St Mary's Catholic High School is a mainstream secondary school in Croydon for children and young people aged 11 to 19. In January 2026, 69 of its 565 pupils (12.2%) were getting SEN support and 15 (2.7%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–19
- 565 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Croydon.
12.2% get SEN support
69 of 565 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
2.7% have an EHC plan
15 of 565 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Lower than the England average.
Most common needs
- Speech, language and communication21
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia21
- Social, emotional and mental health14
- Autism8
- Moderate learning difficulty8
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 565 (places for 1,115)
- Headteacher
- Mr Conal Patrick Shields
- Faith
- Roman Catholic
- Free school meals
- 34.3% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Croydon
- School reference (URN)
- 101814
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Croydon council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Report card, January 2026: Expected standard in 4 of 6 areas
Inspected in January 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, November 2021).
Contact and getting there
Woburn Road, Croydon, CR9 2EE
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Supreme Education AP Independent · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.2 miles
- Arise Academy Independent · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.3 miles
- Broadmead Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- The Crescent Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.7 miles
Other mainstream schools
Questions about St Mary's Catholic High School
How many pupils at St Mary's Catholic High School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 69 of the 565 pupils (12.2%) were getting SEN support and 15 (2.7%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at St Mary's Catholic High School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are speech, language and communication needs (21 pupils), dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (21 pupils) and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (14 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at St Mary's Catholic High School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at St Mary's Catholic High School?
Through Croydon council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to St Mary's Catholic High School?
You can ask for St Mary's Catholic High School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does St Mary's Catholic High School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Broadmead Primary School, about 0.6 miles away.
Where is St Mary's Catholic High School?
Woburn Road, Croydon, CR9 2EE, in Croydon.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.