St Mary's Catholic High School
0.3 miles565 pupils · Attainment 8 36.5 (2024/25)
Applications: closes in 21 days (31 Oct 2026)
State-funded · Secondary · Croydon
Harris Invictus Academy Croydon
Free school · Ages 11 to 18 · Mixed · 963 pupils
Closes in 21 days Application deadline 31 October 2026
At a glance
- Type
- Free school (state-funded)
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Pupils
- 963 census January 2026
- Capacity
- 900
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Head
- Mr Dougal Scott
- Trust
- HARRIS FEDERATION
- Address
- 88 London Road, Croydon, CR0 2TB
- Borough
- Croydon
- Telephone
- 02033713002
- DfE reference (URN)
- 140952
- Website
- harrisinvictus.org.uk
Source: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools · daily extract as at 2026-10-07 · last checked 9 October 2026
Where leavers went
Official destination measures after GCSEs (key stage 4)
| Staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after key stage 4 | 94% |
|---|---|
| In a sustained education destination | 94% |
| Going to a school sixth form | 67% |
| Going to a sixth-form college | 1% |
| Going to a further education college or other FE provider | 26% |
| In a sustained apprenticeship | 0% |
| In sustained employment | 1% |
| Whose destination was not sustained | 3% |
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2022/23 cohort · last checked 9 October 2026 · 170 leavers, cohort that left in 2022/23
Official destination measures after 16 to 18 study
| Staying in education, apprenticeship or employment for at least 2 terms after 16-18 study | 88% |
|---|---|
| Progressing to higher education | 55% |
| Progressing to further education | 5% |
| In a sustained apprenticeship | 5% |
| In sustained employment | 23% |
| Whose destination was not sustained | 10% |
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2022/23 cohort · last checked 9 October 2026 · 40 leavers, cohort that left in 2022/23
These are destinations schools have published for past leavers. They describe what happened, not what will happen for any one child. How to read this.
Key dates for 2027 entry
Year 7 (11+)
- Application deadlineSaturday 31 October 2026Closes in 21 days
National closing date for Year 7 applications: Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply through your home borough's coordinated scheme (eAdmissions), not directly to the school.
Source: GOV.UK · checked 9 Oct 2026
- National offer dayMonday 1 March 2027Upcoming
Secondary National Offer Day: Monday 1 March 2027. Offers are released by your home borough.
Source: GOV.UK · checked 9 Oct 2026
- Accept your offerMonday 15 March 2027Open
Deadline to accept your secondary offer: Monday 15 March 2027.
Source: GOV.UK · checked 9 Oct 2026
Get a reminder before Harris Invictus Academy Croydon's deadlines
One email 14, 7 and 1 day before each dated deadline we hold. No account needed.
A status ("Closes in 12 days") is shown only for a closing date we have checked, worked out from today's date, 10 October 2026. Other dates are printed as the school published them, with its own wording beside them. Dates given only as "early January" are shown as approximate and never counted down. Always confirm with the school or council.
Open days and tours
- Open morning · 09:00Tuesday 13 October 2026, 09:00 to 09:40
- Open morning · 09:00Wednesday 14 October 2026, 09:00 to 09:40
Dates as published on the school's own page, read 10 Oct 2026. Schools add and change dates at short notice and most ask you to book: confirm with the school. All open days in London
Admissions
You apply through the council where you live, not to the school, naming up to six schools in order on one form. Every applicant on time hears on the same national offer day.
171 first-preference applications and 505 applications naming it at any preference for 178 places offered (September 2026 entry, DfE)
| Entry | Places offered | First preferences | All preferences |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 178 | 171 | 505 |
| September 2025 | 179 | 105 | 490 |
| September 2024 | 191 | 171 | 545 |
| September 2023 | 192 | 160 | 563 |
These are counts of applications and offers on national offer day. They are not a chance of getting in: places are allocated by the school's published admissions criteria, such as siblings, distance or faith.
