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St Mary's Catholic High School

Croydon, CR9 2EESecondaryAges 11–19MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
5 Good
Oct 2024
Progress 8
+0.43
Above average
−20+2
Competition
0.7×
Not oversubscribed
132 1st-choice / 183 places
Ranking
🏆Top 25%
#595 of 3,141 nationally

About St Mary's Catholic High School

Parent feedback at St Mary's Catholic High School is notably positive, with 77% of respondents saying they would recommend the school to other parents, based on 150 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025. The school is clearly popular locally: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 478 applications for 183 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.61. Of those applications, 132 were first-preference offers, meaning every first-preference applicant secured a place. On individual questions, strong majorities agreed that their child is happy (88% combining strongly agree and agree) and feels safe (90%). Parents also felt the school has high expectations (82% agreement) and that their child does well (82%). The school's capacity is 1,029 but it currently has 564 pupils on roll, which suggests it is operating well below capacity despite being oversubscribed — likely reflecting its selective faith-based admissions criteria rather than a lack of demand.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 19 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressWoburn Road, Croydon, Croydon, CR9 2EE
HeadteacherConal Patrick Shields
Local AuthorityCroydon
Number of Pupils564
Free School Meals (FSM)8.6%
School Capacity564 / 1,029 (55% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

What 150 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

8 Oct 2024
View Report
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 11 Dec 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

10
Swimming PoolLibraryICT SuitePlaying FieldsDining HallTennis CourtsSixth Form CentreArt StudiosAstro TurfChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

19

Sports

AthleticsRugbyTennisMartial ArtsRoundersSwimmingDanceBasketball

Clubs & Activities

DramaNewspaperGardeningChoirYoung EnterpriseCodingFilm ClubChessDuke of EdinburghDebateModel United Nations

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:00

Source: stmaryscroydon.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Catholic High School

St Mary's Catholic High School has been rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. This means the school provides an exceptional quality of education, and pupils thrive both academically and personally.