Woking Surrey private secondary schools

[KellyIS]

Hi all, would appreciate comments and recommendations on the few private secondary schools in Woking area. Thanks in advance for your kind sharing!

Which ones in particular are you interested in? Single sex/coed? Willing to travel? Etc

PS there is only actually one in Woking and it is new (Hoe Bridge is expanding from year 8 finish up to year 11)

Oh yes you are right! I am checking for my niece and she is 13 already ... I wonder which options near Woking will be available for her.

Notre Dame
Sir William Perkins
St George's College
Guildford High
Tormead
Claremont Fan Court
Prior's Field

Think these all have buses from the Woking area or you can get there on the train (but you would need to check)

Thank you so much for the information. Do you know any of them have good/ bad reputation?

Add Farnborough Hill, which is easily accessible by train

It really depends on what type of school would suit your niece. Is she very academic? Sporty? Musical? All schools listed are good for the right child.

If you want a year 9 place in Sept 23 you need to ring round and find out when the entrance exam is, for many of the schools it will be in the coming weeks. If it's a Year 10 place in 2023 some of the schools don't take anyone in at that entry point.

Awesome information thanks so much. I will discuss with my sister and guess she needs to do some homework and discuss with her daughter. Will involve visa coming from overseas too.

Does she need a boarding place if she’s coming from overseas? That limits your choices significantly. Of the list you’ve been given above, only Prior’s Field has boarding as far as I know. Missing from the list is St Catherine’s in Bramley, which is also good and has boarding provision, although I know they are pretty full on the boarding side. There’s a bus from Woking or you can get the train.

Our plan is she can just live with me in Woking. It's a big difference in terms of the required expenses to be on a boarding school. So much to sort out.

@KellyIS , the visa will be the issue. You need to have the visa in place before you start making plans. Registering a dc at a private school involves paying a deposit and once she has sat an exam and passed and been offered a place (with visa being shown) you then pay a non refundable deposit and you then agree to pay the first terms fees. The schools can fill their places without the hassle of a dc without a visa etc.

She might end up in a state school!

All the independents are generally rammed and massive waiting lists - unless you go to a crap one. Too many kids and your competition is the London kids as these buses travel miles …..

@Ilovechoc12 , if the dd doesn't live with her parents in the U.K. I don't think she can get a state school place. The visa to be educated in the U.K. not linked to a parents employment visa is the issue.

I would actually suggest getting in touch with St Catherine's Bramley and Prior's Field. I know you don't need a boarding place but as they are boarding schools they are used to having overseas pupils, so they may well be able to point you in the right direction and give some advice re: visas etc. St Catherine's is more traditional and academic, whereas Prior's Field is more nurturing and has good value added.

Thank you all!
She will just come by herself with student visa and I guess she cannot enter a state school anyway? Good suggestion to contact the independent schools for some advice on the actual procedures to make it work.

A couple of years ago, but DD at Tormead had international joiners in Year 8 and Year 9. I don't know Visa status, but obviously it was doable.