Fairchildes Primary School

Fairchildes Primary School is a primary school in Croydon for ages 2 to 11.

Daily practice for Fairchildes Primary School pupils

Daily maths and English that follow the national curriculum for your child's year. Start with a free five-minute class.

Full inspection, February 2024.

Inspectors found that weaker readers catch up quickly and learn to read with confidence, with prompt additional support.
Inspectors found that pupils with SEND achieve highly, including those in the school's additionally resourced provision and access the full curriculum.

Our summary of Ofsted's report. Read the full reports on Ofsted's website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The school has extensive grounds with a forest area and an edible playground where produce is grown for the school kitchen.
The school aims to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere where children gain the skills and knowledge to become effective and independent life-long learners.
Our DT curriculum includes cooking in a purpose-built children's kitchen.
Inclusion is at the heart of the school, where with opportunity, support and encouragement children can achieve anything.

The school uses a systematic synthetic phonics programme in Early Years and Key Stage 1.
Children learn to read using the ELS phonics scheme, sounding out letters and blending them back together.
Basic skills are taught daily in Literacy and Numeracy, with accuracy lessons three times a week in Key Stage 1 and 2.
The school uses the Essential Letters and Sounds systematic synthetic phonics programme for Phonics, Reading and Writing.
The school currently holds the Science Mark at gold standard and the Design kite mark.
The school runs an Able Gifted and Talented programme.

Pupils learn recorder, keyboards, drums and steel pans and there is a steel band and tuned percussion orchestra.
Children can join school teams including boys and girls football, netball, athletics, cross country and gymnastics.
Year 5 pupils build go-karts from scratch with an engineer and race them against other schools on a race weekend in Rochester.
Lower school and upper school choirs perform throughout the year, each with more than 80 members.
Pupils take part in steel pan lessons led by Croydon Steel Orchestra Director Paul Dowie.

Attending the school's nursery does not guarantee a Reception place and families must still submit a formal application.
Parents must state on the online application whether their child has a sibling who will still attend the school in September 2027.

Source: Fairchildes Primary School website. Checked 11 November 2026.

Reception open days are on 12 November 2026 at 10am, 10 December 2026 at 10am and 14 January 2027 at 2pm.
Open day sessions are for mainstream Reception admissions and do not cover Enhanced Learning Provision places.

A free breakfast is offered for Reception to Year 6 pupils, with no booking needed.
A breakfast provision runs each morning in the nursery from 7.30am until 8.45am, including breakfast and fun activities.

Source: Fairchildes Primary School website. Checked 11 November 2026.

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School details: Get Information about Schools, Department for Education, URN 140717. Checked 9 November 2026.

For Years 1 to 6, with a weekly view of what they have mastered and an 11+ track when you're ready.