Riddlesdown Collegiate (formerly Riddlesdown High School) is a
secondary school with
academy status located in the
Riddlesdown area of the
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon () is a London borough in south London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of . It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; w ...
, UK. It is a coeducational school, of between 1800 and 2000 students (400 of those being post–16 students). The school takes its pupils mainly from the
Sanderstead,
Selsdon,
Purley,
Kenley,
New Addington
New Addington is a town in South London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located 5 miles south east of Croydon, south of Addington Village and north of Biggin Hill.
History
Until the 1930s, the area now known as New Addingt ...
and
South Croydon
South Croydon in south London is the area surrounding the valley south of central Croydon and running as far south as the former Red Deer public house on the Brighton Road. It is bounded by Waddon to the West and Selsdon and Sanderstead to the E ...
areas, and specialises in science. Riddlesdown is the largest school in Croydon in terms of pupil numbers, and one of the most over-subscribed schools in the area.
History
Riddlesdown school was built in 1957 and opened in January 1958
as a mixed
secondary modern school. In 1971 it converted to comprehensive status, reopening as Riddlesdown High School, and remained a local authority mixed comprehensive school until 31 December 1991 when it was give
grant maintained status. In 1996, a Sixth Form Centre was established on the site and Riddlesdown became a
voluntary aided school
A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation), contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. In ...
under the Bourne Foundation in 1999.
In September 2009, the school's name changed from Riddlesdown High School to Riddlesdown Collegiate, featuring six colleges; four of which hold a mixture of years 7–11, a Creative Performing Arts college and a Sixth Form college. The school gained Academy status on 1st June 2012.
In 2017, the collegiate was awarded the World-class schools award, one of about 60 in the UK.
Colleges
Each of the six colleges has a distinctive uniform colour variation based on the college colour. Four of the six colleges in the collegiate are 11–16 colleges with another for sixth form (16–19) and a Creative and Performing Arts College.
Ofsted
In a full Section 5
Ofsted inspection in 2016, the school was rated outstanding;
however, an initial Section 8 inspection in 2021 suggested that a full inspection might have resulted in a lower rating, necessitating a full inspection next.
Notable alumni
*
Kate Moss, supermodel, 1985–1990
*
Rickie Haywood Williams, DJ/broadcaster, 1991–1996
*
Nigel Reo-Coker, footballer, 1995–2000
*
Klariza Clayton, actress, 2000–2005
*
Kieran Gibbs, footballer, 2001–2006
References
{{authority control
Secondary schools in the London Borough of Croydon
Educational institutions established in 1958
1958 establishments in England
Academies in the London Borough of Croydon