The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy Review 2026: A Croydon secondary with a clearer upward trajectory

A school can feel most compelling when the direction of travel is obvious. Here, that story is simple: a recent inspection judged all key areas as Good, replacing a previous Requires Improvement headline, and the school has built the day-to-day systems that make improvement stick.

Leadership is stable. Mr Simon Trehearn has been Principal since September 2021, and the website presents a school that is explicit about routines, punctuality, and a structured learning day, alongside practical supports such as a free breakfast and a staffed Homework Club.

Academically, GCSE outcomes sit below England average overall when benchmarked through FindMySchool rankings, but the Progress 8 score is slightly positive, suggesting students tend to make a little more progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. For families, that combination usually translates into a school that is improving its consistency rather than one that has already reached its ceiling.

The culture is framed around clarity and belonging. The school’s house system splits each year group into Malala House, Attenborough House, and Jemison House, tying identity to contemporary role models rather than abstract labels. The implication is practical: inter-house competition can give quieter students a smaller “team within the team” and a route into leadership that does not rely on being the loudest voice in the room.

Student leadership is unusually structured for a mainstream 11 to 16 setting. “Lanfranc Leaders” are organised into defined strands including Sports Leaders, Language Ambassadors, Mentors, and Prefects. That matters because it creates multiple leadership pathways, not only sport or behaviour-focused roles. A student who is strong in languages, or one who thrives on peer support work, can still find an official badge of responsibility.

There is also evidence of a deliberate “removal of barriers” approach. The school day starts with access from 07:45 and a free breakfast in the Dining Hall, which can be a meaningful leveller for punctuality and concentration in the first lesson. Formal access to the Library and a staffed Homework Club each day further signals that independent study is not treated as a privilege for those with quiet bedrooms and private tutors.

Finally, the physical setting supports scale. The school moved into a new building in September 2018, and the facilities marketed for lettings include an Assembly Hall seating 450 and a Dining Hall seating up to 275, plus additional covered seating. Even allowing for the fact that lettings copy emphasises capacity, these numbers suggest a site designed for large year groups and whole-school events without awkward bottlenecks.

At GCSE, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 41.2. Progress 8 is 0.1, which indicates slightly above-average progress compared with pupils with similar starting points across England. The EBacc average point score is 3.56, with 7.1% achieving strong passes (grade 5 or above) across the English Baccalaureate suite.

The FindMySchool ranking position gives additional context: ranked 2892nd in England and 29th in Croydon for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). With an England percentile of 0.6297, this places outcomes in the lower two-fifths of secondary schools in England, which is below England average overall.

The important nuance for families is the combination of modest attainment with a positive progress measure. Where this pattern holds over time, it often reflects a school that is improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning for a wide attainment range, even if headline grade profiles are still catching up.

The school is explicit about structure: tutor time followed by six teaching periods on most days, with a seventh period each Tuesday. For students, this can reduce “dead time” and create a predictable rhythm, particularly helpful for pupils who find transitions difficult. For families, it clarifies when the school expects independent learning and when it is timetabled and supervised.

The recent inspection outcome reinforces this emphasis on consistency. The March 2025 Ofsted inspection graded Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Leadership and Management as Good, and confirmed safeguarding is effective.

Beyond lesson structure, the school highlights induction work for Year 7, including summer school and transition support. The practical implication is straightforward: students who are anxious about moving from primary, or who benefit from rehearsing routines before September, should find more scaffolding here than at schools that treat transition as a single day in July.

As an 11 to 16 school, the key “destination” question is post-16 progression rather than university pipelines. The school publishes an extensive careers offer and frames it as a five-year programme, including encounters and activities such as a careers fair (date confirmed annually), volunteering at school events, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. For students, the benefit is cumulative exposure rather than one-off advice sessions in Year 11. For parents, it is a signal that post-16 decision-making is treated as a process, not an emergency in the spring term of Year 11.

A further point of interest is the inclusion of the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge in the careers and development offer. Public speaking programmes tend to have outsized benefits for interview confidence and college applications, particularly for students who do not naturally self-promote.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through the local authority’s common application process. For September 2026 entry, the statutory deadline is 31 October 2025, with offers released on 02 March 2026 (National Offer Day).

The school is openly inviting prospective families for September 2026 entry to an Open Evening on Wednesday 24 September 2025 (17:00 to 20:00), alongside working tours on Monday 29 September 2025 (09:00 to 10:00), Tuesday 07 October 2025 (11:30 to 12:30), and Wednesday 15 October 2025 (09:00 to 10:00).

Demand is meaningful but not extreme by Croydon standards. The local authority prospectus lists 272 applications received for the school alongside a Year 7 admission number of 180.

Distance matters. For entry in September 2024, the furthest distance offered was 4.203 miles. Distances vary annually based on applicant distribution; proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place.

Parents should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise distance from the school gates compared with the last distance offered, and to model how small changes in demand can move the cut-off from year to year.

The pastoral offer is described in practical terms, with referrals to counselling and mentoring services and the option of limited “time out” from lessons where appropriate. For families, this is less about marketing language and more about whether the school recognises that regulation and learning are linked.

Safeguarding information and policies are published clearly, and the school emphasises proactive prevention in areas such as bullying, discrimination, and online safety. The implication for parents is not that problems never occur, but that the school is signalling governance-level seriousness about how concerns are handled and escalated.

Sport is one visible strand. The school has a published extra-curricular PE timetable that includes rugby, netball, basketball, and a partnership programme branded Football Beyond Borders. The last element is the most distinctive, since it suggests a structured, external programme rather than an in-house lunchtime kickabout. For students, that can mean clearer progression and adult expertise.

Leadership and communication activities appear to be another pillar. Alongside the Lanfranc Leaders structure, the school references the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge and opportunities for mentoring and ambassador roles. The implication is that personal development is not confined to assemblies, it is mapped into roles that students can apply for and be recognised within.

Finally, academic support is built into the day. Access to a staffed Homework Club and library time provides a “default place to work”, which is particularly valuable for students who may not have quiet study conditions at home.

The site opens at 07:45, with breakfast service running 07:45 to 08:10. Students are expected to arrive by 08:15, with lateness recorded after 08:20. The structured day typically ends at 14:40, with a Period 7 on Tuesdays running to 15:30.

Transport information published by the local authority highlights bus routes 152, 255, 264, 455, and 463, and the school also references Tramlink connections including Therapia Lane and West Croydon.

• Overall outcomes are still catching up. FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking places results below England average overall. Families prioritising the very highest grade profiles should weigh this carefully against evidence of improvement.

• Distance can be a deciding factor. In September 2024, the furthest distance offered was 4.203 miles. Distances vary annually based on applicant distribution; proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place.

• A structured day can feel demanding. Earlier arrival expectations, clear punctuality thresholds, and tightly defined lesson periods suit many students, but those who struggle with routine may need careful transition support, which the school does appear to offer.

• No sixth form on site. Students will need to plan a post-16 move, so families should engage early with the careers programme and local sixth form and college options.

This is a school where the improvement narrative is credible, with recent inspection judgements aligned to a clearer operational model, and practical supports that remove barriers for students. It will suit families who want a structured, community-facing 11 to 16 secondary with visible leadership pathways and a strong emphasis on routines, punctuality, and support for independent study. The main trade-off is that overall GCSE outcomes still sit below England average, so the best fit is a student who benefits from structure and is likely to make strong progress from their starting point.