Attendance

The Education Welfare Service carries out the local authority's statutory responsibility with regard to school attendance, which means that if a pupil fails to attend school regularly and punctually, an education welfare officer may become involved.

Guide for parents on school attendance from Croydon Council

For free independent advice and information on attendance visit ACE (Advisory Centre for Education)  

 

Bullying

For information on bullying visit Croydon Council  or Directgov

For free independent advice and information on bullying visit ACE (Advisory Centre for Education)

Croydon Council Bullying Helpline – 020 8760 5570

 

Exclusion from school

For information from Croydon Council

For independent advice and information on school exclusions visit ACE (Advisory Centre for Education)

For advice, counselling and support on school exclusions visit Communities Empowerment Network

 

Extended Schools

An extended school is one that provides a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community.  Contact your child’s school to find out what they offer.

 

Family Information Service

The Croydon Family Information Service provides free and confidential information, advice and assistance to families across the borough on services for children and young people aged 0-19 years.

 

Free School Meals

Children whose parents receive the following support payments may be entitled to free school meals:

-      income support
-      income-based jobseeker's allowance
-      support under part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999
-      child tax credit, provided they are not entitled to working tax credit and have an annual income that does not exceed £16,040 (as assessed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)
-      the guaranteed element of state pension credit.
Children who receive income support or income-based job seeker's allowance in their own right are also entitled to receive free school meals.
Applications for free schools meals should be made directly to the school concerned.
Application form

 

Grammar Schools

Grammar schools are state secondary schools, but they select all or most of their pupils based on academic ability.  There are no grammar schools in Croydon; however below is a list of the grammar schools local to the area.

Grammar schools have their own admission arrangements, so it is very important that you contact the schools directly and in good time about their selection test arrangements. Selection tests usually take place about a year before a child moves up from primary to secondary school.

Newstead Wood School for Girls
Avebury Road
Orpington
Kent, BR6 9SA
Tel: 01689 853626

http://www.newsteadwood.bromley.sch.uk

Nonsuch High School for Girls
Ewell Road
Cheam
Surrey, SM3 8AB
Tel: 020 8394 1308

http://www.nonsuchhigh.co.uk  

St Olave's Grammar School
Goddington Lane
Orpington
Kent, BR6 9SH
Tel: 01689 820101

http://www.saintolaves.net  

Sutton Grammar School
Manor Lane
Sutton
Surrey, SM1 4AS
Tel: 020 8642 3821

www.suttongrammar.sutton.sch.uk

Wallington County Grammar School
Croydon Road
Wallington
Surrey, SM6 7PH
Tel: 020 8647 2235

http://www.wcgs.org.uk

Wallington High School for Girls
Woodcote Road
Wallington
Surrey, SM6 0PH
Tel: 020 8647 2380

http://www.wallingtongirls.sutton.sch.uk

Wilson's School
Mollison Drive
Wallington
Surrey, SM6 9JW
Tel: 020 8773 2931

http://www.wilsonsschool.sutton.sch.uk

 

For more information visit the National Grammar Schools Association

 

Home Education

The law allows you to provide education for your child other than at school, but you must ensure your child receives a full-time education from the age of five and the Local Authority must be satisfied that the child will be taught a broad and detailed curriculum.

For information on Croydon’s policy on Elective Home Education

For support and information on home education visit Education Otherwise  and the Home Education Advisory Service

Croydon Library Service offers a Home Educator's library ticket  for parents living in Croydon who are educating a child at home.

Independent Schools

Independent schools are fee-paying schools that set their own curriculum and admissions policies, some also offer boarding.  Every independent school must be registered with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and standards are regularly monitored by either Ofsted or the Independent School Inspectorate (ISI).

Independent schools in Croydon and the surrounding area.

Ofsted reports for independent schools in Croydon.  (Reports are displayed in date order)

ISI reports for independent schools

For more information visit the Independent Schools Council

 

State Boarding Schools

State boarding schools offer free education, but charge fees for board and lodging. 

For more information visit The State Boarding Schools Association

 

Term Dates 

Croydon Council’s school term dates

 

Travellers

Support with education is available for Traveller families from the Traveller Education Service

 

Travelling to and from school – financial assistance

All children ages 18 years and under are able to travel free of charge on London buses and on Croydon tramlink, therefore travelling expenses is not usually an issue.  Where, for the most exceptional reasons, it may be accepted that travel by bus or tramlink is not appropriate, an application can be considered under the Authority’s current normal policy.  This provides for support only where the child concerned is attending a school which is three miles or more from the family home (where parents are receiving Income support, income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance, Guarantee Pension Credit or, subject to certain conditions, Child Tax Credit, this qualifying distance is reduced to two miles or more) and where it has not been possible for that child to secure suitable education at a school nearer to the family home (in this connection, it is necessary to demonstrate that unsuccessful applications were made to nearer schools.)

Support with travel may be available for students who are over 16 up to the age of 19.  For further information please see Croydon's Post 16 Travel Policy

For further information please call Croydon Council Contact centre on 020 8726 6400 or email contact.thecouncil@croydon.gov.uk

Children with special educational needs (SEN) may be eligible for support with their home-to-school travel if they live over the statutory walking distance or if their special educational needs prevent them undertaking a shorter journey.

For a child up to the age of eight this distance is over two miles; for a child over eight, the distance is three miles, measured by the nearest available route.

For children who live within the statutory walking distance, help with travel is determined by the needs of the child.

For more information visit home to school travel support

 

Types of school

Community schools
A community school is run by the local authority, which employs the staff, owns the land and buildings and decides which ‘admissions criteria’ to use (these are used to allocate places if the school has more applicants than places). 

Foundation and Trust schools
Foundation schools are run by their own governing body, which employs the staff and sets the admissions criteria. Land and buildings are usually owned by the governing body or a charitable foundation.
A Trust school is a type of foundation school which forms a charitable trust with an outside partner - for example, a business or educational charity - aiming to raise standards and explore new ways of working.  The decision to become a Trust school is taken by the governing body, with parents having a say.

Voluntary-aided schools
Voluntary-aided schools are mainly religious or 'faith' schools, although anyone can apply for a place. As with foundation schools, the governing body employs the staff and sets the admissions criteria.  School buildings and land are normally owned by a charitable foundation, often a religious organisation. The governing body contributes to building and maintenance costs.

Voluntary-controlled schools
Voluntary-controlled schools are similar to voluntary aided schools, but are run by the local authority. As with community schools, the local authority employs the school's staff and sets the admissions criteria. School land and buildings are normally owned by a charity, often a religious organisation, which also appoints some of the members of the governing body.

Academies
Academies are independently managed, all-ability schools. They are set up by sponsors from business, faith or voluntary groups in partnership with the Department for Education (DfE) and the local authority. Together they fund the land and buildings, with the government covering the running costs.

 

Uniform

Croydon Council do not provide a grant towards the costs of school uniform.