Al-Khair School Review 2026: Small Independent Boys’ Secondary with a Clear Faith and Academic Focus

A compact boys’ secondary in Croydon, Al-Khair School combines the full Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 academic offer with substantial Arabic and Islamic studies, within a deliberately small community where staff know pupils well. The most recent standard inspection judged the school to be Good overall, and confirmed that the school meets the independent school standards, including safeguarding.

Results data places it above England average overall, sitting within the top 25% of schools in England for GCSE outcomes, and among the stronger performers locally in Croydon. That performance story sits alongside an admissions model that is not purely exam-led: entry typically includes assessments plus an interview, and the school is explicit about limited late entry into examination years.

The defining feature here is scale. With a published capacity of just over 100 pupils, the experience is closer to a tight-knit tutorial model than a typical large secondary. That matters for families who want close monitoring of progress and behaviour, and it also shapes the social experience for pupils, as year groups are smaller and relationships tend to be more stable over time.

The school’s identity is strongly faith-informed in day-to-day practice, while retaining a broad academic footprint. Pupils study Arabic and Islamic studies alongside the wider subject offer, and the inspection narrative describes pupils valuing the combination of academic learning and faith studies. Friday routines and dress expectations appear as a normalised part of the weekly rhythm, rather than a bolt-on.

Expectations are clear and consistently reinforced. The most recent inspection describes pupils as polite, articulate, and proud of their work, with disruption to learning described as rare. Rewards for effort, attendance, and behaviour are used to reinforce habits that support exam preparation and classroom focus.

Leadership has also been a visible theme in recent years. The current headteacher, Bayan Mahmood, is recorded as taking up post in September 2023, and governance is described as having strengthened oversight of compliance against the independent school standards.

This is an independent secondary school without sixth form, so the key public outcomes are at GCSE level. On FindMySchool’s rankings (based on official outcomes data), the school is ranked 601st in England and 8th in Croydon for GCSE outcomes. That position places it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England for this measure, which is a meaningful indicator given the size of the GCSE cohort typical of a small school.

At headline metric level, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 61.8. For many families, Attainment 8 is a useful “all subjects” indicator because it reflects performance across a basket of GCSE qualifications rather than a single headline percentage.

The EBacc profile is mixed and worth reading carefully. The school’s average EBacc APS is 5.75, compared with an England benchmark of 4.08 indicating that pupils who are entered for the EBacc subjects tend to achieve comparatively strong grades across that suite. Meanwhile, the proportion achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc is recorded as 33.3% which suggests that the EBacc pathway is present but not necessarily the dominant route for every pupil.

Because the school is small, percentages can move materially from year to year depending on cohort size and subject entry decisions. Parents comparing local schools should use the FindMySchool local comparison tools to see how these GCSE indicators sit alongside nearby Croydon options, and to contextualise outcomes with cohort scale.

Curriculum breadth is stronger than some parents expect from a small secondary. The published curriculum materials describe a Key Stage 3 programme including English, mathematics, science, history, geography, computing, art, physical education, citizenship and personal development, alongside Arabic and Islamic studies. At Key Stage 4, the academic footprint remains broad, with a GCSE and IGCSE bundle spanning core subjects plus options such as computer science, art, and faith-related qualifications.

A key strength, evidenced in the most recent inspection, is curriculum thinking: staff identify the important knowledge and skills in each subject, revisit key concepts over time, and use subject-specific vocabulary deliberately. Reading is treated as a priority across lessons, with teachers encouraging reading aloud and supporting pupils who are not yet fluent. The creation of a new library is also noted, and pupils are described as reading widely and for pleasure, which is a strong cultural marker in a secondary setting.

The main teaching improvement point, also clearly stated in the latest inspection, is consistency of explanation and task design. Where teachers do not present information clearly enough, pupils can develop misconceptions or gaps in recall. For parents, the practical implication is that the school’s quality is good overall, but classroom experience may vary by subject or teacher. Asking to see typical lesson resources, and how the school checks understanding and revisits missed knowledge, is a sensible use of open events or individual meetings.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is described as enabling access to the same broad offer, with staff training and targeted support helping pupils achieve well. In a small school, this can translate into faster identification of barriers and more immediate adjustments, provided staffing capacity is sustained.

Because the school’s age range ends at 16, “destinations” here are primarily about post-16 progression. The school’s inspection narrative describes a careers programme and exposure to pathways including college, university routes, and apprenticeships, supported by careers fairs and guest speakers. Work experience in Year 10 is specifically referenced.

For families, the planning question is not Oxbridge pipelines or sixth form subject breadth, but the handover into either a sixth form college, a school sixth form elsewhere, or a technical pathway. The practical way to evaluate this is to ask what local post-16 providers pupils most commonly move into, how GCSE option choices are aligned to those routes, and how the school supports applications for competitive post-16 courses in London.

Admissions are presented as values-aligned as well as academic. The published admissions information describes a process that includes an entrance assessment and an interview, with the school looking for pupils who can cope with the pace of learning and contribute positively to the community.

