Telephone 020 8656 9541
Web trinity-school.org
Email lowerschooladmissions@trinity.croydon.sch.uk
sixthformadmissions@trinity.croydon.sch.uk
We believe great outcomes are delivered through a culture of strong values.
By focusing on ethos and character, we nurture extraordinary
“The school
combines challenging and rigorous expectations while maintaining a down to earth feel.” Trinity Parent
Individuals are known and cared for within a nurturing environment. Relationships within the school are based on mutual respect, in a warm, welcoming and supportive environment.
“My son is happy. If your child is happy... that speaks volumes.”
Trinity Parent
Trinity offers a vibrant and inspiring community in which we encourage the growth of intellectual curiosity, creativity and independent learning without constraints. We prepare individuals for the world beyond our four walls.
“It really feels like Trinity cares about all aspects of our child’s development.”
Trinity Parent
We are delighted that you are considering Trinity for your child.
The success we are aiming for is not just the excellence that our students achieve; it is reflected in the kind of people they become. Our ambition is that Trinity boys and girls grow into the very best versions of themselves, people who choose to make a positive difference in the world.
We believe that great outcomes are achieved in a culture of strong values. That is why we are proud to have established a community of generosity and kindness, where every student is known and cared for as an individual. In this nurturing environment, the curiosity and ambition of each young person can be fully explored and expressed. This, in turn, opens doors to the world’s best universities, colleges and careers.
We want our students to leave Trinity without any sense of entitlement, but with a humility that recognises there is always more to learn. We intentionally welcome students from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, equipping them with the skills and responsibility to care for others and the world around them.
The recent Independent Schools Inspectorate report recognised our inclusive and collaborative culture, praising the strength of relationships within our school community and our commitment to pastoral care, academic excellence and opportunity. It affirmed what we already know: that young people thrive when they are known, challenged and supported in equal measure.
We are now entering an exciting new chapter in Trinity’s story. From 2027, we will be extending our co-educational provision, welcoming girls into Year 6 and Year 7 for the first time. This carefully planned move builds on the success of our co-educational Sixth Form and reflects our longstanding commitment to a diverse and forwardthinking learning environment. We believe this development will benefit all our students, bringing broader perspectives and even richer opportunities for collaboration, growth and learning.
“At Trinity, we nurture extraordinary young people.”
Whilst at Trinity, we want every student to love being part of our community, and to thrive on the opportunities to learn and join in. When they leave, we hope they will have made these values their own.
I would very much like to welcome you to the school so you can feel for yourself the warm, purposeful atmosphere and experience the true spirit of Trinity..
At Trinity, our focus is on leading through values; on the kind of young people that our students become, with day-to-day school experiences and a love of learning shaping them before they move on to extraordinary futures.
We expect that, whatever success, talent, or opportunities our students enjoy, they will never think anything is beneath them; they are excellent but not arrogant, and consciously inclusive rather than exclusive.
We are committed to nurturing a diverse environment in which each individual experiences rapport with their teachers and feels that they are known and cared for. We encourage every student to develop and satisfy their academic curiosity as well as to enjoy playing a part in our community.
We want our students to develop the confidence and creativity to be ambitious and forward thinking and to recognise that they will require character and resilience to be prepared for their future worlds. When our students leave Trinity, we hope they have made these values their own.
"Such a lovely, friendly school and great kids. So much sport, great academics and a really brilliant ethos. We're really proud to be part of the wider Trinity community!"
Trinity Parent
Introduction
We aim to...
Inspire
Encourage the growth of intellectual curiosity, creativity and independent learning whilst also preparing each student for the best possible examination results, through a broad, coherent and balanced curriculum.
Develop
Provide well-qualified, inspirational and dedicated staff, committed to their own continual professional development, who have high expectations of all students, enjoy teaching and learning, and enable students to fulfil their academic potential within an intellectually vibrant community.
Support
Provide outstanding pastoral care and ensure that relationships within the school are always based on mutual respect within a highly supportive environment.
