Harris Primary Academy Purley Way

About Harris Primary Academy Purley Way

Harris Primary Academy Purley Way is a state primary school in Croydon, and it stands out even in a borough with plenty of strong options. Of the 88 primary schools in the local authority, it ranks 9th overall, placing it comfortably in the top 10. Its nearest Outstanding-rated neighbour is Heathfield Academy, 1.3 km away, which tops the local leaderboard with a ranking score of 90. St John's CofE Primary School and Applegarth Academy also sit above it in the local rankings, but Harris Primary Academy Purley Way holds its own with a ranking score of 81. The school is run by headteacher Oscar Sanders and caters to 547 pupils aged 4 to 11, with capacity for 630. It has no religious character and is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, 182 families applied for 68 places, and 51 of those were first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.68.

Academically, the school performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 81% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Croydon average of 66%. The school also excels at the higher standard: 19% of pupils achieved that benchmark, with 48% hitting the higher standard in maths specifically. Average scaled scores were 108 in maths and 106 in reading. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, carried out in July 2019, the school was rated Outstanding overall, with Outstanding marks for leadership and management, early years provision, and personal development. An ungraded inspection in April 2025 confirmed that standards have been maintained. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 94% of the 240 respondents would recommend the school, and 97% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including art studios, a library, an ICT suite, playing fields, a gymnasium, a forest school, and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, tennis, rounders, cross country, dance, and athletics, while clubs cover science, coding, and drama. For pupils with additional needs, the school has identified provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. 17% of responding parents said their child has SEND, and 93% of those agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives them the support they need. With 35.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse community. It is a strong fit for families who want a high-performing, oversubscribed local primary with proven academic results and strong pastoral care.

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