Side by side
Harris Academy Purley and The John Fisher School
The published facts for both schools, each with its source. Where a school or the government has not published something, the cell says so. We do not name a winner.
What differs
- Harris Academy Purley takes boys and girls; The John Fisher School is a boys' school.
- Harris Academy Purley takes ages 11 to 19; The John Fisher School takes ages 11 to 18.
- The two schools are 1.2 miles apart in a straight line.
Facts side by side
| Fact | Harris Academy Purley | The John Fisher School |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Type | State-funded: Academy sponsor led DfE register | State-funded: Voluntary aided school DfE register |
| Ages | 11 to 19 DfE register | 11 to 18 DfE register |
| Gender | Mixed DfE register | Boys DfE register |
| Pupils | 1,013 DfE register | 1,116 DfE register |
| Religious character | Not published | Roman Catholic DfE register |
| Borough | Croydon DfE register | Sutton DfE register |
| Boarding | No DfE register | No DfE register |
| Admissions policy | Non-selective DfE register | Non-selective DfE register |
| Admissions for 2027 | ||
| Next deadline to apply or register | 31 October 2026 (closes in 21 days) school or council page | 31 October 2026 (closes in 21 days) school or council page |
| Applications and places, last round | 109 first preferences for 178 places DfE, September 2026 entry | 132 first preferences for 175 places DfE, September 2026 entry |
| Cost | ||
| Published day fees | No tuition fees (state-funded) | No tuition fees (state-funded) |
| Inspection | ||
| Latest inspection | Ofsted graded inspection, 28 February 2023: Good at that inspection Ofsted | Ofsted ungraded inspection, 21 June 2023: School remains Good Ofsted |
| Results | ||
| GCSE: Attainment 8 | 46.8 (2024/25) DfE | 55.6 (2024/25) DfE |
| GCSE: grade 5+ in English and maths | 50% (2024/25) DfE | 65% (2024/25) DfE |
| A level: average grade | C (2024/25) DfE | C+ (2024/25) DfE |
| A level: points per entry | 29.3 (2024/25) DfE | 32.3 (2024/25) DfE |
| Where leavers went | ||
| Stayed in education or work after GCSEs | 95% (left 2022/23) DfE | 99% (left 2022/23) DfE |
| Stayed in education or work after 16 to 18 | 82% (left 2022/23) DfE | 85% (left 2022/23) DfE |
| Pupils | ||
| Eligible for free school meals | 39.2% DfE register | 15.8% DfE register |
| English as an additional language | 40.1% school census 2024/25 | 23.2% school census 2024/25 |
| Receiving SEN support | 10.9% school census 2024/25 | 19.8% school census 2024/25 |
| Pupils per teacher | 17.8 DfE workforce census | 15.8 DfE workforce census |
| Overall absence | 7.2% DfE, 2024/25 | 6.4% DfE, 2024/25 |
DfE register: Get Information About Schools, daily extract as at 2026-10-07. Other sources are named in each cell; every figure links to its source on the school's own page.
Shaded cells differ between the two schools. A blank is not a weakness: it means the figure has not been published, or does not apply to that type of school. Fees and results are not comparable between state and independent schools.