Encourage
Encourage the development of self-discipline, responsibility, physical and emotional wellbeing, moral and spiritual values, and consequently the highest possible standards of behaviour, confidence and consideration for others.
Provide
Offer excellent facilities and a wide range of high quality co-curricular activities through which students develop a healthy sense of cooperation and competition as well as enjoying social, sporting and cultural interests for their own sakes.
Partner
Work closely in effective partnership with parents and encourage them to be actively involved in their child’s education.
Equip
Prepare students for life beyond school, through an understanding of higher education and career possibilities, a development of entrepreneurial and leadership skills, an informed appreciation of the diversity of the world and a sense of service to the wider community.
Section 1: Academic
At Trinity, we create resilient, responsible and engaged learners. Learning is challenging, but it is a skill we help our young person to master, whatever their starting point.
“We are impressed: excellence without elitism, and a tangible sense of pastoral care.” Trinity
Academic
It
is our aim for students to have intellectual curiosity, alongside awareness and understanding of the learning process itself.
The learning process demands academic rigour; resilience and determination; creativity and imagination; self-confidence and humility.
Support will differ for each student, but the underlying ethos remains the same. We want our students to feel challenged and to approach difficulties with positivity and resilience, knowing that they are well supported.
Our students are encouraged to problem solve and to apply their knowledge to complex problems. This prepares them for learning at A Level, as well as university study and life beyond school.
Our students frequently seek out opportunities to go beyond the curriculum and extend their learning, whether that be hearing visiting speakers, going to industry conferences and residential courses, or taking on the Extended Project Qualification in the Sixth Form.
Our academic societies, part of our co-curricular provision, also see our students explore topics of interest for discussion and debate.
We see it as our duty to evaluate our own practice, to experiment and to discuss our findings as a teaching community. Our teaching is wellresearched and well-evaluated, with professional development embedded into everything we do.
For students, learning is a process. Our teaching facilitates this, generating a spark to embark upon an individualised journey whilst providing the tools to explore with depth and breadth.
“It is a school for any bright child, regardless of socio-economic background.”
Trinity
Trinity is a school for children from every walk of life. It was founded to serve its community and the John Whitgift Foundation bursaries alongside our own Trinity Bursary Fund offers one of the most extensive bursary programmes in the UK.
Admission is based on the combined criteria of academic strength and the ability to contribute to the co-curricular life of the school.
Scholarships are awarded irrespective of parental income and the scholarship will remain throughout your child’s school career, provided he or she maintains the expected standards.
Alongside Academic scholarships, students may apply for scholarships in: Music, Sport, Drama, Art and Design & Technology.
Further information can be found on our website.
The John Whitgift Foundation is a registered charity offering one of the largest bursary schemes in the UK, and Trinity is one of three independent schools within this Foundation.
Alongside Whitgift and Old Palace, our commitment is to provide an all-round education to academically able children, regardless of their social background or financial means.
In 1596, Archbishop John Whitgift was granted permission from Queen Elizabeth I to establish a Foundation in Croydon, providing education for the young and care for the elderly. Its vision is still to support people of all ages and backgrounds, bringing them together to inspire a sense of community.
The work of the Foundation covers three core areas:
Access to education
As one of the largest bursary providers in the country, the Foundation grants thousands of young people access to an outstanding education at one of the three Foundation Schools.
Care for older people
Through care homes and services, the Foundation gives older people a sense of community, comfort and joy in later life.
Support of Croydon’s carers
The Foundation offer free advice, information and a support network for Croydon’s carers.
Each year, our leavers receive an impressive number of offers from top-tier institutions, including Oxbridge, Medical Schools and Russell Group institutions.
We support those who opt to study overseas, apply for competitive degree apprenticeships, take a gap year, or choose to continue their studies at leading conservatoires and art colleges.
Trinity students also have the opportunity to meet experienced professionals in a range of careers each year, either at themed Careers Evenings, or at more intimate spotlight events.
Regardless of where they go next, we are proud that our students leave Trinity grounded, articulate and confident individuals with the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the community in which they find themselves.
