Applegarth Academy

Applegarth Academy is a large primary school in Croydon and part of STEP Academy Trust. It serves a disadvantaged community with a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and above-average SEND numbers, including a resourced provision for speech, language and communication. Inspectors found the school performing strongly across almost all areas. Pupils achieve highly in national tests, with outcomes above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, teaching is consistently strong, phonics and early reading are highly effective, and early years provision is a significant strength. Inclusion is central, and pupils with additional needs are well supported. Leadership, governance, personal development and wellbeing are also strong; staff morale is high and safeguarding standards are met. The main area for development is attendance. Behaviour is very good and overall attendance is improving, but persistent absence remains above the national average and some pupils still miss school too often. Leaders are working hard to address this and should continue to strengthen their work to reduce persistent absence.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve highly in national tests, with outcomes frequently above national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND achieve well and are very well prepared for the next stages of education.
• The curriculum is ambitious, broad and logically sequenced across all subjects.
• Teaching is consistently strong, with expert subject knowledge and careful checking of pupils' understanding.
• Phonics and early reading are taught extremely well, helping pupils quickly develop a love of reading.
• Early years provision is a significant strength, with children making very strong progress from their starting points.
• Inclusion is at the centre of the school, and pupils with additional needs are identified and supported swiftly.
• The Enhanced Learning Provision offers meticulously tailored support for pupils with speech, language and communication needs.
• Leadership and governance are highly effective, with robust support and challenge from trustees and governors.
• Staff receive high-quality professional development, workload is manageable, and morale is high.
• Personal development and wellbeing are thoughtfully planned, with rich enrichment and pupil leadership opportunities.
• Pupils behave very well, are kind to each other, and feel safe; bullying is rare.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.
• Pupils are very well prepared for secondary school and for becoming responsible citizens.

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence remains above the national average, and some pupils continue to miss school too often.
• Leaders should continue to strengthen the impact of their work to reduce levels of persistent absence.

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 Applegarth Academy attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.5% of pupils at Applegarth Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 Applegarth Academy had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 22.5% of pupils at Applegarth Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Applegarth Academy received £9,495 and spent £8,237 for each of its 422 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £123,000 (£292 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Step Academy Trust, income was £8,072 and spending £8,194 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Applegarth Academy is part of Step Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Tudor Academy Croydon
• Heathfield Academy Croydon
• La Fontaine Academy Bromley
• Beddington Park Academy Croydon
• David Livingstone Academy Thornton Heath
• Gonville Academy Thornton Heath
• Turnham Academy London
• Benedict Academy Mitcham
• Park Academy London
• Angel Oak Academy London

What is Applegarth Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Applegarth Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Applegarth Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Applegarth Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Applegarth Academy have?

Applegarth Academy has 396 pupils on roll.

What age range does Applegarth Academy cover?

Applegarth Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Applegarth Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Applegarth Academy?

Applegarth Academy is at Bygrove, Fieldway, New Addington, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 9DL.