Academy sponsor led

Harris Academy South Norwood

Mixed · ages 11–19 · with sixth formCroydon, London · London SE25 6AETrust: Harris FederationSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,008of 1,150 places
Free school meals
41.5%
Year 11 cohort 2025
161
Ofsted
Good, 11 May 2022Read the Ofsted report

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registrations: Stanley Technical High School for Boys (URN 101812); Harris Academy Upper Norwood (URN 139906, until 1 September 2017).

What the data says

Of the 334 pupils who finished Year 11 at Harris Academy South Norwood in 2023, 55% stayed on in Harris Academy South Norwood’s own sixth form (Croydon average 48%), 31% went to a further education college and 1% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 248 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 64% went to university (Croydon 43%, England 37%), and 12% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

Chemistry is unusually popular at GCSE: 100% of the year group took it, against 23% of pupils across England.

Most pupils take the three separate sciences: at least 100% sat Biology, Chemistry and Physics as individual GCSEs, compared with about 23% nationally.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Croydon and England.

Harris Academy South Norwood
Croydon
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureHarris Academy South NorwoodCroydonEngland
Pupils in the cohort3343,906607,348
Any sustained destination93%93%92%
Stayed in education91%91%86%
— school sixth form55%48%34%
— sixth form college4%8%13%
— further education college31%34%37%
— other education1%2%2%
Apprenticeship1%1%3%
Employment1%1%3%
No sustained destination5%4%6%
Destination unknown2%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

Harris Academy South Norwood
Croydon
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureHarris Academy South NorwoodCroydonEngland
Students in the cohort2483,304541,441
Any sustained destination86%76%79%
University (higher education)64%43%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students12%15%19%
Further education1%7%5%
Apprenticeship2%3%7%
Employment19%21%28%
No sustained destination10%18%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureHarris Academy South NorwoodCroydonEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)48.244.546.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths44%42%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths60%62%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects58%52%41%
EBacc average point score4.503.994.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort46%41%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils43.937.134.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils51.949.550.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language30%27%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Biology164100%23%7%45%8%
Chemistry163100%23%7%47%8%
Physics162100%23%6%46%8%
English Language16099%89%15%20%69%
Mathematics16099%88%16%22%64%
English Literature15496%86%27%21%79%
Combined Science14590%65%20%9%68%
History10766%41%28%26%70%
Business Studies7043%18%14%20%51%
Geography5735%41%14%25%46%
French4930%18%37%29%86%
Spanish4025%19%23%27%73%
Design and Technology3119%11%6%23%42%
Art and Design2817%7%14%24%79%
Religious Studies2817%31%25%32%71%
Psychology2717%3%15%22%59%
Sociology2516%4%8%21%56%
Drama2314%7%22%27%74%
Food Preparation and Nutrition2214%8%0%21%41%
Portuguese64%0%67%50%100%
Citizenship Studies42%3%19%
Urdu42%1%42%
Turkish32%0%71%
Polish21%1%84%
Arabic11%1%47%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Sports Studies4643%
Computer Appreciation / Introduction3835%
Music performance: Group1716%
Sports / Movement Science11%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureHarris Academy South NorwoodCroydonEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study180
— of whom A level students1081,437261,341
Average A level gradeCCB-
Average points per A level entry30.3930.9335.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsC+CB-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects10%9%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Psychology3734%23%
Mathematics2422%31%
Biology2019%20%
Economics1817%13%
History1615%13%
Chemistry1615%17%
Politics1514%6%
Religious Studies1413%4%
Art and Design1211%1%
English Literature1211%11%
Physics76%12%
Product Design76%2%
Spanish66%2%
Photography66%3%
French1%
Geography10%
Classical Civilisation1%
Polish0%
Computer Science5%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Business StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 34239%
Business StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 33532%
Social ScienceVRQ Level 32422%
MultimediaOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 32220%
Sports StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 31918%
Computer Appreciation / IntroductionOCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 31413%
Sports StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 31312%
Applied SciencesOCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 31211%
Computer Appreciation / IntroductionOCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 398%
Business StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3
Applied SciencesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3
Computer Appreciation / IntroductionOCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma at Level 3
Music performance: GroupVRQ Level 3

Other secondary schools in Croydon

Coombe Wood School

Free schools · sixth form · 1,162 pupils

91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 52.6

Harris Academy Purley

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,013 pupils

92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.8

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.