All students receive carefully considered support and advice at each stage of their school career, tailored to their needs and circumstances.
Our students know they can talk to a member of staff if they are worried, that there are people around them who care about them, and how to seek help if they need it.
New students are invited, along with their parents, to events at the school before the start of their first term, while every form in our Lower School is paired with members of our Sixth Form who spend part of each week interacting with younger students, leading activities, offering advice, or simply acting as a friendly face.
Experienced and understanding
Our Section Heads are experienced at looking after all students within their care. With a strong team of Heads of Year and Tutors, they oversee transition and progression through school and beyond.
At school and at home
Trinity also offers a regular programme of parent seminars, hosted by expert speakers and designed to support families in conjunction with our system of pastoral care within school.
"We are very happy to see our son coming home excited and positive about his day at school and what he has learned."
Parent
“Trinity fosters a caring atmosphere where students can flourish and excel.”
Student wellbeing is of paramount importance at Trinity. The first duty of staff is to act in the best interests of the child, and every student is known and respected as an individual.
Tutors and Heads of Year take a leading role in supporting students and liaising with parents on pastoral matters. The pastoral team are all trained in mental health first aid, and work alongside the nurses, counsellor and clinical psychologist.
Through tutor and assembly time activities, as well as interactions with members of staff, students are encouraged to think about qualities such as kindness, empathy, courtesy and personal responsibility.
These character traits are further considered and cultivated through our Personal Development curriculum. Topics span a range of areas including health and wellbeing; identity and values; positive relationships and bullying; and safety, including online safety.
Activities designed to build resilience and teamwork are also included within this programme, with a particular focus in the second year (Year 8), through a bespoke resilience course and our Boetius outdoor activities trip.
In the Sixth Form, specialist visiting speakers also form part of the Diploma programme while students take on volunteering, mentoring and leadership roles, enabling them to give back to their community.
Pastoral Care
The transition from primary to secondary school can be daunting but we aim to make the move as smooth as possible.
Whether joining in the Junior Year or the First Year, supportive Form Tutors and a team of staff and peers help students achieve their potential from their very first day.
Our teaching staff bring learning to life in wellresourced classrooms, laboratories, studios and workshops. There is a wealth of opportunities to explore - from sport to music and drama, with existing interests combining with new adventures.
We provide a safe and stable community; one which values respect, compassion and understanding.
100% of new parents consider their son to be happy at Trinity.
The chance to grow
Our Lower School Award represents an opportunity for our youngest students to reflect on the personal attributes and qualities they want to develop whilst at the school.
Students plan ahead, identify opportunities, spot gaps and reflect on what has happened and what they have learnt, working towards a certificate at the end of the Second Year.
In the Middle School, students develop the skills to become independent learners. They also make great friendships and have experiences they will never forget.
Students develop leadership skills and build resilience alongside the ability to learn from mistakes, to set goals and to work towards them whilst overcoming setbacks. Achieving academic success is only one aspect of what it means to be at Trinity.
The Middle School Award, for instance, is bespoke to each individual. Engaging fully in this programme helps to develop a love of learning beyond just preparing for exams and grades, and a willingness to try new things and collaborate with others, whilst developing personal, physical, and social skills.
We thrive together Trinity is more than a school. We are a community and we care about the wider society within which we exist. Throughout our students’ time here they learn about themselves, other people and the wider world.
“I can see growth and stretch in my son but feel he has been supported throughout.”
"The best thing about Trinity is that it is simultaneously challenging and exciting, as well as friendly and supportive."
Our co-educational Sixth Form enables students to make new friends and prepare for life beyond school, either in higher education or the world of work.
The right environment
In our bright and airy Sixth Form centre, with its dedicated café, students explore the subjects that most interest them within a vibrant, friendly and purposeful learning environment.
The Sixth Form Diploma programme enables all to develop a host of study and research skills as well as soft skills which offer preparation for higher education and the world of work. Students go beyond the curriculum to engage critically with the world around them, with the Diploma encouraging self-motivation and independent thinking.
