A Croydon school has become the first ever to achieve ‘world class’ status in the borough – and is now ranked as one of only 34 in the country with the prestigious title.

Coloma Convent Girls’ School was awarded the World Class Schools Quality Mark (WCSQM), which is awarded to schools that go beyond Ofsted’s ‘Outstanding’ rating, last month.

The school, in Upper Shirley Road, is one of the borough’s most oversubscribed schools.

Deputy head teacher, Anne-Marie Stott, said: “We are extremely proud of all our students in the achievement of this World Class Schools Status, particularly as Coloma is one of just 34 schools in the country to have received this prestigious award.

“We know success is a team effort at Coloma and we would like to thank all our staff, governors, parents and friends of Coloma for the continued support they give to our students. 

"We are delighted that these achievements have culminated in us attaining with this prestigious status mark.”

Coloma was initially assessed by inspectors reviewing the school’s prior performance data and results.

And a team of student ambassadors undertook a full audit of the school, finding examples to meet the quality standards, which were commended highly by the assessors.

Three student ambassadors then attended a final assessment day in North London, where they were asked to demonstrate teamwork and organisation skills of an advanced level.

Their final video on how Coloma embodies the World Class Standards was played at the awards ceremony, held at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Queen Mary University London.

Announcing the awards, Miranda Perry, co-director of WCSQM said: “The Mark is about recognising how well the top secondary schools in the country prepare their students to thrive in the 21st century.

“We are confident that our awarded schools provide their students with the best life chances possible.”

She added: “The award’s uniqueness lies in the fact that the students are assessed with regard to whether they are World Class or not, rather than the school itself.

“WCSQM believe that if the school is truly World Class, then its students should be able to demonstrate this in whatever context they find themselves.”

The head teacher of the school, who has led Coloma since 1995, is now “taking a break”, a spokeswoman for the school has confirmed.

Maureen Martin OBE also received an honour from the Queen in the New Year’s Honours list at the start of this year.