The Trinity School of John Whitgift, also known as Trinity School, is an independent day school with a co-educational Sixth Form, located in Shirley Park, Croydon. In April 2025, Trinity announced it would become fully co-educational, welcoming girls into Year 6 and Year 7 (10+, 11+) in September 2027.
Part of the Whitgift Foundation, it was established in 1882 as Whitgift Middle School and was a direct grant grammar school from 1945 until 1968, when it left the scheme. The present name was adopted in 1954, to avoid confusion with Whitgift School. The school's head is now a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC).
The school's first home was in Church Road, central Croydon, and then from 1931 to 1965 it was at North End, Croydon, in the old premises of Whitgift School, which moved to Haling Park, South Croydon. The "romantic Gothic towers and verdant lawns" at North End, a building of historical significance, dominated the area, but in 1968 the whole edifice was torn down for redevelopment, despite public opposition. Today, the Whitgift Centre stands on the site, in a modernist contrast to the old building.
The school was built in 1965 on the site of the former Shirley Park Hotel.
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History
The school is part of the Whitgift Foundation, alongside Whitgift School and the Old Palace School for Girls. The Whitgift Foundation was founded in 1596 by John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury. His legacy allows the School to provide facilities and a range of bursaries and scholarships.
Trinity School was founded in 1882 as Whitgift Middle School. Its original site was in Church Road in central Croydon, occupying the modest buildings of the Croydon Poor School which dated from 1858. In 1931 it moved to its second site in North End in Croydon. After years of confusion with Whitgift School, in 1954 Whitgift Middle School was renamed Trinity School of John Whitgift. However the school's Old Boys' Club was still known as the Old Mid-Whitgiftians until early 2010, when a vote was taken to change the name to the Trinity Mid-Whitgiftian Association.
The school was a direct grant grammar school from 1945 until 1968, when it left the scheme but continued to take LEA-funded pupils until the late 1970s.
Trinity School moved to its present and third home in Shirley in 1965, built on the site of the Shirley Park Hotel, which itself was a redevelopment of a large Georgian house called Shirley House, built in 1720, once a home of the third Earl of Eldon.
The school today
Many of Trinity's students come from local schools and join aged 10 or 11, but there is also a large intake of prep school students at 10, 11 and 13+. Around 70 girls join the Sixth Form each year.
As part of its move to become fully co-education, Trinity School is expanding gradually from 1,050 students to 1,400 by 2031. This transition is being supported by a £40m investment by the John Whitgift Foundation in new facilities that benefit every student. This includes improved sports facilities, an expanded dining room, new performance space, new classrooms and a new Sixth Form Centre - all surrounded by green social spaces for students to enjoy.
A traditional curriculum is studied by all students, with optional subjects at GCSE such as Mandarin Chinese becoming more popular.
The school has a co-educational Sixth Form, a feature that was implemented in September 2011. For this change, a new state-of-the-art Sixth Form Centre was built, and opened by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
Trinity has enjoyed regional and national success in its main school sports of rugby union, field hockey, cricket, and water polo, and also in other sports as diverse as swimming, athletics, and squash. The school has a climbing wall, two large astro-turf pitches and four hard tennis courts, along with pitches for rugby, cricket, soccer, and athletics, as well as the school's nearby sports field, Sandilands, and an indoor sports centre, with two large halls, several squash courts, a gymnasium, and an accompanying weights-room.
The school offers over 100 clubs and societies. The school’s music facilities include a recording suite and a dedicated choir room. Trinity became the first All Steinway School in London in 2012 and has 25 pianos, including two model D concert grand pianos and five other grand pianos.
The school has extensive musical facilities with over 25 fully-soundproof practice pods fitted with Steinway pianos, and regularly hosts both external and internal musical competitions such as the Coulsdon and Purley Festival and the Trinity Musician of the Year (TMOTY).
Trinity Boys Choir
Trinity Boys Choir, led for many years by David Squibb, is well known for its outstanding musical achievements, especially through its choristers under the direction of Director of Music, David Swinson, and now Nicholas Mulroy, a professional tenor.
