Riddlesdown Collegiate
Riddlesdown Collegiate (formerly Riddlesdown High School) is a secondary school with academy status located in the Riddlesdown area of the London Borough of Croydon, 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 and South Croydon 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.[1]
| Riddlesdown Collegiate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
Honister Heights , , CR8 1EX United Kingdom | |
| Coordinates | 51°19′33″N 0°05′16″W |
| Information | |
| Former name | Riddlesdown High School (until 2009) |
| Type | Academy |
| Motto | Learners of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow |
| Opened | January 1958 |
| Sister school | As part of The Collegiate Trust:
|
| Department for Education URN | 138178 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Principal | Mr S Dey (until September 2022) Mrs K Turner (from September 2022) |
| Teaching staff | approx. 120 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | approx. 1900 |
| Colour(s) | Blue, green, purple, maroon, dark blue, yellow |
| Website | http://www.riddlesdown.org |
History
In 1992, Riddlesdown was the first school in Croydon to be awarded Grant Maintained status by the Secretary of State for Education, and since then about 300 pupils have been admitted to the school by the Board of Governors each year.
In 1996, a Sixth Form Centre was established on the site and Riddlesdown became a Voluntary Aided School 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 will hold a mixture of years 7–11, a Creative Performing Arts college and a Sixth Form college.
In 2017, the collegiate was awarded the World-class schools award, one of about 60 in the UK.[2]
2021 stabbing incident
The Riddlesdown scissor stabbing was an event that occurred on 30 April 2021, where a 14 year old student stabbed and hospitalised another student, using a pair of scissors on a road departing from the school grounds.[3] Two were later arrested in connection with the incident.[4]
Colleges
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.
| College name | Age/type | Main colour |
|---|---|---|
| Aquila | 11–16 | Blue |
| Orion | 11–16 | Green |
| Pegasus | 11–16 | Purple |
| Phoenix | 11–16 | Red |
| Creative Performing Arts | CPA | Dark blue |
| College VI | Post–16 | Yellow/orange |
Notable alumni
- Kate Moss, supermodel, 1985–1990[6]
- Rickie Haywood Williams, DJ/broadcaster, 1991–1996
- Nigel Reo-Coker, footballer, 1995–2000
- Klariza Clayton, actress, 2000–2005
- Kieran Gibbs, footballer, 2001–2006
- Ali Harbi Ali, domestic terrorist, 2008–2013
References
- "Revealed: The most popular secondary schools in Croydon". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- Jarmyn, Luke (8 December 2017). "This Croydon school has just been named one of the best in the world". Croydon Advertiser. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- Hughes, Seren (30 April 2021). "Pupil 'attacked with scissors' during huge fight outside Croydon school". MyLondon. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- "Two arrests after schoolboy hospitalised following fight near school in Purley". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- "Ofsted report for Riddlesdown Collegiate" (PDF). Ofsted. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
- Hatfield, Stefano (26 September 2005). "Stefano Hatfield On Advertising". The Independent. Independent News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2008.