@daysem, @sophmcc51, I looked around Surbiton for my DD (went in year 5 so pre-pandemic) and really liked it. They seem super good with the pastoral side of things and the extra-curricular offerings are the best I’ve seen. DD spent ages going through the clubs catalogue finding things she wanted to do.
The reasons why it wasn’t our first choice are mainly that I didn’t like that it has a major road running through the middle of the campus. Unlike other schools you don’t get that “bubble” feel because the buildings are spread out on either side of the road. I also worry that the intake is large. I think they have 160 in a year which is massive. But I have friends with DD there who say it’s a benefit because you can always find like-minded friends and everybody finds their ‘gang’. And then though they year group is large the class sizes are comparable to other indies in the area.
In general though I really liked it. It was DD’s second choice after LEH (which we’ve accepted) because she loved all the pre-exam zoom taster sessions they did. I think they did give a really good feel for the place. They have obviously worked incredibly hard on making their selection process as child- friendly as possible in these unusual circumstances, and I think that speaks to their focus on the pastoral and well-being side.
I have several friends with DD there and they absolutely rave about it. Oh, and the art department is far and away the best I’ve seen. Not sure if that’s of interest to your DD but it’s a huge lofted space at the top of the school and it’s messy creative heaven which just made me want to sit down and pick up a pencil and get stuck in.