It draws on elements which are important for the development of the whole individual, such as leadership skills and community service – helping students prepare for the real world.
There is a rich culture of extension and enrichment outside of the syllabus, delivered through our departmental societies and clubs, visiting speakers, and through the Diploma electives. Many of our Sixth Form students take a lead in giving talks for societies and for our academic symposia.
Our aim is to prepare our students: we run personal development sessions on topics such as stress management, university finance and employability.
We are very proud of our students’ exam results. Their results give them access to the world’s best universities and colleges, as well as competitive apprenticeships. But most of all, we are proud of who they become.
We want our students to grow to be the best version of themselves that they can be. We provide a safe and stable community, which values respect, as well as compassion and understanding.
Many of our Sixth Formers hold mentoring roles for younger students in the school and take leading roles in our community as School Prefects or members of our Sixth Form Council and Charity Committee.
Section 3: Co-curricular
To complement formal learning, we work with students outside of the classroom to develop a sense of adventure and to foster cultural and social awareness. This is achieved through our many and varied groups, clubs and societies.
Co-curricular
Across all year groups, students are encouraged to develop skills in drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, digital and graphic design and film-making, while being challenged to think philosophically.
Photography is a popular subject in which students are encouraged to experience and experiment with a broad range of different lens-based techniques and processes, developing independence and flexibility. Work is frequently exhibited in our lively and bustling Shaw Gallery, while students regularly visit exhibitions both in the UK and abroad.
Meanwhile, Design & Technology prepares our students to fully participate in tomorrow’s world. Through practical projects, students use materials and techniques in order to create functional solutions. The department is exceptionally well resourced and boasts some of the best facilities in the country.
Students develop their creativity and express themselves in a nurturing environment.
Eclectic co-curricular clubs and societies – such as Light-Sabre Building, Drone Club, and Engineering Club – provide an excellent foundation for the product designers, engineers and architects of the future. As a result, each year, several students advance to professional careers within the expanding fields of photography, art and design.
Trinity offers thriving co-curricular provision for budding actors and stage technicians.
Wonderful performance spaces, including our Mitre Theatre, studio and concert hall, are professionally equipped, offering students limitless creative possibilities.
Many students pursue LAMDA awards, whilst weekly drama clubs focus on invention, improvisation and developing communication skills that build confidence. We regularly welcome theatre industry professionals to share their experiences and offer workshops hosted by actors from companies including The National Theatre and Complicité.
There is a varied repertoire of productions every year. Recent work includes ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Shakespeare in Love’. Students take on leadership opportunities, often writing and directing as well as taking lead and ensemble roles. Recent highlights include ‘Holes’ and ‘Private Peaceful’ (Middle School); ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘James and the Giant Peach’ (Lower School) and ‘Medea’ and ‘After Life’ (Sixth Form).
Students are encouraged to develop beyond acting; they write and direct their own work and manage costume, lighting and set design.
Co-curricular
Trinity’s Music Department provides truly outstanding opportunities for instrumentalists and singers alike. Inspiring teaching and modern, spacious facilities provide the perfect educational environment in which young musicians can thrive.
Individual tuition is offered on all orchestral instruments, piano, jazz piano, organ, classical guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, harp and singing, while over 50 ensembles rehearse and over 500 students take part in music lessons each week, with Trinity having taken its students to perform in over 20 countries around the world.
Leading the way
Trinity Boys’ Choir has an international reputation for excellence based on its long-established touring, opera and recording programmes. It is also the only school choir to be invited to sing regularly in the BBC Proms Festival, whilst also appearing regularly at The Royal Opera House and Glyndebourne, as well as alongside the major London orchestras.
Many boys with no previous singing experience find themselves performing on professional stages within their first year, while Sixth Form girls enjoy a similarly broad range of opportunities and collaborate with the Boys’ Choir on studio recordings.
