Secondary Schools (private or state) in/around Surbiton, Esher or Weybridge

[SarahDubai]

Hi All, we are a British expat family moving back to the UK this Summer. We will be living in either Surbiton, Esher or Weybridge.

We have 2DS. Looking for secondary schools for them for Year 9 and Year 10 in September 2024. Both are kind & polite boys. Academically both achieving decent grades. My Year 9 is v good at football, the other one is not as sporty!

I’ve looked at State School options which we can only apply to once we have settled in Surrey. More importantly, all the good schools are oversubscribed (eg Hinchley Wood, Esher High, Heathside School and Cobham Free).

We have applied to St George’s College and Claremont Fan School.
However, both are currently full. Considering applying to Hampton Court House School as it seems friendly and my boys like the idea of no uniform! Any feedback on this school? Or Radnor/Kneller House?

Also considering ACS in Egham, I know it’s IB and not in Surrey! I visited the ACS in Esher but found the classrooms and labs were pretty old/dark considering the high fees! Also, not sure if the IB diploma is currently recognised by the majority of UK Universities. I’m sure in time it will become more popular.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Thanks in Advance.
Sarah :)

@SarahDubai , it sounds like you are on the right track, a Year 10 place is hard to come by and if CFC and St George's are full your options are as you have indicated HCH and Radnor (also you could try Ewell Castle). No one knows when Radnor will move to the Kneller Hall site (it's in the hands of the very very slow moving Richmond planning dept). HCH is a marmite school, you have to visit to understand the ethos.
For your year 10 dc, if you live in the postcode for the Esher College admissions policy they will get a place at Esher College for 6th form for A levels (state).

I wouldn't discount ACS if you want stability but as you say it's expensive (and it would be difficult to go from ACS IB to Esher College for A levels).

Many schools are very full at the moment. You could try Reeds, St Johns or Epsom College as well as they aren't too much further out from you and all have school buses. They aren't quite in your neck of the woods but if your DS is genuinely very good at football these sporty schools may take a look at him (and possibly take your younger son) because they're always on the lookout for very good sports people.

The fees are very high though unfortunately but the schools generally have very good feedback from parents/happy kids.

The year 9 spaces for Sept 24 at those schools are full from the admissions process started when the dc were in year 6 and ended last Friday. For a year 10 space you are dependent on someone leaving and your dc then passing an exam and beating the other candidates.

Maybe Halliford? I think they do football.

Halliford do football and may have a place for year 9 - not sure about year 10 though. Plenty of boys get the school bus in from weybridge and esher

Halliford is a great option for what you've described. I imagine all independents will quickly 'find' more places once Labour get in but St George's has a very different vibe to Halliford and Claremont I'd say is in the middle of the two. All the top state schools will be oversubscribed but if you move within catchment there is also a lot of movement. Salesians in Chertsey has great rep if you fit the religious criteria and Hoe Valley in Woking too.

Halliford has a 13 plus year 9 admissions procedure, the places have been offered and WL created for Sept 24.
Year 10 will be dependent on someone leaving.

Ewell Castle, Hampton Court House and Radnor House plus ACS are the local private schools with places (because they aren't full or have a transient pupil population). Further afield you have Downsend and Cranmore (new senior school). Further into London, Fulham School.

Good advice here so not much to add save for Thomas' school now has a secondary which will have spaces as recently opened. Although I don't know if it has gone to Y10 yet. Currently in Roehampton but is due to move to American College old site in Richmond nr Richmond Hill. If you were considering Radnor, you may want to consider this option too.

It is a terms notice to withdraw from St George's and I'd assume most independent schools so you may have something open up for a September start date over the Easter holidays 👍

Thanks for your feedback. I will consider both HCH & Radnor. Particularly, as there seems to be availability in HCH….though the school is v small!

Thanks. Haven’t heard of Thomas’ School. Will take a look. Thanks

Thanks for the info. I’ve emailed Reeds & Epsom College, both are full!
will have a look at St John’s :)

It’s definitely v competitive now!
Thanks

@Divonne , it's competitive for the schools that are full because they are so good, they have large transport networks so can attract from a wide area and locally the state secondary offering isn't always great. If you were moving to somewhere like the south coast with Bede's and Eastbourne College you wouldn't have this problem. Same if you went into Hampshire, you could try Bedales and Churchers College but if you are sticking with around Esher HCH maybe the answer.

@Divonne , @SarahDubai , another option is LSV Ascot, they have a school bus route from Richmond that stops at the Sainsburys on the A316 if you would consider moving to Hampton/ Sunbury. Also St James's Ashford but they are more likely to be full.

Unfortunately you're coming in mid-way through the system into two of the year groups at the end of a bulge.

I'd think they pinning your hopes on state school places for Y10 (in particular) and Y9 when you have no leeway to do a term and move again is risky.

There will be some schools with one or two places though not necessarily the most convenient locations and potentially it even for both.

Have you looked at King Edwards Wisley? It's flexi-boarding and has quite a few international students so may be a better bet for places.

There are a couple of schools around Woking/Guildford which have just extended to go to 16 from 13 so may be more likely to have spaces. They are Cranmore and Hoe Bridge though I'm not sure the latter will cover both year groups you need - you'd need to have a look.

King Edwards is in Witley not Wisley - think that was a DYAC!

A number of schools (state and private) start some or all of the GCSE syllabus in year 9 so your year 10 son will have some catching up to do as well.

@SheilaFentiman - predictive text fail on the phone! Witley is just by a station so is pretty accessible though. When I poured over train and coach timings a few years ago, it was surprisingly easy to get to.

Thanks for your advice :)

Thanks for the advice. I havent heard of King Edwards Wisley…will check it out.

You could look at the boarding schools for just as a day pupils too - Charterhouse / cranleigh etc but then you are going further into Surrey.

Competition crazy for school places

Halstead St Andrews in Woking has opened a new senior school too within the last yr or so prob have more spaces available

Downsend School Leatherhead now goes up to Y11 so worth a try

Interesting that City of London Freemens not mentioned - there are reasons why .......It claims to be academic but doesn't give a breakdown of results on its website. Way behind the main competition in the area, principally Epsom College and St John's Leatherhead.

Also, CoLF is quite a long way from surbiton/esher/weybridge.