Schools by area › Croydon › Paxton Academy Sports And Science
Paxton Academy Sports And Science
Primary · Mixed · Ages 2–11 · Free school
843 London Road, Thornton Heath CR7 6AW · paxtonacademy.org.uk · 020 8683 2308
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected Dec 2022
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 87%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Croydon 68%, England 62%
- Last distance offered
- 1.79 mi
- 2.88 km · Reception, September 2026 entry · Croydon Council
- Demand for places
- 0.9
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 281
- 45% of 630 places
- Local authority
- Croydon
- Nursery class
- Yes
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 42.5%
- First language not English
- 54.4%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, the last place offered on distance went to a home 1.79 mi (2.88 km) from the school; in September 2025 it was 1.40 mi (2.26 km). Source: Croydon Council’s document.
For Reception in September 2026, 53 families put the school first and 58 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
Demand for places
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 58 | 53 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 49 | 45 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 44 | 32 | 0.7 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 29 | 25 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 31 | 27 | 0.9 | 100% |
Last distance offered
| Reception | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 1.79 mi2.88 km | |
| September 2025 | 1.40 mi2.26 km | |
| September 2024 | 2.31 mi3.72 km | |
| September 2022 | All | |
The furthest distance at which the school offered a place for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 intake.
The council lists the school as having vacancies on 19 April 2022: everyone who applied was offered a place.
Results
In 2024/25, 87% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 13% the higher standard. Across Croydon it was 68%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▲87% | 62% | ||
| ▲13% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ▲109 | 106 | ||
| ●105 | 105 | ||
| Grammar and spelling | ▲108 | 105 | |
Ofsted
Paxton Academy Sports And Science was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 6 December 2022, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Good
- Inspected
- 6 Dec 2022
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
| Early years | Good |
Previously: Inadequate, graded inspection, Nov 2019
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
- May 2021Monitoring visitEffective action
- Jan 2021Monitoring visitEffective action
Nov 2019Inadequate
Quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Inadequate Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
May 2017Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective
What parents said
81% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (21 replies, to 4 September 2023).
- Recommend
- 81%
- Replies
- 21
- 11% · 4 Sept 2023
based on the 71% who raised concerns
based on the 38% who had a child bullied