St Nicholas School, based in Purley, provides not applicable education, serving pupils aged 4 to 11. The school is a community special school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
St Nicholas School currently has around 274 pupils on roll, which is about 103% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 71.9% boys and 28.1% girls. Around 41.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 11.6%. Persistent absence is recorded at 40.9%.
The student population reflects a mixed community, with african pupils forming the largest group at around 18.6%. white british pupils make up about 14.2% , followed by unclassified at 12.8%
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Requires Improvement. This means the school has areas that require improvement. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Reedham Drive, Purley, CR8 4DS |
| Website: | st-nicholas.croydon.sch.uk |
| Telephone: | 02086604861 |
| School Type: | Community special school |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | Croydon |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Miss Katie Goodwin |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 101854 |
Ofsted inspection date: 08/05/2024
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 265 |
| Number of Pupils: | 274 |
| Number of Boys: | 197 |
| Number of Girls: | 77 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 11.6% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 40.9% | 8.2% |
| African | 18.60% | 51 |
| White British | 14.20% | 39 |
| Unclassified | 12.80% | 35 |
| Other White | 10.20% | 28 |
| Other Mixed | 7.30% | 20 |
| Other Asian | 7.30% | 20 |
| Caribbean | 6.90% | 19 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 5.50% | 15 |
| Pakistani | 4.70% | 13 |
| Indian | 3.30% | 9 |
| White and Black African | 2.60% | 7 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.80% | 5 |
| White and Asian | 1.50% | 4 |
| Other Black | 1.50% | 4 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.10% | 3 |
| Chinese | 0.70% | 2 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purley Nursery School 58 Pampisford Road , CR8 2NE | 4out of 4 | 1,620 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Coulsdon Nursery School Linden Avenue , CR5 3BT | - not rated | 2,634 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont Primary School Old Lodge Lane , CR8 4DN | 4out of 4 | 90 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Harris Primary Academy Kenley 51 Little Roke Road , CR8 5NF | - not rated | 1,368 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Roke Primary School 51 Little Roke Road , CR8 5NF | - not rated | 1,368 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Woodcote Primary School Dunsfold Rise , CR5 2ED | - not rated | 1,413 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Woodcote Primary School Dunsfold Rise , CR5 2ED | - not rated | 1,413 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodcote High School Meadow Rise , CR5 2EH | - not rated | 1,538 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Woodcote High School Meadow Rise , CR5 2EH | 3out of 4 | 1,538 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Thomas More Catholic School Russell Hill Road , CR8 2XP | 3out of 4 | 1,847 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Purley Girls' High School Stoneyfield Road , CR5 2YG | - not rated | 1,879 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| The John Fisher School Peaks Hill , CR8 3YP | 3out of 4 | 2,252 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Boys | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coulsdon Sixth Form College Placehouse Lane , CR5 1YA | - not rated | 2,815 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Nicholas School Reedham Drive , CR8 4DS | 2out of 4 | 0 yd | Community special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| West Dene School 167 Brighton Road , CR8 4HE | - not rated | 423 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Reedham Park School Limited 71a Old Lodge Lane , CR8 4DN | - not rated | 452 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Abingdon House School Purley Godstone Road , CR8 2AN | - not rated | 937 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Shaftesbury Independent School Godstone Road , CR8 2AN | - not rated | 965 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.