Recent Comments
Arfur Towcrate on £1,500 per day for bankrupt co… David Goodwin on £1,500 per day for bankrupt co… Ralph on Crapita! Thousands of ex-Civil… Arfur Towcrate on It’s a red card for thos… Mata on Cabinet post puts Fahnbulleh… Jim Lennon on Police dispersal notice in cla…
Category Archives: Old Palace
School site to be sold off as pupils finish their final term
Education correspondent GENE BRODIE on the latest move by the borough’s biggest landowners in the slow, death throes of one of Croydon’s best-known schools The final bell, on the final day at the end of the school’s final year has … Continue reading
Posted in Charity, Housing, Old Palace, Planning, Property, Schools, South Croydon, Whitgift Foundation
Tagged Croydon, Emily Boynton, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Knight Frank, Melville Avenue, Old Palace, Old Palace of John Whitgift School, Old Palace Prep School, Old Palace School, South Croydon, Westfield, Whitgift Foundation
12 Comments
Charity Commission alerted to problems at Whitgift Foundation
CROYDON IN CRISIS: No chief exec in place for 12 months, accounts later than usual to be filed, and £50m wiped off its funds in five years. Now the borough’s biggest landowners are subject to a formal complaint to regulators. … Continue reading
Posted in Bishop of Croydon, Business, Charity, Education, Old Palace, Old Palace Parents' Alliance, Rosemarie Mallett, Schools, Stiles Harold Williams, Trinity School, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
Tagged Charity Commission, Charity Commission for England and Wales, Croydon, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Old Palace of John Whitgift School, Old Palace Parents Alliance, Old Palace Prep School, Old Palace School, Sarah Jones MP, Trinity School, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
3 Comments
Foundation brings forward Old Palace prep closure by a year
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Early closure of the fee-paying primary school will speed up sale of the site in South Croydon – probably to a profit-hungry housing developer. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The financially troubled Whitgift Foundation is seeking to accelerate … Continue reading
Posted in Charity, Chris Philp MP, Housing, Jane Burton, Old Palace, Property, Sarah Jones MP, Schools, South Croydon, Whitgift Foundation
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon South, Jane Burton, Melville Avenue, Old Palace, Old Palace of John Whitgift School, Old Palace Prep School, Old Palace School, Sarah Jones MP, South Croydon, Westfield, Whitgift Foundation
4 Comments
Another Whitgift shock as second head teacher decides to quit
CROYDON IN CRISIS: To lose one head teacher in a single academic year is unfortunate. For Croydon’s biggest landowners to lose two from their private schools is beginning to appear worrying. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Christopher Ramsey, the headmaster of … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Christopher Ramsey, Education, Jane Burton, Old Palace, Schools, South Croydon, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
Tagged Christopher Ramsey, Croydon, Haling Park, Hammersfield, Old Palace, Old Palace of John Whitgift School, South Croydon, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
3 Comments
Chief exec stands down from struggling Whitgift Foundation
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The borough’s biggest landlords have been hit by another blow. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Martin Corney has resigned as the chief executive of the Whitgift Foundation, Inside Croydon can reveal. The Whitgift Foundation, which traces its origins … Continue reading
£7,000 ‘bribes’ prompt pupil exodus from doomed school
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Fewer than 300 girls returned to Old Palace after half-term, as the charitable foundation that runs the school offered cash inducements to their parents to withdraw their daughters promptly. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Around half of the … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Charity, Education, Old Palace, Old Palace Parents' Alliance, Schools, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
Tagged Archbishop of Canterbury, Charity Commission, Christopher Houlding, Croydon, Justin Welby, Old Palace of John Whitgift School, Old Palace Parents Alliance, Old Palace School, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
Leave a comment
Foundation abandoned new school plan after taking £70m loan
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The decision to close Old Palace marked a rapid U-turn on all previous policy at the property-owning charity, according to documents obtained by this website. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES As recently as last year, the Whitgift Foundation … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Education, Jane Burton, Old Palace, Schools, Trinity School, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
Tagged Christopher Houlding, Croydon, Hammersfield, Jane Burton, Old Palace School, Old Town, Trinity School, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
2 Comments
Old Palace parents threaten legal action over school closure
CROYDON IN CRISIS: With accusations of ‘sexist and misogynistic behaviour’ and even a claim of ‘fraud’ against the financially troubled property developers at the Whitgift Foundation, the fight to save the girls’ independent school has taken a new turn. EXCLUSIVE … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Charity, Community associations, Education, Old Palace, Schools, Trinity School, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
Tagged Christopher Houlding, Croydon, Old Palace of John Whitgift School, Old Palace Parents Alliance, Old Palace School, Old Town, Trinity School, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
6 Comments
Requiem mass and candlelight vigil to be held for Elianne
One week on from the dark day when Elianne Andam was brutally murdered on a Croydon street, there is to be a requiem mass in her memory held at the Minster tomorrow morning, October 4. Separately, in the evening, there … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Croydon Minster, Knife crime, Old Palace
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Minster, Elianne Andam, knife crime, Old Palace School, youth knife crime
Leave a comment
7 killings in 6 months: Croydon Insider on the lasting tragedies
“Someone went out with a bunch of flowers in one hand and a knife in the other” Our latest episode of The Croydon Insider deals with one of the worst crises to affect Croydon, and London, after a series of … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Croydon Council, Croydon Insider, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Knife crime, Local media, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Palace, Schools
Tagged Andrew Tate, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon schoolgril murder, Dan Wootton, Elianne Andam, knife crime, Laurence Fox, Mayor Jason Perry, murder, New Addington, Spotify, Tory, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, youth knife crime
