Thomas More Catholic SchoolHarris Academy Purley
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Thomas More Catholic School and Harris Academy Purley are secondary schools.
Thomas More Catholic School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Harris Academy Purley scores 60 out of 100 (grade C, average). Harris Academy Purley is ahead on our composite score.
Thomas More Catholic School was judged Good and Harris Academy Purley was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 42.1 for Thomas More Catholic School and 46.8 for Harris Academy Purley.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Thomas More Catholic School (41.5 in 2021-22, 42.1 in 2024-25) and has held broadly level at Harris Academy Purley (45.6 in 2021-22, 46.8 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | PurleyThomas More Catholic School | South CroydonHarris Academy Purley | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D54/100 | C60/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 16th of 23 in Croydon | 8th of 23 in Croydon Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-19 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 631 | 1,022 | |
| Capacity | 850 | 1,150 | |
| Location | Purley, CR8 2XP | South Croydon, CR2 6DT | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 42.1 | 46.8 Stronger figure | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 38.1% | 50.5% Stronger figure | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 54.9% | 65.8% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 65.5% Stronger figure | 50.0% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.95 | 4.17 Stronger figure | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 113 | 184 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 24 2023-24 | 43 2024-25 | |
| A-level average points | 16.9 2023-24 · England 34.4 | 29.3 Stronger figure2024-25 · England 35.0 | |
| A-level average grade | D- 2023-24 | C 2024-25 | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 19.3 2023-24 · England 35.1 | 30.3 Stronger figure2024-25 · England 35.8 | |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 0.0% 2023-24 · England 17.1% | 6.5% Stronger figure2024-25 · England 17.5% | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 631 | 1,022 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 43.1% | 43.4% | |
| English as an additional language | 35.5% | 40.1% | |
| SEN support | 12.2% | 10.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.7% | 1.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.7% | 7.2% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 25.0% | 19.2% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Thomas More Catholic School
Harris Academy Purley
Full profiles: Thomas More Catholic School · Harris Academy Purley