Saint Andrew’s school was opened in the summer of 1861 by Reverend Fitzroy John Fitzwygram, initially in rented rooms behind St Andrew’s Church in Lower Coombe Street and next to the Surrey Cricketers public house. His intention was to provide education for the working class. He raised over half of the £110 (about £5000 in today’s money) required to convert the room and set it up as a school – either out of his own pocket or from his close family. He campaigned enthusiastically in the local press for funds to complete the building and by Nov 1861 a site for a purpose built school had been secured between Old Town and Church Road, very close to the Church. Within a year, the school rooms were completed and formally opened at the beginning of December, 1862.
The new permanent building provided for both boys and girls, as well as a infants schools, and were opened in Southbridge Road. However, the Whitgift school foundation opened a Whitgift Poor School for boys nearby, which later became known as Trinity School of John Whitgift, and in the summer of 1864 the boys school closed owing to lack of numbers. The girls’ school expanded into the vacated buildings.
Nearly 30 years later, in 1893, the Whitgift Poor School changed its focus, and became an aspirational school for the middle classes. Funding was therefore sought to re-open the Saint Andrew’s boys school. At the same time, inspectors found the other buildings to be too small and so the whole school was rebuilt.
In 1927 the school was reorganised as a single school for the first time. Enrolment increased and education was provided from infants to age 11 in a single school. Within five years the school had to be rebuilt and enlarged to accommodate the numbers, and the offering was extended up to age 14. The Archbishop of Canterbury opened the new school on 28 April 1934. At the time Croydon was still part of the diocese of Canterbury.
Schooling was reorganised in 1951. Primary education was removed from Saint Andrew’s and provided in nearby church Primary Schools. Saint Andrew’s was then converted to become a Secondary Modern School.
In 1964 the Croydon Flyover was constructed, necessitating the demolition of the school, so once again a new building was constructed, this time on Warrington Road on Duppas Hill.
The Duppas Hill buildings were expanded in the 21st century to provide a sixth form for the first time and school enrollment was more than doubled from the 300 mark it had been to some 690 pupils.