Trinity was also the first All Steinway School in London and benefits from an impressive fleet of pianos in addition to exceptional practice and
Through sport, our students build character and develop qualities that will serve them well in life. They learn how to be resilient, how to persevere when the odds are against them, and how to show humility when the game is won.
Whatever their aptitude or ability, we provide students with the opportunity to achieve something worthwhile and every student has the opportunity to represent the school; to experience the exhilaration of a hard fought victory, and the heartbreak of a narrow loss.
We enjoy excellent facilities on our 27-acre site, including extensive sports fields, two astros, two sports halls, a swimming pool, ten tennis courts, four squash courts, a climbing wall, a shooting range, a health and fitness suite, a strength and conditioning room, as well as further fields at our Sandilands site and our pavilion which acts as a focal point for our sport.
We offer a huge range of sports besides our key sports of Rugby, Football, Hockey, Netball, Cricket and Waterpolo - from Archery and Athletics, to Fencing and Golf, Sailing and Trampolining, to name but a few.
We are proud of our success with our competitive teams, as well as the large number of students representing their county, region and country, and our expert coaching staff – many of whom have themselves represented their country.
Co-curricular
We are proud to offer our students a wide range of societies and clubs to enrich their academic experience, alongside sports teams and musical groups.
A world to discover
We offer over 100 clubs and societies. Whether it’s bee-keeping, chess, building Daleks, creative writing, fencing or landscape design, there is something for everyone.
We encourage students to get involved in as much as they can. This helps them to discover passions, expand their horizons and to build relationships.
Our new joiners tell us that one of the things they are most excited about when coming to Trinity will be new opportunities. Our job is to introduce them to as wide a range as possible, to help them discover what they find fun, exciting and challenging.
“The range of life-changing opportunities never fails to amaze.”
Trinity Parent
“He loves getting involved in all the activities and seems to have boundless energy.”
Co-curricular
A wide range of departments offer educational visits to a variety of destinations both within the UK and across the globe. The range of trips every year includes day trips to central London to visit the theatre or attend lectures, and expands to the more ambitious and exotic, such as trips to the USA, Malaysia, China and Taiwan, France, Iceland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Croatia.
Students enjoy action-packed team-building excursions and partake in activities such as rock climbing, caving and gorge walking at our Boetius Centre in Wales; one of our many domestic trips, while the Sports Department carries out frequent tours to locations such as South Africa, Japan, UAE, Australia and the USA, as well as running training camps in Spain, Poland and Portugal.
We also gain a huge amount from a partnership with a school in Chipwepwete, Malawi. A team of our staff and students visit each year to teach, learn, and get involved with wider community work.
We have our own, dedicated outdoor centre in the Brecon Beacons. The Boetius Centre is perfectly situated for hill walking and navigation, climbing and abseiling, gorge walking and caving.
Located on the south-western edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in the village of Coelbren, the centre is close to the wonderful walking areas of the Black Mountains and some of the most spectacular waterfalls and caves in Britain.
The CCF offers life-changing experiences alongside opportunities to develop life skills and confidence which can help individuals reach their potential at school and beyond.
Through enjoyable military-themed activities, students develop their sense of responsibility and the qualities of self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance, perseverance and a sense of service to the community.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is open to students in Third Form and above.
Students joining Trinity in the Sixth Form can also continue working towards the award if they have previously started.
It introduces students to exciting, positive and challenging activities – helping them to develop new friendships, learn new skills and experience adventure. It is also valued by organisations and employers.
Section 4: Community
Our students play an active role in the community. We believe their doing so is central to developing well-rounded and caring individuals who can meaningfully contribute to their future society.
Community
Students fundraise for their chosen charitable causes each term, lead lessons at local primary schools, visit local residential homes and host events for members of our local community throughout the year.
Trinity also has long-standing relationships with a number of organisations that support older people. We host a party every December, opening our doors to people from care homes and community groups.
In addition, we are committed to making our facilities and expertise at Trinity more accessible to state primary schools. For instance, on average, we provide sports coaching tournaments and sessions to 1,500 local primary school children every term.
