The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy

About The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy

The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school in Croydon for pupils aged 11 to 16, led by headteacher Simon Trehearn. In the local authority’s rankings, it sits 10th out of 22 secondary schools based on Progress 8, placing it just inside the top half. For context, the top-performing schools in Croydon include Coloma Convent Girls' School, Harris Academy South Norwood, and St Mary's Catholic High School, all of which post higher ranking scores. The school’s Progress 8 score of 0.1 is above the local authority average of -0.04, meaning pupils here make slightly more academic progress than the typical Croydon student. The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 272 applications for 124 places, with 93 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.19. This level of demand suggests it is a popular choice among local families, particularly given its recent improvement in Ofsted rating.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025 judged it Good across all four graded areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is a notable improvement from its previous inspection in September 2022, when it was rated Requires Improvement across the board. At Key Stage 4, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 41.2, and 51.6% secured a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics measure). The school’s Progress 8 banding is Average, with particularly strong progress in English (0.3) compared to maths (0.06) and the EBacc subjects (0.02). The EBacc entry rate is 43.9%, though only 11.6% of pupils achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. The average EBacc APS sits at 3.56. Parent feedback from the most recent survey period (September 2024 to September 2025) is largely positive: 81% would recommend the school, and strong majorities agree their child is happy (84% combined agree/strongly agree) and that the school has high expectations (85%).

The school offers a solid range of facilities, including a swimming pool, sports hall, astro turf, theatre, and science labs, with sports such as rowing, hockey, and netball available alongside clubs like coding, eco club, and orchestra. It does not have a sixth form, so pupils will need to move on after Year 11. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. However, the parent view data on SEND support is split: 61% agree or strongly agree that the school gives SEND children the support they need, while 28% disagree or strongly disagree, and 11% said they didn’t know. The school is oversubscribed and serves a community with high deprivation — 49.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. It is a good fit for families in Croydon seeking a non-selective, improving school with strong progress in English and a broad extracurricular offer, particularly if they are comfortable with the school’s size (777 pupils against a capacity of 1,039).

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