Surrey prep schools - would love your opinions please

[Nam3]

Hi there

I would very much welcome your opinions on Surrey prep schools - we are moving and I want to make sure I am getting it right.

I have a DD who will be sitting 7+ assessment and a DS and DD in tow (who are now young but I need to consider options for them as well with the move).

My DD will be moving from an academic prep school in London and I want to make sure that I find the right school for her. I do want a school which prepares the girls well for 11+ so she can aim high (should she turn out to be academic - I think too young to tell at 6). So far she will be sitting assessments for :

1. Guildford High Junior school (if rumours are correct on competition, not sure she will get in although I am working with her on thr weekends on for at of exams
2. Rowan Prep, Claygate
3. Halstead Prep, Woking
4. Feltonfleet (visiting next week so not sure yet about this school).

We visited Milbourne Lodge and I found it to be a boys school hence have now discarded from our shortlist. Whilst I am considering both girls only and Coed to 11/13, GHS is the only one I found which is 4-18 with good academic results etc etc.

Am I missing any other great schools to consider?

Thank you so much in advance!!

Tormead?

Thank you. How are the academics at Tormead? I have heard great things but we haven't visited the school. I would welcome your thoughts - feel free to PM me if better

Claremont Fan Court School does coed from nursery to 6th form. They're becoming increasingly more focussed on academics.

I can't speak for the prep school as mine are in secondary there, but we're v happy.

Thank you for suggesting Claremont Fan - I will look into it.

Any other suggestions gratefully received 🙏

You asked about Tormead. Worth considering. Seems to be "one to watch". Tormead Academics are also sound. Not as good as GHS though.

From Website:

2021 A-levels A*-A = 79%
2021 GCSE 9-7 = 89%

Prep school is known for being incredibly nurturing and caring. Has a good reputation for pastoral care in the area and for teaching the girls about kindness, alongside other life skills, such as confidence, social, learning from mistakes, etc.

Academically the prep does well enough that they have scrapped the entrance exam from prep-school to senior school, as they say their initial assessment on prep entry and academic focus through the prep years is good enough to get girls ready for their senior school (over the road) and achieve the headline results above. Worth noting i've known girls who couldn't get into GHS Junior school, go to Tormead Prep, and then successfully pass the entrance 11+ into GHS for year 7. So although I guess Tormead definitely doesn't want to loose the kids(!!), ironically it does prove that what they do there produces well rounded, academic enough girls... who can go anywhere.

Positives:

Only one entry stress required for your DD all the way through to sixth form, as it's is a through school and like I said, no internal 11+. Decent academic numbers at the end of GCSE and 6th Form seem to be the norm on their website. Good pastoral care rep. Same goes for all the through schools, she will gain a good selection of mates that she will carry with her through the whole school 4-18. Extracurricular offering seems to be expanding rapidly too, compared to what it was, which was pretty much just gymnastics only (although they are amazing at it). Website seems to hint at discount for second DD, I think when she is old enough, if it's right for her too... Also right next door to Lanesborough (RGS Prep) for your DS also, good for drop offs. New head seems to be making positive waves. Fees on the whole lower than the others.

Negatives:

Much smaller site than some of the others you have mentioned, less countryside fancy too, although smart enough and well thought out. Not as much historical investment in facilities as GHS, (however friends say they have just started investing in the school, inc prep, which was part done over the summer). About time as some areas were starting to look tired. Sixth form quite small, I think they go from say 100 in year 11 to 50 ish in sixth form, so loose about half to (usually) co-ed sixth forms....Although, last year my friend's daughter moved into lower sixth and there are over 60 of them. She says staying seems to be becoming more desirable,. Friend also mentioned girls seem to start at another (usually co-ed) sixth form, hate it, and then come back to Tormead after a few weeks. Think a lot of girls' schools see this happening.

Where will you be living (couldn't see if you mentioned that?) It's a big factor with traffic jams around Surrey, the villages and Guildford.

My dd went to Milbourne.

@Nam3 We're at Tormead Prep. I've posted on it before a lot, so wont bore everyone with it all again. In summary, it's academic, yet nurturing. Our DDs have come on miles academically and are becoming phenomenal young ladies in the process. We are very proud of them, and thankful to the school. Their friends are all lovely and we get on well as a parent body. If you want to feel part of a school family, and not "just drop off and go", then it's certainly an option to consider. Good luck! Rob.

PS. also ecstatic that the 11+ exam to "cross the road" to the senior school has been scrapped. I've always thought it should be, as every school should really believe in the quality of their own "product"!

Mariesky thank you so much for the detailed view on Tormead!! This is so useful and appreciate the balanced view too!!! 🙏🙏

Robberto thank you!!

OP, there is also St.Catherines Bramley to consider, they do well academically and are a country feel school. Its unfortunately attracted some bad press recently, for a number of issues, but I'm sure it will shake off soon. If you're doing the rounds, they also have a junior school, so maybe a look on one of their open days too?

Where will you be living?

My daughter has actuallt just started Tormead from a local prep. The prep was small caring and nurturing, a lovely little place, and as such we were very nervous about the daunting experience of secondary school! (Happy to share info on the prep via PM). Tormead however has been everything we've hoped over the summer holidays! She has had a wonderful first few weeks and we had our 'meet the head' evening, last week, with the other year 7 parents, which was loads of fun. Given that we did most of our admissions , tours, decisions and research online last year, we we're undoubtedly nervous, in fact we spent the whole of the summer holidays sweating over it! I am enerallt envious that you can actually get to look around these places now! My daughter is quiet, kind, not 'out there' but also a clever wee thing, she has totally fallen into place and we're chuffed.