Meanwhile, the Trinity Primary School Maths Morning has been running for over 20 years. The aim is to provide activities for children with a particular aptitude and we also run programmes to help school children in the locality to access STEMfocused provision.
"Its strong investment in the local community helps to ensure that Trinity boys and girls leave the school emotionally intelligent and socially grounded."
Good Schools Guide
We believe that by playing an active role in the community, students are better prepared to make a meaningful contribution to their future society. This is central to our ethos.
For instance, Sixth Form students complete two sixweek volunteering placements, focused on giving back to our community. Students also lead lessons at local primary schools, carry out environmental work, visit local residential homes and volunteer for a range of organisations.
During our Field Days, students challenge themselves in practical ways and develop a sense of service. They also fund-raise for charitable causes and host events throughout the year. This all helps our students to ‘give back’, to grow their listening and communication skills, and to be more socially integrated.
Just a few hours a week of effort and commitment make a real difference. By playing an active role within our local community and beyond, our students have an enhanced awareness of the needs of others and cultivate a sense of service.
Our partnerships are an important part of Trinity life.
We are delighted to be working with the Rowdown Foundation, which is connecting us to children whose potential we can help realise. The Rowdown Foundation’s Tuition Programme was established to help the most academically able students at the school prepare for 11+ entrance exams for private, grammar or semi-selective state schools.
Our Sports Department provides specialist staff who deliver coaching within local primary schools and hosting tournaments across a wide range of sports.
Meanwhile, our Malawi Project supports the charity Hope4Malawi through fundraising and volunteering for our partnership school in Chipwepwete, which a team of our staff and students visit each year to teach, and to get involved with community work.
This charity helps schools and orphanages in Malawi provide a better life for the children in their care. We have made a commitment to provide free school lunches to each child at Chipwepwete, built three new classrooms and resourced a kitchen and a library.
Most recently, we helped to build a bridge across the local river to enable children and the community to travel safely.
Trinity enjoys a 27-acre site, including astroturf pitches, tennis and netball courts. The Trinity Sports Club also boasts a 25-metre, 6-lane swimming pool fitness suite, two large sports halls and several squash courts.
Meanwhile, our large Concert Hall seats 470 and our Mitre Theatre seats 120 with an additional refurbished café area.
1. Library 2. Mitre Theatre 3. Music School 4. Pavilion
5. Pottery studio and dark rooms
6. Shaw Gallery
7. Sixth Form Centre
8. Sports Club
9. Sports fields, including tennis courts, astros and pitches
10. Strength and Conditioning Suite
11. Swimming pool
12. Trinity Concert Hall
Trinity is well served by a number of bus, train and tram routes. We also operate a school bus service while many of our students walk and cycle to school.
Car
The main entrance to Trinity is on Addiscombe Road, just west of the Shirley Road roundabout. Enter postcode CR0 7LB in your SatNav.
School bus
We run termly school buses for students across South London from a number of locations including Dulwich, Bromley, Beckenham, Oxted, Wandsworth, Sutton and Caterham. There are return runs after school and we will happily accommodate new routes where there is sufficient demand.
We also have travel chaperones from Clapham Junction station and the Wimbledon tram stop for the first half term.
Rail
East Croydon station is two miles west of the School. From the station, you can take one of four regular buses that stop outside the School (119; 194; 198; 466).
Tram
The Croydon Tramlink nearest stop is Sandilands (on the Wimbledon/ New Addington/ Beckenham lines via East and West Croydon) and is less than a mile away.
All the buses call at Sandilands or it takes approximately 10 minutes on foot.
For more information on how to apply to Trinity, please visit our website listed below.
If you would like to speak to somebody in person about your child's application, contact us on any of the following:
Telephone 020 8656 9541
Web trinity-school.org
Email lowerschooladmissions@trinity.croydon.sch.uk
sixthformadmissions@trinity.croydon.sch.uk
Staying in touch
@TrinityCroydon
@TrinityCroydon
@TrinityCroydonCR9
@TrinityCroydon
