Welcome to Shirley High School Performing Arts College
Thank you for your interest in the Shirley High sixth form. We are proud of our reputation as a caring sixth form which consistently provides high quality Post-16 education and produces excellent outcomes for students.At Shirley High School, our vision is to create a scholarly and professional environment to ensure all students leave the sixth form making empowered, informed and ambitious choices about their future:Empowered: You will be fully prepared and confident to take on ‘The Real World’ after Sixth Form regardless of your chosen destination.Informed: You will understand all the available options for your for life after sixth Form and have made the best choice for you. Ambitious: You will be challenged to ensure you are pushing yourself to be the best version of you. Our staff ‘possess excellent subject knowledge’ (OFSTED 2019) and are all scholars in their fields. This enables students to reach the best possible standards of achievement in both academic and personal development. This year, 65% of university applications were to Russell group universities. It is our aim to increase this year on year and support students towards successful applications to Oxbridge in the future.With a purpose built sixth form block, provision at Post-16 offers an extensive range of A-levels (including the Sciences and Humanities) alongside an exciting range of BTEC level three extended diplomas. As a centre for excellence in the Arts we offer first rate performing arts facilities and a wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities. These include boxing, fitness, futsal, debating, sports coaching, music production/recording and work experience or voluntary work. There are numerous leadership roles available, including Student Mentor; Subject Ambassador; Prefect/Senior Prefect; House Captain; Anti-bullying Ambassador and School Council Representative.We offer students support at every stage of their journey. Our pastoral and well-being provision aims to support all Post-16 students as they deal with the challenges faced over the past couple of years. Students have access to on-site counselling should they need it. We also have two full-time learning mentors who provide both pastoral and academic support, whilst we have an array of extra tuition opportunities available for students in need.We offer good quality, independent careers advice, as well as personalised support with UCAS and apprenticeship applications; this supports students to successfully make the transition to university, apprenticeship or work.We look forward to welcoming you to our sixth form in the future. Please feel free to contact me on sbrown@shirley.croydon.sch.uk if you would like any further information.Mrs S BrownAssistant Principal (KS5)
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Boarding Type
No Boarder
School Type
Suitable Ages
11 to 19
Gender
Mixed
No. of Students
785 Total
No. of Boys
345 (43.9%)
No. of Girls
440 (56.1%)
Academic Excellence
GCSE Results
Latest Examination
7.4%
Students achieving A*/A grades (9/8/7)
A-Level Results
Sixth Form Performance
A* grades
2.0%
A*/A grades
14.0%
Leavers' Destinations
Destinations after GCSEs
Staying in education
88%
School
79%
England
Apprenticeships
0%
School
3%
England
Further education
School sixth form
Sixth form college
Other education destinations
Destinations after A-Levels
UK higher education
57%
School
1%
England
Apprenticeships
3%
School
19%
England
Higher education or training
Further education
Employment
Not sustained in education/employment
Courses
Show all coursesExciting Updates Ahead!
We're currently gearing up to offer you a full list of our courses. Stay tuned — amazing learning opportunities are on their way very soon. Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm!
Events
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A detailed admissions process on ApplicaaOne is coming soon.
Please see our website for more information on our admissions process.
Admissions Process
Go to School WebsiteKey Dates & Deadlines
Jan 15, 2026
Sixth Form Open Evening
Term Dates & Half-Term Holidays
Planning ahead for school holidays? Below are the term dates and half-term dates for the 2025/2026 academic year.
Autumn
2 terms
Half Term 1
Sep 1 - Oct 24
Half Term 2
Nov 3 - Dec 19
Spring
2 terms
Half Term 1
Jan 5 - Feb 13
Half Term 2
Feb 23 - Mar 27
Summer
2 terms
Half Term 1
Apr 13 - May 22
Half Term 2
Jun 1 - Jul 20
Half-Term & Holiday Dates
Autumn Half Term
Oct 27 - Oct 31
Christmas and New Year holiday
Dec 22 - Jan 2
Spring Half Term
Feb 16 - Feb 20
Easter holiday
Mar 30 - Apr 10
Spring Half Term
May 25 - May 29
Alumni Stories
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We’ll be sharing information about the destinations of our alumni here soon.
Enrichment Activities
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