Category Archives: Whitgift Foundation

Charities team up with a festival of football for primary pupils

Palace for Life, Crystal Palace FC’s charity arm, is taking part in a community summer school being staged in South Croydon next week, with club coaches staging a football festival as the grand finale for more than 150 children from … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Charity, Crystal Palace FC, Education, Palace for Life Foundation, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Inspectors rate Whitgift care home as ‘Requires improvement’

Whitgift House, the care home on Brighton Road in South Croydon run by the Whitgift Foundation, has been rated as “Requires improvement” following its most recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission. The CQC found “breaches of legal regulations” and … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Care Homes, South Croydon, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

End-of-year report: Whitgift Head finds room for improvement

Visiting our al fresco studio Under The Flyover is Toby Seth, the headmaster of Whitgift School. Seth has just completed his first year in charge at the large independent school in South Croydon, a year in which their under-15s won … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Inside Croydon, Schools, South Croydon, Sport, Toby Seth, Under The Flyover, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘We need to pull every lever available to end the housing crisis’

This month, Inside Croydon columnist Andrew Fisher interviews Fiona Fletcher-Smith, the chief executive of one of the country’s largest housing associations, L&Q, and hears what policy changes she believes new Prime Minister Andy Burnham needs to implement if the government … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Fisher, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Housing, Inside Croydon, London-wide issues, Property, Sadiq Khan, The Andrew Fisher Interview, Under The Flyover | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘The saddest news about Croydon town centre since the riots’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Local MP and Fairfield ward councillors urge developers to make good on their long-standing promises to regenerate the town centre. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES MP Sarah Jones today called on Westfield “to work at pace to deliver … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Croydon West, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Sarah Jones MP, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The 15-year takeover of Croydon town centre by Westfield

The £1billion regeneration of Croydon town centre has been plagued by a decade and a half of developer delays, economic turmoil, a global pandemic and a complete reshaping of the original retail-led proposal into what, in its latest iteration of … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

SOLD! Westfield in £31.5m deal to buy Whitgift Centre freehold

After 15 years, two large-scale planning applications, a planning inquiry and a CPO,  Croydon’s biggest landowners have today announced that they have sold off a large chunk of their property in the benighted town centre in the hope that it … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Charity lost £2m last year over closure of Old Palace School

The Whitgift Foundation’s ‘Impact Report’ for last year shows its two boys’ fee-paying schools among the country’s top 10% of independents, as the costs of closing its girls’ school will continue until 2028. By STEVEN DOWNES The closure of Old … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, CPO, Education, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Old Palace, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Serenity special school, Trinity School, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Whitgift Foundation makes 41 ‘life-changing’ bursary awards

£200,000 That’s the value, at least, to the family of one boy of a bursary to attend Whitgift or Trinity independent schools in Croydon through from Year 7 this September all the way to the Upper Sixth. It’s a life-changing … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Education, Old Palace, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Trinity School, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Perry’s goons abandon threats against George Street homeless

Council security contractors may have failed to follow the law over their ‘thuggery’ and ‘bullying’ of what they called an ‘encampment’ in the town centre. By STEVEN DOWNES and KEN TOWL Threats of enforcement action against what the council described … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, North End Quarter, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council heavies move in on vulnerable people on George Street

Under-trained security officials, paid for with public money, are doing the bidding of Mayor’s favoured business group in ‘authoritarian thuggery and bullying’. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council has been accused of being tactless, uncaring and of persecuting homeless people, after … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, Community associations, Croydon BID, North End Quarter, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Perry’s cut-price carers support provider is failing to deliver

This is what “success” looks like under Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed Mayor. It is now little more than a year since the Tory Mayor decided to end years of successful collaboration and hard work by dedicated local charities and volunteers … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Business, Carers First, Charity, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

£40m Trinity School expansion given planning green light

The council’s planning committee has given a green light to a £40million development to expand Trinity School in Shirley Park to ready the independent boys’ school to go fully co-educational by 2031. The scheme is the first major re-build since … Continue reading

