Heathfield Academy

Heathfield Academy continues to maintain the high standards established in its previous outstanding inspection. Under the leadership of the headteacher Sarah Mackay and executive headteacher Rachael Atkinson, the school has fostered a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and supported. The school excels in providing a broad and ambitious curriculum that emphasizes academic rigor and the importance of personal development, preparing pupils well for their future educational journeys. Strong relationships between staff and pupils underpin the school's culture, and pupils exhibit commendable behavior and enthusiasm for learning.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a supportive and nurturing environment.
• Exceptional teaching with strong subject knowledge across the curriculum.
• Broad and ambitious curriculum with a clear focus on vocabulary development.
• Outstanding support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Deep culture of reading and effective phonics teaching.
• High levels of pupil engagement and participation in school leadership opportunities.
• Strong personal development program covering important life skills.

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 Heathfield Academy attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.3% 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 Heathfield 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 Heathfield Academy had 24.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% 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, 14.4% of pupils at Heathfield Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Heathfield Academy received £7,350 and spent £6,949 for each of its 416 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £102,000 (£246 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

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

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

What is Heathfield Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Heathfield Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Heathfield Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Heathfield Academy was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Heathfield Academy have?

Heathfield Academy has 411 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heathfield Academy cover?

Heathfield Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Heathfield Academy?

Heathfield Academy is at 7 Aberdeen Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 1EQ.