Help! Finding a Secondary school near Guildford

[JB0723]

Hi, We are moving to the UK from Australia in June/July to Guildford (husbands work) and my daughter will be going into Year 10. From what I can see the schools will be offering admissions places in a week so I can imagine schools like George Abbott and other state schools probably wont be an option. That leaves me with private co-ed schools nearby. Can anyone please recommend any and or websites that may help me navigate to find a list I can start with? Am feeling completely lost. Many thanks

For year 10 there won't be an allocation next week, that is for year 7 in September. If there is a space in year 10 in a state school when you apply it would have to be offered to you (check with Surrey County Council but you would need proof of a local address before they will consider an application) . Depending which area you live, you could consider Howard of Effingham , Ashcombe in Dorking et al which are outside Guildford. However Year 10 is a really tricky time to move though as gcse courses will already be underway.

Guildford is slightly unusual in having mainly single sex private schools (Tormead, Guildford High, St Catherine's Bramley) all with highly competitive entry. Cranleigh, St Johns Leatherhead , Box Hill and Frensham Heights are coed but not so close if you live in Guildford itself. You need to research if any of those have an ethos which would suit your dd. Also £££ and availability of space.

Priors Field is a less academically selective girls private school , which might be worth checking out.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! Some great info there that I can follow up with :-)

I have girls at Tormead. I'm pretty sure that they would have space. Might be a hard starting time as it's the middle of first year of GCSEs. It's academic but not as much as you might think.

My son is at George Abbot, we really like the school and as somebody said allocation day is only for year 7, in other year groups it will depend on whether or not there are places.

Year 10 is a tough year to start as GCSE courses will already have begun (GCSE courses begin in year nine I believe at GA although my son is only in year 7 so not entirely sure). Saying that, you are likely to have that in most schools so depending on your financial situation, choosing state and then tutoring a bit in year 10 might be worthwhile.

George Abbot, Guildford County, St Peters (catholic) or Howard of Effingham (bit further out) would be my Guildford picks. The girls independent schools are all good.

I have heard lovely things about Tormead, I am worried now as I didn't realise they start the GCSEs in year 9 :s

Thanks Helenwilson, it helps so much to have some local knowledge from those in the area. I will look at all the schools you mentioned and I think I will start contacting them all and go from there. Having read the comments and now understanding that my daughter is going to be on the back foot a little, gives us a better understanding of what we will need to do. getting a tutor sounds like an excellent idea :-) Thank you x

Just wondering how you are getting on? Whichever school you choose they'll be able to give you the previous syllabus so your daughter can see if there's an topics that she's not yet been taught. She maybe able to look at any gaps over the summer hols. My daughter has found that she has covered some topics in science & maths that her current school hasn't and others that she hasn't covered previously and her current school has but she just says so and is given the info.