Leave a comment
Hundreds turn out to protest against plan to close nurseries
Children as young as three or four are being threatened with the consequences of the crass mismanagement of the local council and the failed £1bn property gamble by the borough’s biggest land-owners. By education correspondent GENE BRODIE It was all … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Services, Community associations, Croydon Council, Education, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Palace, Schools, Selhurst, Socco Cheta Community Hub, South Norwood, South Norwood Community Kitchen, Whitgift Foundation
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Crosfield Nursery, Croydon, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Nursery consultation, Old Palace of John Whitgift School, Old Palace Parents Alliance, Our Nursery Schools Matter, Portland Road, Selhurst Nursery, Socco Cheta, South Norwood Community Kitchen, Tory, Whitgift Foundation
1 Comment
Parents take their fight to school gates to save Old Palace
Parents of pupils at Old Palace – from nursery, through primary and into secondary – turned out in Shirley yesterday morning to protest at what they see as the arbitrary unfairness of the plans to close their school. As first … Continue reading
Old Palace parents cancel protest in respect for murdered girl
A campaign launched less than a week ago to fight for the future of Old Palace School has cancelled plans to stage a protest tonight, out of respect for the schoolgirl murdered in Croydon yesterday. Elianne Andam, the 15-year-old who … Continue reading
Posted in Community associations, Education, Old Palace, Old Palace Parents' Alliance, Schools, Trinity School, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
Tagged Croydon, Croydon schoolgril murder, Elianne Andam, murder, Old Palace of John Whitgift School, Old Palace Parents Alliance, Old Palace School, OPPA, Trinity School, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
Leave a comment
Murdered girl was a pupil at fee-paying Old Palace School
Old Palace School has confirmed that the 15-year-old girl stabbed and killed in the town centre this morning was one of their pupils. The incident adds tragedy to what has been a traumatic week for the fee-paying, independent school, which … Continue reading
Old Palace head announced retirement days before new term
Parents are discussing potential legal and sex discrimination challenges to Whitgift Foundation’s school closure plans, reports our education correspondent, GENE BRODIE Pupils at Old Palace and their parents were told just two days before the start of the new term … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Education, Jane Burton, Old Palace, Schools, Trinity School, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
Tagged Croydon, Hammersfield, Jane Burton, Martin Corney, Old Palace School, Old Town, Trinity School, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
14 Comments
Thousands sign petition in campaign to save Old Palace School
There were tears in the playground at the Old Palace primary on Melville Avenue last Friday, from young girls and some teachers, as the news seeped through that their school had been condemned to closure by the Whitgift Foundation. Inside … Continue reading
MP Jones ‘gravely concerned’ over closure of her old school
Local MP claims she is ‘picking up information from a standing start’ over plans to close 600-pupil girls’ private school, but says she has obtained guarantees from the property Foundation that runs the site. By STEVEN DOWNES Sarah Jones, the … Continue reading
Ghost haunts ancient palace where Good Queen Bess slept
GENE BRODIE, education correspondent, speaks to Old Palace old girls about their time at the school, finds out who their favourite teachers were, what it was like to have lessons in the bedroom of Good Queen Bess, and delves into … Continue reading
Falling rolls and rising fees: how Old Palace got squeezed
Our education correspondent, GENE BRODIE, examines the likely reasons and consequences of yesterday’s announcement of the decision to close one of Croydon’s oldest and best-known girls’ schools For the 80 or so 11-year-old girls who started their secondary school careers … Continue reading
Whitgift Foundation decides to close Old Palace School in 2025
Pupils at a £20,000 per year independent school in Old Town which is operated by the borough’s biggest land-owners will be told at assembly on Friday morning that it is to close after ‘many years’ of financial struggles EXCLUSIVE by … Continue reading
Trinity School goes to top of the class in post-pandemic exams
Single-sex selective schools shine in the annual Sunday Times schools rankings, in which the highest Croydon state school is rated only 186th Trinity, the £20,000 per year boys’ school at Shirley Park, has been rated the top school in Croydon, … Continue reading
Posted in Coloma, Education, Kingston, London-wide issues, Old Palace, Schools, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Trinity School, Whitgift School
Tagged Coloma Convent Girls' School, Croydon, London, Old Palace School, Sunday Times, Sutton, Trinity School, Wallington, Wallington County Grammar School, Whitgift School, Wilson's
Leave a comment
School street scheme scrapped on road next to Mayor’s home
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council last week rejected a healthy schools street scheme that might have displaced traffic to a road of million-pound houses where Jason Perry now lives. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES A school street scheme was rejected by … Continue reading
Posted in Community associations, Commuting, Coombe Wood School, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Environment, Health, Lloyd Park, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Palace, Schools, South Croydon, TfL, Transport
Tagged Carlton Building Plastics, Castlemaine Avenue, Conservative, Coombe Wood School, Croham Valley Residents Association, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jason Perry, Jeremy Gill, Lloyd Park, Mayor Jason Perry, Melville Avenue, Old Palace School, Rutherford School, South Croydon, Tory
16 Comments
Viridor incinerator breaks its toxic VOC permit for 40th time
MARK GALE reports on how the Environment Agency’s ‘strict limits’ on polluting emissions are not so strict after all The latest emission data for the polluting incinerator on Beddington Lane has just been released and yet again, operators Viridor have … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Health, Kingston, Merton, Old Palace, Sutton Council, Wandle Park, Waste incinerator
Tagged #MuckyMerton, Beddington Lane, Beddington Lane incinerator, Kingston Council, Mark Gale, Merton Council, SLWP, South London Waste Partnership, Sutton, Sutton Council, Viridor
19 Comments
Minster choir hits right notes alongside Abbey and St Paul’s
Croydon Minster’s choirs have been named among some of the best-known singing groups from cathedrals around the country as recipients of a special grant in recognition of their outstanding work and performances. The Cathedral Music Trust has named Croydon Minster … Continue reading
