Croydon Metropolitan College

Inspection of Croydon Metropolitan College 30–32 South End, Croydon, Surrey CR0 1DN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students feel happy and safe here. The college is a small and close community. Students behave well. They are polite and respect others. Adults help them with any concerns they may have. Students thrive in the calm and caring environment of the college. They attend well and arrive on time, keen to learn. They form close working relationships with staff and each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders plan students’ curriculum well and ensure that the experiences that they receive are well thought out. The college has high expectations of what students can achieve. This motivates students to achieve highly in courses including GCSE and A- levels.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students have a strong understanding of equality and cultural diversity. They are taught that discrimination of any kind is wrong. Staff deal with any concerns swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff work with students calmly and with kindness. There is a positive ethos across the college. Students constantly want to give their best. They benefit from opportunities to enhance their wider personal development. Students collaborate in most areas of school life positively, for example during sporting activities, such as the popular table tennis tournaments, and cultural visits.

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better?

The curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced and ambitious. It takes into account of students’ past experiences and individual needs. Knowledge and skills are cumulatively developed over time. Staff revisit important content with students through incisive questioning and regular assessments. Teachers plan lessons that are closely matched to the intent of the curriculum. Over time, in most subjects, students remember what they have learned well. This is especially the case in the sixth form.

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better?

Teachers are passionate about their subjects, and experts in their respective fields. Their subject knowledge is particularly strong. Teachers regularly check what students know in lessons. They are quick to pick up on, and address, any misunderstandings which students may have. As a result, students build up securely on the key knowledge they need to know. For example, students learn to apply increasingly complex mathematical calculations with speed and accuracy in physics and chemistry. Students read well and widely. Students who speak English as an additional language receive effective support to access the curriculum successfully.

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better?

A carefully planned personal development programme is being further developed by leaders. It has been carefully designed to meet the specific needs of the students at the college. This includes high-quality careers information and guidance. Students benefit from some experiences beyond the classroom, including work experience and university visits. Students are proud of the roles that they play, including being head boy and girl and being members of the college council. Students learn about a 6 to 8 February 2024 variety of other faiths, festivals and cultures. Staff encourage students to understand and respect views different from their own. The school’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme is relatively new and not fully embedded. The range and diversity of activities lacks a breadth and richness in and out of college.

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better?

The school has well thought out and consistently applied systems to support students’ behaviour. This enables students to understand the importance of making positive choices. Typically, students have positive attitudes to their learning. Staff support students to manage their emotions well. They teach students about knowing right from wrong and the use of rule of law in society.

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better?

Staff are positive about the leadership of the college. They feel that their workload is carefully managed through sharing resources and working cooperatively. Staff are universally proud to be members of the college community. Parents and carers are extremely positive about the college and hold staff in exceedingly high regard.

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better?

Leaders know their college well. They know what is working and where improvements are still to be made. They have an ambitious and uncompromising vision for the students at the college. The school ensures that students attend well and are punctual. They have clear systems to makes sure students come to school regularly.

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better?

Leaders have created a united team of staff who share their determination and drive. The proprietor has ensured that all the independent school standards are met. The college’s premises are maintained to a good standard. The procedures in relation to first aid, fire safety, and health and safety are appropriate.

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better?

All necessary information is available to parents. The college’s safeguarding policy is published on the college website. The college complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for school and proprietor)

 In PSHE, the school has not securely detailed the specific knowledge and range of activities that it wants students to learn and experience. This limits students’ deeper knowledge and understanding in these subjects. The school should ensure that the offer for PSHE is broadened and logically ordered, so that students have the widest possible range of curriculum and wider opportunities. 6 to 8 February 2024

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 6 to 8 February 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 137567 DfE registration number 306/6000

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School details

Type of school Other independent school School category Independent School

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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sixth form

Email address headteacher@croydonmet.org.uk

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 27 to 29 November 2018 6 to 8 February 2024

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Information about this school

 Croydon Metropolitan College is an independent co-educational college located in Croydon.  The proprietor is also a teacher at the college. The day-to-day management of the college is carried out by the headteacher.  The college’s previous standard inspection was in November 2018.  The college does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The college meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a college’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher. He also spoke to the proprietor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, science, and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of sessions, spoke to teachers, spoke to some students about their learning and looked at samples of students’ work.  Inspectors also reviewed documents and samples of students’ work in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, and students; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts students’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including school policies and the school’s website.  The lead inspector made checks relating to the independent school standards, including checks on the school’s premises.  Inspectors considered responses to parent, student and staff surveys. 6 to 8 February 2024

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Colenso Ofsted Inspector 6 to 8 February 2024 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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