Excitement building for Chestnut Park School opening

Excitement is mounting over the latest addition to the Croydon family of schools later this year.

Initially, Chestnut Park School will open in temporary accommodation, before moving into brand new purpose-built facilities at St James Road, but that has not stopped over 100 applications already being made for the new school. 

The school’s location was chosen based on local demand for primary school places, and it will operate a three-form entry system. Prospective parents have had a chance to learn what will be on offer at information events held at six venues across the borough and additional information events will be held throughout the spring term.

Chestnut Park Primary School will be part of GLF Schools which currently comprises 12 schools across Surrey and Berkshire, from purpose-built primary schools to a long-established secondary school. 

GLF Schools uses a collaborative management style with individual Headteachers coming together as part of a Forum to share ideas and experiences.

The group’s Head of Primary School Improvement, Richard Evans, has a strong connection with Croydon, having previously been Deputy Headteacher at two schools in the borough. 

Headteacher, Esther Brooks, also has an existing link to Croydon, having previously been Special Education Needs Co-ordinator at Purley Oaks School. 

Mrs Brooks is an experienced teacher having taught in the foundation stage, Key Stage One and Key Stage Two as well as in a Special Educational Needs centre and will be joining Chestnut Park from another GLF school, Hillcroft Primary in Caterham, where she has been Head of School and previously Deputy Headteacher.

“The school’s mission will be to ‘Dream – Achieve – Inspire’” Mrs Brooks explained.  “Our philosophy is simple; if children enjoy learning, they will set themselves aspirational goals or dreams. Within an exciting, challenging and creative environment, children will achieve these goals whilst inspiring each other and driving their learning forward. Our ‘Dream-Achieve-Inspire’ approach is all about helping children to enjoy their education and to set themselves aspirational goals’

"We will be focusing on the core skills such as literacy and numeracy, but we also want to encourage them to develop independent thought and enquiry based learning. 

"We will develop the curriculum through a themed approach, developing an irresistible curriculum that is tailored to the needs of the children– but most of all, we want to ensure that Chestnut Park is a place where children love to learn.”

As Chestnut Park Primary School will be a brand new school the school community will play a vital role in getting it up and running, as well as interaction and involvement with parents.. 

“Collaboration is the key to success; as a new building, the school will have additional capacity, so we aim to use that for family learning and wider community activities, so the school can really establish roots in the local community,” Ms Brooks added. 

“We will be conducting home visits in the summer term, so even before the school is open, that process will have started.”

GLF Schools and Croydon Borough Council have established a strong working relationship throughout the development of the school and look forward to welcoming our first cohort of 90 reception children in the Autumn Term.