John Whitgift Foundation has completed the sale of two buildings on the site of the former Old Palace of John Whitgift School in Croydon.
RISE School of Excellence, an independent educational charity, has bought the Swimming Pool and Jubilee Buildings on Church Road for £750,000.
A spokesperson for RISE said, “The RISE team are thrilled to have completed the purchase of these two buildings and looks forward to announcing their plans for the site soon.”
Roisha Hughes, Chief Executive of John Whitgift Foundation, said: “It’s pleasing to have completed on a third sale of the properties that comprised Old Palace School, and I am delighted that these buildings are being put to good use by a range of community and educational organisations working within our community. We wish them all well.”
Previous sales
Sales of several other buildings on the Old Palace site were completed last year.
In February 2025, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) completed the purchase of the Old Palace nursery and prep school site on Melville Avenue. The international, community-based Hindu fellowship plans to refurbish and repurpose the facilities for both academic and community use.
In August 2025, the Great Hall, Old Palace, Science Block, and Cathedral Building were sold to Curwen Group, a private entity, which leases the site to Serenity Education Group Ltd for the purpose of operating a special educational needs school. The school opened in September 2025.
Proceeds support education
The Foundation is under a duty to follow guidance from property advisors to achieve appropriate value from any sale of property. Proceeds from all three sales will go to the Foundation’s education covenant, which enables the provision of its charitable objective of delivering education in Croydon.
Global property consultancy Knight Frank acted on behalf of the John Whitgift Foundation.
Emma Cleugh, Head of Education & Charities at Knight Frank, said: “We are very pleased to have supported our client in the latest transaction on the Old Palace site. This third sale marks another important milestone in securing long-term, sustainable uses for these much-loved buildings. It is encouraging to see organisations such as RISE investing in facilities that will continue to serve young people and the wider community. We are proud to play a part in helping the Foundation reinvest in its educational mission for Croydon.”
