Howard is a two-form community School of 420 pupils whose ages range from 4 - 11 years, maintained by Croydon Council. The main school building was completed in 1897, and was formally opened on the 25th of April 1898. It is, therefore, one of the oldest school buildings still in use in Croydon. The school was originally called The Dering Place Board School and was made up of two separate departments, one for infants and the other for children above infant age. These departments were amalgamated in 1924 and in September 1930 the school name was altered to "The Howard" when it became an Infant and Junior Mixed School under the direction of Croydon Council.

The school is named after Lord Howard of Effingham (1536 -1624) who once owned the land on which the school is built. Howard was Lord High Admiral to Queen Elizabeth I during the time of the Spanish Armada which explains why the school emblem is an Elizabethan Man of War under full sail. The Latin word Paratus on which the badge sits, stands for `being prepared'. 

The school hall and former administration block were added in 1937 and during the Second World War served as a fire station. From 1951 - 1975, the Infant Department was housed in a large house on the site of No 5, Nottingham Road, but when the building was condemned as unsafe, the Infant Department was moved back into the main building. The house was demolished and the area now serves as a car park.

The school building was extended in 2002 with a new three storey block comprising of three classrooms. A further expansion  to accommodate the school moving from one form to two forms of entry took place in 2014. This comprised of a new entrance and school office and a new block housing reception, key stage 1 and year 3.

The main school entrance is located at the end of Dering Place and this is where all visitors should first report to the main office. Wrap around care is available on site via an independent childcare provider, Sherwood, who provide both  breakfast and after school clubs to our pupils.

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