Posted in Alasdair Kennedy, Business, Charity, Education, Jason Cummings, Old Palace, Planning, Schools, Shirley South, Trinity School, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Town’s oldest building opens its doors for local history month

Croydon’s oldest building is opening its gates to the public for expert guided tours, as part of local history month in May. Thousands walk past the Whitgift Almshouses in Croydon town centre every day, but few give it a second … Continue reading

Posted in History, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Whitgift Foundation puts Allison in charge of its finances

Flying Tiger is the latest retailer to join the exodus from the largely vacant Whitgift Centre, as the land-owners appoint a new CFO Becky Allison is to move into the Whitgift Foundation’s offices on George Street from June as the … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Becky Allison, Business, Care Homes, Old Palace, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Trinity School, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Britain’s biggest children’s book festival is coming to Croydon

Croydon youngsters are to be offered a free day of “bookish fun” at the Ashcroft Theatre in the summer as part of the annual London Schools Literature Festival. The Whitgift Foundation is sponsoring the day’s activities, which will be organised … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Ashcroft Theatre, Charity, Education, London Schools Literature Festival, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trinity submits planning application for £40m co-ed conversion

Less than a year after announcing the £30,000 a year fee-paying school would start offering places to girls, plans have gone in for works that will see its expansion to 1,400 pupils. By STEVEN DOWNES Plans for a £40million extension … Continue reading

Posted in Alasdair Kennedy, Business, Charity, Education, Old Palace, Planning, Schools, Trinity School, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Charity formed last October buys two Old Palace buildings

The Rise School of Excellence has paid £750,000 for two buildings on the site of the former girls’ fee-paying school, as Croydon’s biggest landowners, the Whitgift Foundation, continue to dispose of their properties. By GENE BRODIE, education correspondent The piecemeal … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, CPO, Education, Old Palace, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Serenity special school, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

All change on the High Street with another fried chicken shop

Our retailing correspondent, MT WALLETTE, on a Christmas rush with a difference – of businesses opening new premises in central Croydon Six high street businesses are locating, or re-locating, on North End, George Street and Croydon High Street, just in … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Charity, North End Quarter, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Finally! We solve the mystery of Fairfield’s vanished Steinway

Almost 10 years since it was last seen on the stage at the Fairfield Halls, Inside Croydon thinks it may have tracked down one of the council-owned arts centre’s long-lost grand pianos, which in the past was used in concerts … Continue reading

Posted in Art, BH Live, Brick by Brick, Church and religions, Croydon Council, Croydon Minster, Fairfield Halls, Music, Old Palace, Trinity School, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Nursing home residents hammer home victory at annual match

They play a mean game of croquet down at Whitgift House in South Croydon. This week the residents of the nursing home, which nestles in the grounds of the large private school, handed out a bit of a drubbing to … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Care Homes, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Health, Michael Walcott, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seth begins new term as Whitgift School’s 30th headmaster

Toby Seth this week became the 30th headmaster in Whitgift School’s 421-year history. But Seth is the fourth head at Whitgift in just eight years, a period of relative turmoil and controversy which saw his predecessor-but-one, Christopher Ramsey, depart somewhat … Continue reading

Posted in Christopher Ramsey, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Toby Seth, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Old Palace sale completed – for £2.3m less than asking price

A special school operated by Serenity will begin to operate from the historic Old Town site from next month, after the sale was sealed by Croydon’s biggest landowners for £4.7m. By GENE BRODIE, education correspondent The Whitgift Foundation last night … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, CPO, Education, Old Palace, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Serenity special school, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Another Croydon mugging as Westfield stages latest charade

There’s a public consultation about the long-delayed Westfield redevelopment of the town centre. Yes, another one. But there’s no promises of when any work will actually begin, or end. By STEVEN DOWNES After decades of broken promises and inflicting development … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Business, Centrale, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Westfield’s non-denial denials can’t mask their investment plan

More than 48 hours after trade magazine Property Week reported what Westfield had been briefing their investors about the possibility of them selling off their interests in Croydon, and there’s been not a peep from the Paris head office of … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, Croydon West, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Sarah Jones MP, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments