Schools between Guildford and Leatherhead:Up-to-date info on St Bede's, Send, Ripley Primary and The Dawnay, Bookham

[ConfusedofHerneHill]

Hi all
We are moving to Surrey in the summer holidays, and looking for a year three place for my son from September, and a year six place for my daughter.
We are renting in East Horsley from end July/ early August (so originally heading the Howard of Effingham route for secondary school application for my daughter in October), though this has been complicated by the fact that we have also put in an offer to buy a house in West Clandon (and therefore may end up going the George Abbot route).
Today we heard from Surrey CC re the schools that they can offer places at:
The Raleigh school in Horsley has no current spaces, though we have been put on the waiting list. Eastwick in Bookham has a space for my daughter in next year's year 6, but not my son. St Bede's in Send, Ripley Primary, and the Dawnay in Bookham have spaces for both children, but all three have "requires improvement Ofsted reports", the latter two in the past few months. I know Ofsted is not the be all and end all, but when you have little local knowledge, the Ofsted reports tend to loom large.
I had a quick tour of St Bede's (two lovely year six boys showed me round, then a chat with the newish headmistress who seemed pretty on the ball) then Ripley Primary (probably liked it slightly less, though can't put my finger on why.) Have yet to make it to the Dawnay.
It would be really helpful to have some detail on these schools from anyone who knows some up-to-date info.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I should say that my son has been for an assessment at Cranmore today, and my daughter for a taster day at St Teresa's (yet to hear back from them, but she has been offered a place at Manor House). It would be a stretch for us, but we could just about manage private school fees, with some fairly swingeing lifestyle cuts.
AAAARGH!, just aaaargh....

Education is about far more than just exam results. I know both schools and both existing and ex-pupils.

The ethos, education and facilities at the schools doesn't compare. Working class disease? There are working class girls at GHS on bursaries.

GA may be perceived as the best of the state options for the area (thanks to its affluent catchment), but in GHS league?? I think you're deluding yourself if you believe that.

Not every child is Oxbridge or even University material. I have also known children who at 11 were "nothing special" but at 18 went to Oxbridge from GA and other State schools. On the other hand I have also seen girls really bloom at GHS, but I have also seen girls go through GHS, gone to Oxbridge and then discovered the career path was the wrong one for them and had to change direction (maybe GA would have given the an opportunity to find their real passion).

Different schools may suit different children.

The OP wasn't even talking about GHS though, she was looking at St Theresa's or Manor House.

I am sending my DD to St Teresa prep this year and I believe it is a good school for a gentle girl in a very early schooling stage. DD is a very advanced girl who is going one year ahead of her peers. We think she will thrive and develop more at a class of 10 in St Teresa rather than going into selective school at this stage. We will also try GHS along the way a bit later. Although, we are in early stage in prep - we would choose any of these (GHS, St Cath's, Tormead, St Teresa's) over GA although we are in catchment area for GA. And, yes, at the same time our income is that of working class not middle one.