic High School 2 • Feb 2017
- Oasis Academy Coulsdon 2 • Mar 2015
- Woodcote High School 2 • Feb 2015
- Norbury High School for Girls 2 • Jun 2013
- Archbishop Tenison's CofE High School 2 • Jun 2013
- The Quest Academy 3 • May 2024
- Oasis Academy Arena 3 • Dec 2023
- The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy 3 • Oct 2022