Source: Department for Education, Secondary and primary school applications and offers · entry years up to 2026/27 · last checked 9 October 2026
Croydon: Year 7 offers, September 2026 entry
Across the borough, 71.2% of applicants were offered their first preference and 95.3% were offered one of their preferences (4,184 applications). These are borough-wide figures, not a forecast for any school or child.
Source: Department for Education, Secondary and primary schools applications and offers 2026 · entry years 2014/15 to 2026/27 (release published 2026-06-18) · last checked 9 October 2026
Inspection
Ofsted ungraded inspection, 19 January 2023: School remains Outstanding
An ungraded inspection confirms or questions the previous grade; it does not set a new one.
Last overall grade: Outstanding, given on 29 September 2016
Historic. This is the last time Ofsted gave the school a single overall grade. Overall grades were abolished for state schools in September 2024.
Source: Ofsted, Management information - state-funded schools - latest inspections as at 31 August 2026 · latest inspections as at 2026-08-31 · last checked 9 October 2026
Results
GCSE (key stage 4), 2024/25
- Attainment 8 score2022/23: 45.3 · 2023/24: 42.445This school44.5Croydon46.1England, state-funded
- % achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs2022/23: 48% · 2023/24: 44%46%This school42%Croydon45%England, state-funded
- % achieving grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs2022/23: 68% · 2023/24: 59%62%This school62%Croydon65%England, state-funded
- % entering the English Baccalaureate2022/23: 45% · 2023/24: 76%58%This school52%Croydon40%England, state-funded
- EBacc average point score2022/23: 4.12 · 2023/24: 4.044.26This school3.99Croydon4.09England, state-funded
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · academic year 2024/25 · 155 pupils in the cohort
A level (16 to 18), 2024/25
- A level average result, expressed as a grade2022/23: D+ · 2023/24: C-C-This schoolCCroydonB-England, state-funded
- A level average point score per entry2022/23: 23.8 · 2023/24: 27.127This school30.9Croydon35England, state-funded
- Average point score for a student's best 3 A levels2022/23: 26.1 · 2023/24: 26.726.1This school31Croydon35.8England, state-funded
- % of A level students achieving AAB or higher including at least 2 facilitating subjects2022/23: 0% · 2023/24: 0%5%This school9%Croydon18%England, state-funded
- A level value added score2023/24: -0.64-0.46This school-0.03England, state-funded
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · academic year 2024/25 · 62 pupils in the cohort
Pupils and context
- Eligible for free school meals
- 51.2% January 2026
- English as an additional language
- 46.4%
- Receiving SEN support
- 15.3%
- With an Education, Health and Care Plan
- 2.5%
- Girls / boys
- 43% / 57%
Source: Department for Education, Compare school and college performance · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · school census 2024/25
Attendance and staffing
- Overall absence
- 6.8% 2024/25
- Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
- 20.2%
- Pupils per teacher
- 16.8 2025/26
Source: Department for Education, Absence rates by school level · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026
Places
- Places
- 1,083
- Pupils on roll
- 976
Source: Department for Education, Capacity - school / Sixth form capacity - school · 2024/25 · last checked 9 October 2026 · position at 1 May, 2024/25
Nearby schools
Schools covering the same ages within about a mile, by straight-line distance (not walking or travel time).
Al-Khair School
0.6 miles91 pupils
Ark Blake Academy
0.9 miles759 pupils · Attainment 8 45.6 (2024/25)
Applications: closes in 21 days (31 Oct 2026)
1,445 pupils · Attainment 8 50.1 (2024/25)
Applications: closes in 36 days (15 Nov 2026)
Compare with similar schools
Side-by-side comparisons with the nearest schools of the same type. Sourced facts only; no winner is declared.
- Harris Invictus Academy Croydon and St Mary's Catholic High School0.3 miles apart
- Harris Invictus Academy Croydon and Ark Blake Academy0.9 miles apart
- Harris Invictus Academy Croydon and BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology0.9 miles apart
- Harris Invictus Academy Croydon and Archbishop Tenison's Church of England High School, Croydon1.2 miles apart