What did Ofsted judge Harris Academy Purley's overall effectiveness to be?

Ofsted judged Harris Academy Purley's overall effectiveness as Good at its inspection in February 2023, on Ofsted's own scale.

How many pupils attend Harris Academy Purley?

Harris Academy Purley has 1,013 pupils on roll.

What ages does Harris Academy Purley take?

Harris Academy Purley admits pupils aged 11 to 19.

Where is Harris Academy Purley located?

Harris Academy Purley is located in South Croydon, CR2 6DT, Croydon.

How do I apply to Harris Academy Purley?

Harris Academy Purley is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.

How are Year 7 places decided at Harris Academy Purley?

When Harris Academy Purley has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after and previously looked after children — A 'looked after child' is a child who is (a) in the care of a Local Authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their social services functions, in England. A 'previously looked after child' is a child who was looked after in England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a child arrangements or residence order, or a special guardianship order. This also includes children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted; 2. Children Attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way and Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park — Up to 80 places in total will be allocated to children attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way or Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park. The child must be attending one of the named feeder schools at the time of application/the application deadline. Neither of the named feeder schools has higher status than the other; 3. Children with a sibling at the Academy in Year 7 to 11 — The sibling must attend the Academy in Years 7 to 11 at the time of application/the application closing date and at the time the applicant child is admitted, and 2 further criteria. Tie-break: Where there are more applications than places remaining in any of the oversubscription categories, the order in which places will be allocated will be determined by the distance between the child's home address and the Academy, with those living nearest receiving highest priority, measured using London Borough of Croydon's computerised geographic information system (GIS) in a straight line, using NLPG reference points. Where equal distance, random allocation supervised by someone independent of the Academy.

What is the largest ethnic background at Harris Academy Purley?

According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 18.2% of pupils at Harris Academy Purley are recorded as Black African. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

Harris Academy Purley: Ofsted, Results & Catchment 2026

How close did you need to live?

Distance depends on the band here

Harris Academy Purley admits by banding: applicants are placed into bands and each band is filled separately, so there is no single last-offer distance. Each band has its own, and which one applies depends on your child's assessment — so one number could not answer this for every child.

How the bands work: The Academy uses 'banding' in the allocation of places in Year 7 in the normal admission round in September. All children for whom a place is sought in Year 7 will take a non-verbal reasoning test which will be standardised against the national distribution of abilities. The test has no pass or fail mark. Children are placed in rank order and allocated to one of nine bands ranging from highest to lowest ability, with places in each band determined by national percentage distribution. Once all children have been placed in their applicable band, places will be allocated to children in each band by applying the oversubscription criteria, using the tie breaker where necessary. Where places remain in a band, they will be allocated to adjacent bands, starting with the lower ability band first and then alternating between lower and upper.

Your local authority’s admissions booklet publishes the cut-off for each band. The full ranked criteria are on the Admissions tab.

How places are decided at Harris Academy Purley

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked after and previously looked after children — A 'looked after child' is a child who is (a) in the care of a Local Authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their social services functions, in England. A 'previously looked after child' is a child who was looked after in England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a child arrangements or residence order, or a special guardianship order. This also includes children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2Children Attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way and Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park — Up to 80 places in total will be allocated to children attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way or Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park. The child must be attending one of the named feeder schools at the time of application/the application deadline. Neither of the named feeder schools has higher status than the other.
3Children with a sibling at the Academy in Year 7 to 11 — The sibling must attend the Academy in Years 7 to 11 at the time of application/the application closing date and at the time the applicant child is admitted.
4Children of staff members employed at Harris Academy Purley — The staff member must be permanently based at Harris Academy Purley for more than 50% of their normal working hours each week during term time, and have been employed for at least two years at the time of application; and/or recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
5All other children — This category will include all children who do not fall into any of the oversubscription categories above.

If two applications tie: Where there are more applications than places remaining in any of the oversubscription categories, the order in which places will be allocated will be determined by the distance between the child's home address and the Academy, with those living nearest receiving highest priority, measured using London Borough of Croydon's computerised geographic information system (GIS) in a straight line, using NLPG reference points. Where equal distance, random allocation supervised by someone independent of the Academy.

PAN for Year 7 is 180; PAN for Year 12 (Sixth Form, external candidates only) is 30, with separate oversubscription criteria and minimum academic entry criteria. Banding applies only to Year 7 normal admission round, not to in-year admission or Year 12.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.

Harris Academy Purley: key facts

What did Ofsted judge Harris Academy Purley's overall effectiveness to be?: Ofsted judged Harris Academy Purley's overall effectiveness as Good at its inspection in February 2023, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend Harris Academy Purley?: Harris Academy Purley has 1,013 pupils on roll.
What ages does Harris Academy Purley take?: Harris Academy Purley admits pupils aged 11 to 19.
Where is Harris Academy Purley located?: Harris Academy Purley is located in South Croydon, CR2 6DT, Croydon.
How do I apply to Harris Academy Purley?: Harris Academy Purley is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How are Year 7 places decided at Harris Academy Purley?: When Harris Academy Purley has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after and previously looked after children — A 'looked after child' is a child who is (a) in the care of a Local Authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their social services functions, in England. A 'previously looked after child' is a child who was looked after in England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a child arrangements or residence order, or a special guardianship order. This also includes children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted; 2. Children Attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way and Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park — Up to 80 places in total will be allocated to children attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way or Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park. The child must be attending one of the named feeder schools at the time of application/the application deadline. Neither of the named feeder schools has higher status than the other; 3. Children with a sibling at the Academy in Year 7 to 11 — The sibling must attend the Academy in Years 7 to 11 at the time of application/the application closing date and at the time the applicant child is admitted, and 2 further criteria. Tie-break: Where there are more applications than places remaining in any of the oversubscription categories, the order in which places will be allocated will be determined by the distance between the child's home address and the Academy, with those living nearest receiving highest priority, measured using London Borough of Croydon's computerised geographic information system (GIS) in a straight line, using NLPG reference points. Where equal distance, random allocation supervised by someone independent of the Academy.
What is the largest ethnic background at Harris Academy Purley?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 18.2% of pupils at Harris Academy Purley are recorded as Black African. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

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On-site nursery & childcare

Separately-registered childcare operating at this school's site, each with its own Ofsted record.

