School Chooser

The Crescent Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy318 pupilsCroydon
School Chooser Score
21
Below
similar schools
Likely range 12 to 36
Out of 100. Better than 19% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, July 2024
Reached the expected level at 1155%England 63%
Attendance93.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families40%Far more than most schools
Places282 spare318 pupils, 600 places
Pupils per teacher14.3School workforce census

The Crescent Primary School is a converter academy in Croydon for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 318 pupils and room for 600. About 40 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 21 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 19% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

The Crescent, Croydon, CR0 2HN020 8684 8283thecrescentprimaryschool.co.ukMs Verity Denman headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 16 July 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

69 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1155%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level1%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2018 to 2025
2018: 36%36%20182019: 52%52%20192023: 50%50%20232024: 66%66%20242025: 55%55%2025
Since 2018: +19%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018CroydonEngland
Pupils tested69676890135
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths55%66%50%52%36%70%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths1%9%4%9%1%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0106.0103.0104.0104.0106.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0104.0103.0103.0101.0105.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0105.0105.0105.0105.0106.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard62%84%63%64%67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard59%75%66%67%57%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)72%69%62%62%39%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.2+0.4-0.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.5-0.6-3.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged47%61%43%47%25%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged64%69%58%56%43%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 3 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
47%64%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
39%66%
Gap 27 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
56%55%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%1%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places381 pupils for 630 places, 2024/25
61% full

249 places were empty (40% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 13% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Croydon council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll318Census January 2026
Places60053% full
Pupils from low-income families40%40% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English38%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%72 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%22 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.89 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)39%£199,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls161 / 157
White British pupils5%

Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 18 pupils, for moderate learning difficulties.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Croydon with moderate learning difficulties provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 19.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 23.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (29), emotional and mental health (27), Autistic spectrum disorder (18), Moderate learning difficulty (9), Other difficulty or disability (3), Physical disability (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll318389402402450480
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals40%41%42%46%47%44%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language38%43%43%41%40%42%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%13%15%16%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%6%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.7%6.7%6.7%5.7%3.6%3.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.3%4.8%4.6%4.0%2.7%2.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.4%1.9%2.1%1.7%0.9%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.0%23.8%22.0%17.0%9.5%6.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.12.53.21.62.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers22.2full-time equivalent, 25 people
Pupils per teacher14.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants17.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,598
Teachers who left in the year26%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.42024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,317England £7,128. Total £3.2m
Income per pupil£8,531England £7,587. Total £3.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,830England £3,405
Money in reserve5%Not much put by: £155k, £399 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£83kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,317spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m89112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate106 per 1,000 people16% higher than the England average
Typical house price£425,000Croydon
Nearest bus stop110 mBeaconsfield Road (CR0), 12 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Broadmead Primary SchoolAcademy160 m394Good 202321Compare
St Chad's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy750 m336Good 202486Compare
Robert Fitzroy AcademyAcademy750 m573Good 202340Compare
Whitehorse Manor Infant SchoolAcademy790 m356Good 202417Compare
Whitehorse Manor Junior SchoolAcademy790 m422Report card 202629Compare
Ecclesbourne Primary SchoolAcademy800 m417Good 202348Compare
Heavers Farm Primary SchoolCouncil850 m259Good 202310Compare
John Wood School & NurseryAcademy950 m310Good 202414Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Crescent Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats19%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 21 is 27 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 47 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than The Crescent Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Harris Primary Academy CroydonAcademy1.2 miles414Outstanding 202390Compare
Harris Primary Academy Crystal PalaceAcademy2.4 miles369Not inspected61Compare
Green Wrythe Primary SchoolAcademy3.7 miles268Good 202340Compare
Malmesbury Primary SchoolCouncil4.1 miles347No overall grade 202556Compare
All Saints' CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England4.4 miles312No overall grade 202570Compare
Bonneville Primary SchoolCouncil4.9 miles372Outstanding 202499Compare
Sudbourne Primary SchoolCouncil4.9 miles296Good 202372Compare
Clapham Manor Primary SchoolCouncil5.6 miles377Good 202263Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 21 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 21% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 12 to 36. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.11
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 69 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.08
DfE progress measure; 69 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.06
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.11
2024/25; 367 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 69 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is The Crescent Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. The Crescent Primary School scores 21 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 19% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 12 to 36, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is The Crescent Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Crescent Primary School good at its last full inspection on 16 July 2024.

How good are The Crescent Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 55% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 1% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does The Crescent Primary School have?

318 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 600 places, so it is 53% full.

Is The Crescent Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 249 places were empty in 2024/25 (40% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The Crescent Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at The Crescent Primary School?

The average class had 22.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does The Crescent Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has sen unit for moderate learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
The Crescent, Croydon, CR0 2HN
Telephone
020 8684 8283
Website
www.thecrescentprimaryschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Ms Verity Denman
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
The Pioneer Academy (23 schools)
Local authority
Croydon
Ward
Selhurst
Constituency
Croydon West
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2015 (academy converter)
URN
142379 · LAESTAB 3063420 · UKPRN 10054189
Formerly
The Crescent Primary School

Where these figures come from