Staff and students at Meridian High School in Croydon have been celebrating winning multiple awards, including the Bronze award for “Making a Difference – Secondary School of the Year” from the prestigious Pearson National Teaching Awards – the ‘Oscars’ of education.
The school has also seen its Thrive School of Excellence status renewed for another 3 years. Retaining the award signifies that a secondary school has maintained the highest level of achievement in prioritising student mental health, emotional well-being, and social development.
In addition, Meridian has also been recently awarded the “Excellence in Personal Development” award from Optimus.
Judges for the Pearson National Teaching Awards gave Meridian High School the Bronze Award for ‘Making a Difference’. These awards recognise whole school communities that radically transform the life chances of their pupils and enrich their wider local communities.
Parents have been praising the school, saying: “You go above and beyond to do the most amazing things for the students.”
“I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the hard work and dedication you’ve shown.”
“I feel fortunate to have you as my son’s teacher.”
Academic Achievements
The judges recognised the school’s curriculum as knowledge-rich, carefully sequenced and ambitious for every child. Students are taught to think deeply, articulate clearly and apply knowledge confidently.
From September 2026, Meridian High School will implement Foundations First, a brand new 12-week intensive Year 7 programme focused entirely on reading, writing, spelling, oracy and numeracy. The ambition to close attainment gaps before they widen once children start at Meridian is a key objective.
Foundations First will see students doing:
60 hours of focused reading
60 hours of focused numeracy
Structured handwriting and spelling intervention
Targeted oracy assessment and development
Attendance
Meridian’s commitment to attendance, an issue that has affected every school nationally, especially following the pandemic, was also considered by the judges. The school has already received the National School Attendance Award 2023/24, placing the school in the Top 25% of similar secondary schools in England.
Dedicated attendance teams conduct home visits, maintaining daily communication with families, removing practical barriers, intervening early in cases of persistent absence and working closely with safeguarding and pastoral teams.
Attendance is treated as both an academic priority and a safeguarding responsibility. The school believes that when students are present, they achieve, and when they achieve, they believe in their future.
Expanding Horizons
The school’s commitment to expanding student horizons through its partnership with The Promise Project was considered by the Pearson judges. The project, in partnership with the TASSO Foundation, is securing high-quality work experience placements for Year 10 students who may otherwise lack access to professional networks.
Through this programme, students experience:
Aspirational placements
Exposure to professional environments
Structured mentoring and reflection
Insight into post-16 and career pathways
Residential Experiences for All
The school believes that ‘cultural capital’ is often the hidden curriculum of advantage, and so it fully funds annual residential experiences for all students in Years 7-9. No family is excluded due to financial constraints.
These experiences develop independence, resilience, social confidence and peer relationships. For students who may never have left their community, these experiences are transformative.
Through the GLF Foundation Fund, Meridian supports students to pursue extracurricular interests beyond school: from sport to creative arts and enrichment activities that families might otherwise struggle to afford. The school’s Hardship Fund provides immediate support to families in crisis, including supermarket vouchers, clothing and essential household furniture.
Amy Anderson, Headteacher, Meridian High School, said: “All of us are so proud to see the ambition and aspiration of all our staff and students being recognised on so many levels by winning these awards. We have achieved so much thanks to relentless belief and uncompromising expectations. While our students do not lack potential, they are often not given opportunities once they leave school, but at Meridian, we ensure they receive both.”