Pillai Tutors Ltd

Wraparound club

Met

Feeder schools & nurseries

Children attending these settings are given priority in this school's admissions.

Harris Primary Academy Purley Way

Primary

Outstanding

Harris Primary Academy Haling Park

Primary

Outstanding

Links are derived from Ofsted registration addresses and published admission arrangements. Always confirm current arrangements with the school.

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Nearby schools within 5 km

How close did you need to live?

Distance depends on the band here

Your local authority’s admissions booklet publishes the cut-off for each band. The full ranked criteria are on the Admissions tab.

How places are decided at Harris Academy Purley

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked after and previously looked after children — A 'looked after child' is a child who is (a) in the care of a Local Authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their social services functions, in England. A 'previously looked after child' is a child who was looked after in England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a child arrangements or residence order, or a special guardianship order. This also includes children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2Children Attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way and Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park — Up to 80 places in total will be allocated to children attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way or Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park. The child must be attending one of the named feeder schools at the time of application/the application deadline. Neither of the named feeder schools has higher status than the other.
3Children with a sibling at the Academy in Year 7 to 11 — The sibling must attend the Academy in Years 7 to 11 at the time of application/the application closing date and at the time the applicant child is admitted.
4Children of staff members employed at Harris Academy Purley — The staff member must be permanently based at Harris Academy Purley for more than 50% of their normal working hours each week during term time, and have been employed for at least two years at the time of application; and/or recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
5All other children — This category will include all children who do not fall into any of the oversubscription categories above.

Harris Academy Purley: key facts

What did Ofsted judge Harris Academy Purley's overall effectiveness to be?: Ofsted judged Harris Academy Purley's overall effectiveness as Good at its inspection in February 2023, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend Harris Academy Purley?: Harris Academy Purley has 1,013 pupils on roll.
What ages does Harris Academy Purley take?: Harris Academy Purley admits pupils aged 11 to 19.
Where is Harris Academy Purley located?: Harris Academy Purley is located in South Croydon, CR2 6DT, Croydon.
How do I apply to Harris Academy Purley?: Harris Academy Purley is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How are Year 7 places decided at Harris Academy Purley?: When Harris Academy Purley has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after and previously looked after children — A 'looked after child' is a child who is (a) in the care of a Local Authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their social services functions, in England. A 'previously looked after child' is a child who was looked after in England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a child arrangements or residence order, or a special guardianship order. This also includes children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted; 2. Children Attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way and Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park — Up to 80 places in total will be allocated to children attending Harris Primary Academy Purley Way or Harris Primary Academy Hailing Park. The child must be attending one of the named feeder schools at the time of application/the application deadline. Neither of the named feeder schools has higher status than the other; 3. Children with a sibling at the Academy in Year 7 to 11 — The sibling must attend the Academy in Years 7 to 11 at the time of application/the application closing date and at the time the applicant child is admitted, and 2 further criteria. Tie-break: Where there are more applications than places remaining in any of the oversubscription categories, the order in which places will be allocated will be determined by the distance between the child's home address and the Academy, with those living nearest receiving highest priority, measured using London Borough of Croydon's computerised geographic information system (GIS) in a straight line, using NLPG reference points. Where equal distance, random allocation supervised by someone independent of the Academy.
What is the largest ethnic background at Harris Academy Purley?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 18.2% of pupils at Harris Academy Purley are recorded as Black African. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

Same phase, ranked by distance and how closely they match.

Explore nearby

See every school within walking distance, ranked by distance and inspection grade.

Connected nurseries & schools

On-site nursery & childcare

Separately-registered childcare operating at this school's site, each with its own Ofsted record.

Pillai Tutors Ltd

Wraparound club

Met

Feeder schools & nurseries

Children attending these settings are given priority in this school's admissions.

Harris Primary Academy Purley Way

Primary

Outstanding

Harris Primary Academy Haling Park

Primary

Outstanding

Links are derived from Ofsted registration addresses and published admission arrangements. Always confirm current arrangements with the school.

Interested in this school?Register interest and we'll pass your details on if it joins School Atlas.Register interest

This school hasn't claimed its profile yet, so it can't receive enquiries here. Leave your details and we'll pass them on if the school joins School Atlas.

Harris Academy Purley

How close did you need to live?

How places are decided at Harris Academy Purley

Harris Academy Purley: key facts

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Harris Academy Purley

Connected nurseries & schools

On-site nursery & childcare

Feeder schools & nurseries

Nearby schools within 5 km

How close did you need to live?

How places are decided at Harris Academy Purley

Harris Academy Purley: key facts

Similar schools nearby

Explore nearby

Connected nurseries & schools

On-site nursery & childcare

Feeder schools & nurseries

Nearby schools within 5 km