Home / Schools Guide / Greater London /
Croydon / Independent secondary

Printable version

Old Palace School of John Whitgift, Croydon

Review this schoolLatest reviews for Old Palace School of John Whitgift, Croydon

Old Palace School of John Whitgift details

Address:

Old Palace School of John Whitgift
Old Palace Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 1AX

Telephone:

020 86882027

Fax:

020 8680 5877

Email:

admissions@ oldpalace.croydon.sch.uk

Website:

www.oldpalace.croydon.sch.uk

Authority:

Croydon

Gender of entry:

Girls

Age range:

4-18

Number of students:

801

Affiliation:

GSA

Gender of sixth form:

Girls

Last inspection:

November 2000. Read the full inspection report.

General information

Headteacher: Judy Harris, appointed in 2005.

Background: The medieval heritage site of Old Palace School in the heart of Croydon provides a unique environment for its 790 pupils. It is a former residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury and the Chapel, Great Hall and library date back to the 15th century. This girls' school seeks to foster independent thought and encourage every pupil to fulfil her potential in all she does. As an independent school, it has the flexibility to devise its own curriculum, placing emphasis on the core subjects of English, maths and the sciences, studied as separate subjects. Everyone learns French and there are opportunities to learn Latin, Greek and Russian. Girls can study astronomy at GCSE and psychology has been added to the list of options at AS-level. This summer 34% of girls got 10 A* or A grades at GCSE and nine girls achieved some of the highest marks in the country in subjects from French, Italian and religious studies to geography. All A-level students passed, with 78% of entries achieving an A or B grade. But it's not all about work at Old Palace School. There is a broad range of extracurricular activities from field trips in the UK to excursions abroad. The school is planning a four-week adventure in Thailand and a skiing trip to Canada. Senior girls take part in World Challenge and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme and run after-school clubs. The school facilities include a modern languages technical suite, eight science laboratories and a heated pool. A block of classrooms is under construction as part of a building programme.

Alumni: Helen Young, television presenter; Farhra Bhatt, heart surgeon; Lucy Montgomery, actor and writer.

Higher education: 100% (6 Oxford 1 Cambridge).

Special needs: Qualified teachers are available to assist girls who are identified with learning difficulties. The school looks at each pupil individually and supports her needs as necessary.

Inspection: November 2000: The Old Palace School of John Whitgift is a very good school with the potential to become a centre of excellence if provided with the resources and accommodation it needs.

Feeder schools: The majority of girls enter from local nurseries at reception and from local primary schools at year 7; entry at other year groups can be from local independent or state schools.

Girls' age range: 4 to 18.

Percentage admitted according to academic ability: 100.

Average class size (seniors; 11-16): 25.

Average class size (sixth form): 7.

Old Palace School of John Whitgift Statistics

Browse through all the Croydon schools. Or view different types of school in Croydon

• Croydon boys' schools
• Croydon girls' schools
• Croydon mixed schools
• Croydon state schools
• Croydon independent private schools
• Croydon secondary schools
• Croydon special schools
• Croydon state primary schools
• Croydon independent private preparatory & junior schools
• Croydon state secondary schools
• Croydon independent private secondary schools
• Croydon state special schools
• Croydon independent private special schools
• Croydon state sixth form & FE colleges schools