Shirley High School Performing Arts College

Shirley High School has shown commendable improvement, achieving a good overall effectiveness rating in its first routine inspection since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders, staff, and trustees align with the school’s ambitious vision, cultivating a supportive learning environment where pupils feel safe and respected. Following a previous inspection that identified areas for improvement, this report highlights the successful implementation of a broad curriculum and positive changes embraced by students, such as enhanced access to resources and increased expectations for behaviour and achievement. The school promotes a love of learning through engaging initiatives like cultural capital week and a robust careers program.

Strengths

• Strong subject knowledge among teachers
• Effective leadership that engages with pupils for school improvement
• Comprehensive support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• High expectations of behaviour leading to a mature school environment
• Robust personal, social, health and economic education program

Areas for Improvement

• Reading interventions for struggling readers are not precisely matched to needs
• Low participation rates in enrichment activities among pupils

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Shirley High School Performing Arts College attended 89.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 35.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 9.4% of pupils at Shirley High School Performing Arts College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Shirley High School Performing Arts College had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 23.4% of pupils at Shirley High School Performing Arts College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Shirley High School Performing Arts College received £9,536 and spent £9,130 for each of its 786 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,774,000 (£2,257 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Croydon · Croydon local authority: places and applications

What is Shirley High School Performing Arts College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shirley High School Performing Arts College is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was Shirley High School Performing Arts College last inspected by Ofsted?

Shirley High School Performing Arts College was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does Shirley High School Performing Arts College have?

Shirley High School Performing Arts College has 800 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shirley High School Performing Arts College cover?

Shirley High School Performing Arts College for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Shirley High School Performing Arts College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.5, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Shirley High School Performing Arts College?

Shirley High School Performing Arts College is at Shirley Church Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 5EF.