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Harris Primary Academy Benson

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Academy sponsor led in Croydon, CR0 8RQ, taking ages 3 to 11, 238 on roll.

Outstanding Ofsted, Jul 2023
0.885 mi Admitted from, 2026/27
57% Full
74.0% Met the expected standard, 2024/25

Will an address get in?

In the 2026/27 round, the furthest-away child offered a place at Harris Primary Academy Benson lived 0.885 miles away, according to Croydon. Put a postcode in and it is measured against that distance.

Applying for September 2027? Primary applications close on 15 January 2027, with offers on 16 April 2027. The address on the deadline is the one the council uses. How it works.

The circle is 0.885 miles, the distance the school admitted from in 2026/27. Real admission areas are not circular: this is the distance, not a boundary.

This is not a catchment area. Most English schools do not have one. When Harris Primary Academy Benson is oversubscribed, places go outward from the school until they run out, so the distance moves each year with how many families applied and where they lived. 0.885 miles was last year's outcome, not a boundary and not a promise.

What kind of school this is

Religious characterNo religious character
Sixth formDoes not have a sixth form
How full 238 pupils in 420 places (57% full)
TrustHARRIS FEDERATION
Local authorityCroydon

Department for Education register (GIAS).

How the school is doing

Ofsted Outstanding, inspected 20 July 2023
Meeting the expected standard 74.0% in reading, writing and maths (2024/25)
YearMeeting the expected standard
2024/25 74.0%
2023/24 79.0%
2022/23 71.0%

Ofsted, and the Department for Education's published performance data.

Who goes to Harris Primary Academy Benson

Girls and boys52.1% girls, 47.9% boys
English as an additional language23.9% of pupils
Free school meals30.3% of pupils eligible

DfE school census, most recent published year.

The fee-paying alternative

Weighing Harris Primary Academy Benson against the independent sector? Every fee-paying school around CR0: ages, selection, and how full each one is →

Checking the house as well as the school

The full report measures the distance from every nearby school to one address, alongside sold prices, flood risk, crime and the other checks on the same house.

Common questions

What is the catchment area for Harris Primary Academy Benson?

Harris Primary Academy Benson does not have one in the sense most people mean. Like most English schools, an oversubscribed year offers places outward from the school until they run out. The nearest thing to an answer: the furthest child admitted in 2026/27 lived 0.885 miles away, per Croydon.

How close do I need to live to get a place at Harris Primary Academy Benson?

Nobody can say in advance, and anyone who does is guessing. 0.885 miles was enough in 2026/27. The distance moves every year with the number of applications, so treat last year's figure as evidence, not a promise.

Does buying a house near Harris Primary Academy Benson guarantee a place?

No. Admission criteria usually put looked-after children, siblings ahead of distance, so places can be filled before distance is reached. Councils also check that the address is genuinely where the child lives.

Every Croydon school's distance

All Croydon schools with a published admission distance, tightest first →
How school admissions actually work, and what the distance means →

Admission distance published by Croydon. School details from the Department for Education's register, ratings from Ofsted. Read how every figure on this site is sourced on the methodology page. If something here looks wrong, tell us and it goes on the accuracy log.

Other schools nearby with a published distance

The closest schools to Harris Primary Academy Benson that also have a council-published admission distance, nearest first.

SchoolPhaseAdmitted fromAway
Oak Lodge Primary School Primary 1.0 mi 2025/26 1.0 mi
Langley Park School for Boys Secondary 0.93 mi 2025/26 1.6 mi
Langley Park School for Girls Secondary 1.33 mi 2025/26 1.6 mi
Hawes Down Primary School Primary 0.69 mi 2025/26 1.7 mi
Marian Vian Primary School Primary 1.36 mi 2025/26 1.7 mi
Orion Eden Park Secondary 1.7 mi 2025/26 1.7 mi