Testing expectations vary by entry point. For Years 7 to 8, candidates typically sit English and mathematics papers. For Years 9 to 10, the assessment described includes English, mathematics, science and Arabic. Interview expectations include pupils bringing a piece of work they are proud of and being prepared to discuss interests, communication, general knowledge and reasoning.

Late entry is explicitly constrained. The admissions information indicates that entry into Years 10 and 11 is generally not offered, with limited discretion for Year 10, reflecting the realities of exam board alignment and social stability in examination cohorts.

The published admissions information also references one-time charges connected to entry, including a £60 registration fee and an £800 deposit to secure a place, with the deposit described as non-refundable under most circumstances.

The pastoral approach is framed around safety, relationships and clear behavioural systems. Pupils are described as feeling safe, and the culture is presented as one where pupils can approach any staff member with concerns. A stated zero tolerance approach to bullying and teasing is reinforced through personal development and relationship education, which includes healthy relationship teaching.

Behaviour systems are described as structured, with sanctions and rewards applied consistently and fairly, and disruption to learning characterised as rare. This type of consistency is often what parents mean when they say they want an orderly environment, and in practice it can be particularly helpful for pupils who benefit from predictable routines.

Attendance is treated as a priority area, with monitoring and interventions described as supporting improvement trends. For families considering the school, it is worth asking how attendance thresholds link to rewards, support plans, and communication with parents, particularly if a child has health needs or prior attendance disruption.

Extracurricular life is not presented as an optional add-on. For younger pupils, activities are described as part of the school day rather than solely after-school, which can be appealing for working families who want enrichment embedded without late pickups. Across the year, pupils are described as participating in activities including golf, horse riding, archery and jujitsu. These are distinctive choices in a London secondary context, and they suggest a deliberate effort to broaden experiences beyond the immediate local area.

Trips and themed experiences also feature as a structured programme. The school describes “drop-down days” where all pupils visit places of cultural interest, with examples including the Imperial War Museum and the Royal Observatory. The implication is twofold: pupils get curriculum-linked cultural capital, and the school creates shared experiences that matter in a small community where whole-school identity is important.

Academic enrichment is also visible in the school’s published curriculum materials. The school references participation in the UK Mathematics Trust challenges, provision for the English Speaking Board qualification supporting public speaking, and opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for eligible year groups. For pupils, these programmes provide structured ways to build confidence and personal development evidence that will matter in post-16 applications.

Leadership opportunities are another recurring theme. Pupils are described as taking on responsibilities and contributing to the running of the school, and older pupils are described as supporting Year 7 transition. In a small secondary, these roles can be particularly meaningful, as visibility is higher and leadership experiences are less likely to be diluted by scale.

This is an independent school, and the most recent published inspection report records annual day fees of £5,808 at the time of the November 2024 inspection.

A 2025 to 2026 fee schedule specific to the boys’ secondary phase was not clearly published in the sources accessed for this review, so families should confirm the current fee level directly with the school, alongside what is included in tuition and what is charged as an extra. As a practical step, it is worth asking for a single-page annual cost summary covering uniform, lunches, trips, examination charges, and enrichment activities, so that budgeting is realistic.

Financial support information, such as means-tested bursaries or scholarships, is not clearly stated in the sources reviewed for the boys’ secondary phase. Parents for whom affordability depends on support should ask directly what assistance is available and what evidence is required.

The school day is described in published school materials as running from 08:00 to 15:20, with doors opening shortly before the start of registration.

Location is practical for public transport. Cherry Orchard Road sits immediately by East Croydon transport connections, including local bus stops and East Croydon bus station links published by Transport for London.

Wraparound care is typically less relevant for secondary than primary, and specific before-school or after-school care arrangements are not clearly published in the sources reviewed. Families who need early drop-off or late collection should clarify supervised provision, club timing, and expectations for pupils leaving site at the end of the day.

• Small cohort experience. The close-knit environment can be a major positive, but it also means fewer friendship options within a year group. This tends to suit pupils who value stability and adult guidance, and may feel limiting for those who want a large peer network.

• Consistency between classrooms. Teaching is good overall, but the latest inspection highlights that explanation and task design are not consistently strong across the school, which can lead to occasional misconceptions and gaps in recall. Families may want to probe how teaching quality is monitored and coached.

• Late entry is restricted. Entry into Years 10 and 11 is generally not offered, and Year 10 entry is described as discretionary. Families moving into the area later in secondary should treat this as a real constraint.

• Fees clarity for 2025 to 2026. The latest published inspection records a fee figure, but a 2025 to 2026 boys’ secondary fee schedule was not clearly accessible in the reviewed sources. Confirm the current schedule and inclusions early, particularly if budgeting is tight.

Al-Khair School offers a focused, orderly secondary education in Croydon, combining a broad GCSE curriculum with substantial Arabic and Islamic studies, within a small community where pupils are well-known and expectations are clear. The school’s outcomes sit above England average in its ranking position, and the latest inspection confirms Good quality across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership, with safeguarding effective.

Best suited to families who want a boys-only secondary with an explicitly faith-informed day-to-day culture, close adult oversight, and a structured approach to behaviour and learning. The key decision points are whether a small cohort is the right social fit, and whether the current fee schedule and additional costs align with the family budget.