School profile

Meridian High School

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Croydon, CR0 0AH

Good

Map showing Meridian High School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#3,269 of 3,312

Worse than 98% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Meridian High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 24 Jan 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 18
Pupils535
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Amy Anderson
TrustGLF SCHOOLS
Local authorityCroydon
Opened01 Oct 2016
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 143846.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolCroydonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.29.7, worse than England, worse than Croydon4646.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.43.4%, worse than England, worse than Croydon64.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.16.8%, worse than England, worse than Croydon46.1%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.1.8%, worse than England, worse than Croydon13.1%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths28.3%, worse than England, worse than Croydon59.6%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4113--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils535
Girls260
Boys275
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.64.9%
First language not English10.7%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,031
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.48.1%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.225
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.60
Average class size22.3

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
60.2%
African
8.4%
White and Black Caribbean
5.8%
Other White
5.2%
Other mixed
3%
Other ethnic group
1.7%
Other Black
1.5%
White and Asian
1.3%
Other Asian
1.3%
Caribbean
1.1%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.7
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.9.2
Teachers (FTE)32
Teaching assistants (FTE)18.25
Support staff (FTE)42.94
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2530
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2525
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.113
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.150
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.85
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.85
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)5

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolCroydonEngland
Overall absence9.5%, worse than England, worse than Croydon7.5%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.31.6%, worse than England, worse than Croydon22.2%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.1%, better than England, similar to Croydon2.6%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate31.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions15.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions1

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.80.6%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.76.9%
Further education64.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.11.1%
School sixth form10.2%
Employment2.8%
Sixth form college0.9%
Apprenticeship0.9%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Meridian High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryFairchildes Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.7 miPrimaryRowdown Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.2 miPrimaryTudor AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.6 miPrimaryGood Shepherd Catholic Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.7 miPrimaryCastle Hill AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.7 miPrimaryOaklands Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Requires improvement
1.7 miPrimaryCourtwood Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.8 miNot applicableWarlingham Park SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
1.8 miPrimaryApplegarth AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good

Frequently asked questions about Meridian High School

What is Meridian High School's Ofsted rating?

Meridian High School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 24 Jan 2023.

How does Meridian High School rank in England?

Meridian High School ranks 3,269 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 98% of schools).

What are Meridian High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 16.8% of pupils at Meridian High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 29.7 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Meridian High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Meridian High School made 113 offers from 150 applications (1.3 per offer), and 85 of 85 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Meridian High School?

Meridian High School has 535 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Meridian High School?

Meridian High School had 1,031 school places in 2024/25.

Does Meridian High School have a sixth form?

Yes, Meridian High School teaches students up to age 18.

How big are classes at Meridian High School?

At Meridian High School, the average class had 22.3 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.7 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Meridian High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Meridian High School missed 9.5% of sessions (England 8%), and 31.6% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.