Moving to Surrey - best secondary schools

[APM1999]

Hi Mums... we will move to Surrey this summer and I need to find my daughters a good secondary school, preferably a state school. We’re expats at the moment and I do not know Surrey at all. I’ve been told that good secondary schools would be oversubscribed. We need to be around 30 mins driving distance from Leatherhead but other than that we are fairly flexible about location. We are happy to rent to begin with so I am thinking this could give us an advantage when it comes to schools. The idea is to find a school with places and then rent nearby and hope for the best!!! Do you think schools will be helpful? What would your advice be on school hunting? I have read other forums but mostly they were old. Any advice on good places to live would also be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

What ages and whats your rental budget? If any school has a vacancy they have to offer a place. Problem is the popular ones wont have spaces, and however close you live, they wont magic up a space.

Good schools - George Abbott, Howard, St andrews in Leatherhead, Ashcombe dorking, roseberry girls epsom.

Another option in Leatherhead is Therfield. I know someone with a DC there and they are very pleased with their progress and the quality of the teaching. There is a newish (2 1/2 Years?) Head who is driving good improvements. I think it has an Ofsted Good rating. Not traditionally as popular or such high results as St Andrews, but more likely to have a place.

My daughters are 13 and 14.5. Years 8 and 10 at the moment. We’re facing an additional challenge of the older one most possibly having to repeat year 10. Rental budget around 2.5-3k. I’ll look into the schools you’ve mentioned and start calling them I guess!!! Thanks very much...

I would check with the local authority first re repeating a year - it's not always possible to get a place in a different age cohort.

Yeah Surrey cc unlikely to allow a repeat of year 10 (many schools also start GCSEs in year 9). Private?

14.5 is a difficult time to join a UK school. Independent schools are possibly more likely to be open to repeating a school year.

If it were me, I'd rent somewhere cheap and put the money I saved towards school fees. Good luck.

Have you considered Horsham, cheaper property, nice town centre and a 25 minute commute to Leatherhead up A24 or rail . Schools very good. Or Dorking - Ashcombe (part of same group as Therfield) or Priory. Your issue will be that popular schools may not have In Year spaces, wherever you look.

We are currently in Dubai and girls are going to a British curriculum school where GCSEs are done in year 10 and 11. 2 independent schools I contacted in Worcester (we had a different plan at the time) said they can’t take her in year 11 as she can’t start the GCSE course half way through and they said she would need to repeat year 10. I’ll need to find out more about this, clearly. I’ll look into Horsham and Dorking, already on my list. I am planning to call some schools for advice and availability. Hope they’ll be kind to us as we are quite clueless. Appreciate all the advice here.

I have known George Abbot be forced by the LA (Surrey County Council) to take a pupil at the start of year 11, and manage to get them through 5 GCSEs in one year, And then they could start sixth form.
Could you move sooner? ASAP really?
Some of these schools are running 3 year GCSE courses, so there could be a lot of catching up.
I would find out which IGCSE courses your eldest is following and what are the syllabuses like? How do they compared with GCSE?

Basically there are unlikely to be spaces. Move where there are a few schools (eg Guildford, Leatherhead, Dorking or villages) and then the LA will have to find you places and you can appeal. For your oldest if the syllabuses followed are close to those she has been following, that might help.
Or could you HE for a year? There are lots of home edders around, who could help with exam venues etc.

Lots of indie schools still do IGCSEs in some subjects and I would second considering that for your older dd for one year or so. The sixth forms often have no catchment areas so less of an issue.

With your budget I am sure you could find something to rent in Bookham if Howard had spaces. Or Merrow for George Abbot. Both great schools and as bigger may have more timetable flexibility to accommodate GCSEs your dd wants to do. Good luck !

It’s not helping that dd is taking psychology which is not offered by many schools. I’ve decided to do a short list and basically get on the phone to schools. Thanks to everyone for their support.

You may have to accept that she can't continue with all her gcses or you organise tutoring privately. Box Hill or St Johns LH might take her mid course if you can afford it and think they still offer igcses. Might not be same board or topics though.

I don't think you can apply to a state school without a UK address? Might be wrong...

Independent schools probably have more freedom to get her to repeat a year. State schools may not.

Psychology is offered at A'level but not at any schools locally at GCSE. If she could study independently and the school uses that exam board then they might let her sit it privately. Not doing GCSE psychology won't affect any careers long term.

I'd agree with Bekabeech - could she drop that GCSE? She could pick it up at A level, potentially, but seeking it will restrict your search a lot.

I don't think you even need psychology A level for a degree in psychology, so it's an easy one to drop.

We’re not worried about psychology. Can she drop it just like that? Great! Now we are looking at maybe moving earlier. Maybe ASAP or in summer term. I wrote to schools’ admissions. departments and to the Surrey council. We will travel to the UK to see schools in a few weeks. Yes I know we don’t have an address but once we find a school we can rent in a couple of days. I am hoping schools and council will be understanding.

It is unlikely to work like that. Unfortunately without an address in UK , even if you move a short while later, you may not be able to apply for a state school. If a school has a space and no waiting list at the time you can apply they have to offer it. Horsham is just in West Sussex so might be worth contacting LA there too.

I might be wrong but seem to remember Box Hill offer overseas students a 1 year gcse program as preparation for IB/A levels. Might be worth looking at for your year 10. Depends on finances of course but might be worth exploring

LIZL I’m talking a couple of days between a school letting us know they have a place and us renting a place. We are already looking at rental properties, doing some research. We will need a lot of organizing and LOADS of luck on our side!!! But I already know more than I did 2 days ago!!

timeforsomethingnew- thanks for Box Hill suggestion. I called they do have a have a international studies centre and offer a one year program. I need to read more about it and try to understand the quality of education they provide. The program is for international students whose first language is not English. It sounds like an interesting solution!

How many GCSEs is she doing? Her new school may have a minimum number in mind but as long as dropping psychology still gives her enough, it shouldn't be an issue.

And the earlier you can move the better, I would think.

If you want state schools, both The Howard in Effingham and Ashcombe in Dorking have good reputations.