Side by side
Shirley High School Performing Arts College and The Quest Academy
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
- Shirley High School Performing Arts College takes ages 11 to 19; The Quest Academy takes ages 11 to 18.
- The two schools are 1.3 miles apart in a straight line.
Facts side by side
| Fact | Shirley High School Performing Arts College | The Quest Academy |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Type | State-funded: Academy converter DfE register | State-funded: Academy sponsor led DfE register |
| Ages | 11 to 19 DfE register | 11 to 18 DfE register |
| Gender | Mixed DfE register | Mixed DfE register |
| Pupils | 800 DfE register | 853 DfE register |
| Borough | Croydon DfE register | Croydon 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 | 84 first preferences for 142 places DfE, September 2026 entry | 66 first preferences for 104 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, 30 November 2022: Good at that inspection Ofsted | Ofsted graded inspection, 12 March 2024: Requires improvement at that inspection Ofsted |
| Results | ||
| GCSE: Attainment 8 | 37.7 (2024/25) DfE | 37.5 (2024/25) DfE |
| GCSE: grade 5+ in English and maths | 23% (2024/25) DfE | 23% (2024/25) DfE |
| A level: average grade | C- (2024/25) DfE | C- (2024/25) DfE |
| A level: points per entry | 26.2 (2024/25) DfE | 28.1 (2024/25) DfE |
| Where leavers went | ||
| Stayed in education or work after GCSEs | 95% (left 2022/23) DfE | 89% (left 2022/23) DfE |
| Stayed in education or work after 16 to 18 | 84% (left 2022/23) DfE | 73% (left 2022/23) DfE |
| Pupils | ||
| Eligible for free school meals | 51.9% DfE register | 37.5% DfE register |
| English as an additional language | 30.6% school census 2024/25 | 26.8% school census 2024/25 |
| Receiving SEN support | 24.6% school census 2024/25 | 15.3% school census 2024/25 |
| Pupils per teacher | 15.3 DfE workforce census | 14.5 DfE workforce census |
| Overall absence | 11% DfE, 2024/25 | 9.4% 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.