Headmasters
The current headmaster is Alastair Kennedy, previously Deputy Master at Dulwich College, who joined the school in September 2016 on the retirement of Mark Bishop.
From 1882 to present
1882–1908: William Ingrams
1905–1919: Rev G A Jones
1919–1951: Horace Clayton
1952–1972: Oliver Berthoud
1972–1994: Robin Wilson
1995–1999: Barnaby Lenon
1999–2006: Christopher Tarrant
2006–2016: Mark Bishop
2016–Present: Alasdair Kennedy
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) at Trinity consists of the three sections (Army, RAF and RN). Pupils have the opportunity of joining the CCF in the Spring Term of the Third Form and the minimum length of service is four terms. Cadets then follow a common recruits' syllabus for two terms before choosing which of the three sections they wish to join. At the end of the Summer Term all cadets have the option to attend a UK Central Camp.
Notable alumni
Former pupils of Trinity School of John Whitgift are known as Old Mid Whitgiftians.
Arts
Andrew Barnabas, video game music composer
John Bishop (1931-2000), publisher
Dane Bowers, former singer from band Another Level
Stephen Bryant, violinist, leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Ken Burton, composer and conductor
Malcolm Douglas, illustrator
William Gao, actor, musician
Andrew Gowers, former editor of the Financial Times
Stanley William Hayter, painter and print-maker
Thomas Igloi, cellist
E G Handel Lucas (1861-1936), artist
Karl Lutchmayer, pianist
Alexander Molony, actor
Mark Porter, designer
David Scarboro, actor
Colin Sell, pianist
Malcolm Sinclair, stage and television actor
Business
Stephen Haddrill, former Director General of ABI and former CEO of the FRC
Ian Marchant, former CEO of SSE plc, chair of Thames Water
Military
Correlli Barnett, military historian
Sir John Stacey, Air Chief Marshal, Royal Air Force
Paul Godfrey, Air Marshal, United Kingdom Space Command
Politics and public service
Sir Matthew D. Baggott, Chief Constable of Northern Ireland
Gavin Barwell, Baron Barwell, Member of Parliament for Croydon Central (2010–17), Assistant Whip to the Conservative Party; Downing Street Chief of Staff (2017–19) and Lord Temporal.
Jack Dunnett, former Member of Parliament (1964–83) for Nottingham Central and then Nottingham East
Andrew Pelling, politician, former MP for Croydon Central (2005–2010)
Daniel Zeichner, politician, Member of Parliament for Cambridge (2015–)
Science
Ross John Angel, mineralogist
Tim Broyd, civil engineer
Ian Craib, sociologist
Laurence D. Marks, material scientist
Geoff Smith, mathematician
Mike Stroud, doctor, adventurer and educator
Nicholas Wareham, epidemiologist
Sports
Gary Butcher, former Surrey and Glamorgan cricketer
Mark Butcher, former England and Surrey cricketer
George Chuter, England rugby union player
Alex Codling, former England rugby union Player
Lucas Friday, rugby union player
Lewis Grabban, Nottingham Forest F.C. striker
Sean King, Olympic Water Polo player
Imani-Lara Lansiquot, GB sprinter, Olympic silver medalist
Scott Newman, Surrey cricketer
Richard Nowell, former Surrey cricketer
Geoffrey Paish, English Davis Cup tennis star
Kieran Roche, rugby union player
Shane Roiser, rugby union player
Ian Watmore, former Chief Executive, FA (The Football Association) and First Civil Service Commissioner
Gabriel Ibitoye, England rugby union player
Oliver Scarles, English professional footballer
Kira Chathli, English cricketer
Other
Jeremy Sheehy, Anglican priest and academic
Notable ex staff members
Laurie Fishlock, cricketer
Phil Keith-Roach, forwards Rugby coach with England 2003 World Cup winners
Barnaby Lenon, former headmaster of Harrow School
Peter Smith, union leader
David Squibb, director of music
Ian Salisbury, cricketer
Ali Brown, cricketer