I've said the above before, and I'm sure lots of schools are the same, but just though I'd share my experience and my name in case you want to chat about Godalming/surrey/schools etc.

Best wishes to your DS in her hunt!

Neverenoughflowers - we would relocated depending on the schools so very open as to location as long as easy /quick drive into school. If she gets into ghs - we would probably do East Side of Guildford for the quick drive (Merrow?). If Halstead - then Woking.

@Nam3, avoiding any driving to and fro across Guildford in peak times is what you need to be aiming for! Think to future proof your journey as much as possible too, as i'm sure you wont want to move house again during the growing up of your 3 kids! Merrow is nice, some decent sized houses there too. The Epsom road takes you straight into Guildford and isn't too bad, parents use all the rat runs through the estates to get to GHS, Tormead, Lanesborough and the state schools on the East side of the town centre. Picking one of those schools gets you in and out without contending with the one way (aka 'no-way') system.

On those three schools..... GHS is clearly coming across as your preferred choice, it is in fact the first choice full stop, remembering that it is a top 10 results, UK independent school. It also has the Junior School that you will need for your DD and perhaps younger DD too. being this side of town also opens up the opportunity of Tormead for both daughters (or one daughter, in case one chooses GHS and one doesn't) plus, most importantly a great option for your son, in Lanesborough (now RGS prep) from the age of 3+ with their nursery. A lot of parents with a son and daughter combo choose Tormead/GHS/Lanesborough as their school options, as they are SO close, convenient and obviously three great schools. There is also talk amongst parents that with RGS having a 3+ nursery, it would be great if Tormead did too, fingers crossed for that one (!), as that would solve a big drop-off problem for my wife and I next year!

There are obviously other combos available depending on where you live, for example around Godalming, where you'll have St Cats/Priors Field/Charterhouse/etc.

Your last message hinted at Halstead, very nice school and good reputation also, feeds the Guildford girls' schools. Are you looking for an actual prep school then, not another through school like Tormead, if you cant get into GHS?

Jase

PS. remember if you live near Halstead and your aim for DCs after it is to go to GHS/RGS/etc., then remember that journey too, just try and future proof the journey into town, with perhaps 2 kids still at Halstead whilst the other has moved on to a seniors. Loads of parents do it successfully, but choose a home location wisely. Best of luck!

Where do you want your boy to go?
Logistics are a nightmare for 2 schools and pick ups I do it daily - I wouldn’t recommend it even a couple of miles takes ages .... try and get 2 schools close (even on the same side of town would be better) as even under 3 miles can take 40 mins with rubbish traffic....
Depends if you need to travel into London Woking has the better more frequent trains at night time .... but no senior schools in Woking

OP, agree with all above, the logistics are not to be sniffed at! We're blessed with some lovely schools dotted all over, so you've got plenty of choice. I know Rowan and it's a good school, they had a 'senior school evening' the other night for parents to meet the senior schools locally, was a good evening where they all cam to show off their wears! The prep schools like Rowan, Halstead (nice, slightly more academic), Rydes Hill (really lovely and nurturing, slightly less academic), etc. etc. in surrey are all very much geared up to feeding into the four main girls' schools in Guildford, plus various co-eds dotted on the periphery. In fact you'll see from their websites that they advertise the number of kids they got into the tops schools, plus the number of scholarships, etc.

GHS obviously a great option, most parents aspire to it, and do give it a go. Not always suited to every DD though.

I see someone mentioned St.Catherines, and with a heavy heart I offer a (my personal view only) word of warning at the moment. A close friend of the family, through my husband's practice, sends their daughter there. They describe it as having "lost sight of reality" and incidents of girls pushing boundaries (various inappropriate behaviour(s)) are almost celebrated as demonstrations of their ability to create "strong women", willing to push back. Not sure what is going on, it was always lovely and I know first hand that the majority of girls there are, but these types of stories are coming in thick ad fast right now - school leadership needs to get a lid on it.

Good luck!!

Have you considered Coworth Flexlands? Girls from there go onto a number of excellent senior schools.

They also take boys until year 2 so worth thinking about for DS too. Boys tend to go to Woodcote afterwards.

@JasonRules thanks so much for all the tips! Yes, we need to consider location carefully. If it is Ghs / Rgs prep then east side of Guildford looks like a good solution. If it is Halstead in Woking then what would be a wise location for a Ghs later on to avoid a house relocation?

@Ilovechoc12 in my ideal world (which could be totally flawed 😂), girls will go to ghs and boy to rgs. However if we are not successful at 7+ for ghs I will probably opt for Halstead in Woking and then sit 11+ again for ghs. With 3 children and a very full on full time job, I need the simplest of drops offs/pick ups possible 😊🙏

@Moppetsgalore thanks so much for your comment!! Yes I heard about St cats not getting a few things right recently.

Given your knowledge of Halstead and Rowan Prep, how would you differentiate the schools please? I can so they each send around 10 girls a year to ghs at 11+ so academically must be on par. I would appreciate your views please on these. 🙏

@anonymouse No we hadn't, but I will look into it. Thank you!!

Does anyone have any experience of Feltonfleet? It is Coed so all 3 children could go there which would make our lives relatively easy from drop off / pick up point of view!!

Just remembered : lanesborough boys are allowed to share the Tormead school coach from Esher/Claygate.

Having had experience with a couple of prep schools in the area, Halstead prepare their girls very well. I think 9 got into GHS and 2 to LEH. Woking is quite good as it's within easy travel to most of the Surrey schools.