Harris City Academy Crystal Palace

About Harris City Academy Crystal Palace

Harris City Academy Crystal Palace posts a Progress 8 score of 0.24, which places it comfortably above the Croydon local authority average of -0.04 for secondary schools. That gap of 0.28 is significant in practical terms — it means pupils here, on average, achieve nearly a third of a grade more per subject than their peers in other Croydon state schools. The school ranks 7th out of 22 secondaries in the borough, putting it in the top third locally, and its Progress 8 banding is officially rated as "Above average" nationally. What's particularly striking is the variation within that score: English progress is notably strong at 0.44, while maths progress is more modest at 0.13. The EBacc entry rate is high at 74.6%, reflecting a clear academic focus, though the proportion of pupils achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above drops to 29.4%, suggesting the school pushes breadth but not all pupils hit the top thresholds.

At GCSE, the school's Attainment 8 score sits at 51.4, and 71.8% of pupils secure a grade 4 or above in both English and maths — a solid baseline. The EBacc average point score of 4.79 is respectable. At A-level, the picture is more mixed: the school's value-added score of -0.23 is rated "Below average", meaning sixth-form students typically leave with slightly lower grades than their prior attainment would predict. The average points per entry is 30.15, equivalent to a C grade, and the best three A-levels average out at a C as well. Only 12.1% of entries achieve AAB or higher. The sixth form is large — 151 pupils in the data — and the school has held an Outstanding rating from Ofsted since at least 2014, with its most recent graded inspection in 2025 confirming Outstanding across all categories including quality of education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 959 applications for 205 places, a ratio of 4.68 applicants per place, with 137 first-preference offers made. It serves a diverse intake — 37.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Facilities include a swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, playing fields, and a sixth form centre. The school lists provisions for a wide range of SEND needs, including dyslexia, autism, speech and language difficulties, and physical disabilities. Parent View responses from 103 families show 72% would recommend the school, with strong majorities agreeing their child is happy (79% combined agree/strongly agree) and feels safe (83%). This is a school that suits families who want strong academic progress at GCSE, a broad EBacc curriculum, and a well-established sixth form, but who are comfortable with a large, urban, non-selective environment where competition for places is fierce.

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