Guildford High

[durness]

Random question borne of insecurity… we’re fortunate that our daughter is very musical and she’s been invited to audition for almost every music scholarship we’ve applied for. Except Guildford, who turned down her scholarship application two days after the CEM test. So be it, a scholarship was always going to be a helpful bonus, not something we expected… but to not even get invited to audition was disappointing. And then, inevitably, we started catastrophising: was she rejected because her exam result is poor and they don’t want to waste time auditioning someone they have no intention of inviting to join?

So now we’re fearful that - despite her assertion that it went really well - she’s had a bad day on the CEM test and it’s basically all over. Certainly other schools use the exam results to determine whether to consider kids for scholarships. But maybe it’s just that competition for scholarships at GHs is especially fierce and she’s been lucky to get invited to audition by other schools. Argh.

Does anyone have any insight into the GHS process? Or what level of would-be scholar they attract?

Honestly, the whole secondary school process has been a nightmare and maybe we’ve just become paranoid fools. I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with sanity…hopefully.

Message from GHS"We will publish the outcome of our entrance process on Friday 30 January 2026 (end of working day), with results communicated to families via OpenApply"

How did everyone get on today?

Thrilled and relieved. DD got an offer with academic scholarship. Waiting for other 11+ entrance exams results.

Amazing @tigermum1611! well done. You must be so proud.

we have 3 offers (including GHS!) one of them is an academic scholarship one (but not at GHS)

That's amazing @SchoolDilemma17 ! You must be so proud. We are awaiting results from Reigate Grammar and Caterham. DD has passed the selective grammar schools as well but we are well out of catchment area- so no hope there! Many congratulations to your little one

It's interesting times! My niece just got an offer from GHS too, we're obviously delighted for her - but she got rejected by another school in the area, her second choice, and the one she actually preferred as a 'place'. This was really depressing as my sister thought their options would now be very limited, but now she has GHS. She must have pulled a blinder at the GHS assessments! 🤔🤓

I think (not sure) from my experience the GHS assessments are more focused on the whole girl and not just on the exam. I don’t think my girl did that well at the exam (she found it hard and didn’t finish everything), but I know she is a good writer, is very enthusiastic and motivated (so probably showed that side well at the assessment day which she loved) and did a good interview. We are thrilled with the offer and congratulations to your niece too!

DD got an offer with academic scholarship.Waiting for LEH outcome. Congratulations to all.

Amazing! congratulations to them, they have all done really well. DD also got an offer and we are very pleased. She has 2 other offers with academic scholarship but GHS is her first choice. Hopefully when all the choosing is done, those of us staying with GHS can stay in contact!
All the best! X

We’ve got an GHS offer too! Phew. Now to decide GHS, or another school with scholarship. Still waiting for one more to come in also. Tough decisions.

Congratulations to you all and to your girls.
so glad we have three offers and the luxury of choice. I think for us it will be between GHS and the school w the academic scholarship.

The CAT scores play a big part in this.

I didn’t think my daughter did that well in the exam but maybe she underestimated herself. She said she found it very hard.

Why do people work through the music grades so quickly? To have done grade 6,7, 8 by the end of primary school is just ridiculous and pressurising for the child. There are loads of social and mood benefits of playing an instrument in secondary and the grades motivate them to keep going and not drop

I’m absolutely stunned a child can be in grade 8 by end of primary.

Many congratulations to your niece. I guess it all depends on how the girls perform on the day or whatever other criteria the school is looking for? I totally understand that it is good to have a choice but your niece sounds bright and will do well. Wishing her the very best.

DS went to a private school from state primary and so many pupils were already Grade 8. he told me none of them enjoyed playing their instruments any more. It was just an extra slog. Parental pressure. He reached Grade 7 in his teens at some point then stopped and played what he enjoyed playing from then on.

That is amazing. Well done and many congratulations to her. We live so much closer to Reigate. Hubby wants DD to go to RGS.DD wants GHS. My job seems to have been to just help her get through them. Most likely DD will end up going to GHS. The arguments..err I mean discussions at home have begun!

Mine has barely done grade 3 and that too with a lot of nudging. I too am stunned as to how they achieve Grade 8 by end of primary school. Not sure she will keep going and I am not sure I should push her either. Am clueless about the value it will add for later in life. Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Thats REALLY interesting, I spoke with a friend of a friend at coffee and there's quite a few girls going from other local independents (her's is down south a bit), and seemingly a lot more than usual - furthermore, in her case, into year 3 as well.... and to top it off (and my friend said it, not me!) her DD isnt the brightest in the class by far and this was an absolute no jeopardy punt of an application as she's actuall pretty happy where she is.

What's bizzarre, is that GHS must be recruiting to supplement what should be a full GHS year 2 moving into year 3, it looks like either GHS is having a numbers problem in prep, or they are packing the classes.

We hypothesised, over lattes, that it's them packing it as full as possible, maybe to bulster the finances.

United learning is taking a hit on some of its other schools, like Royal closing, Rowan isnt as heaving as it once was, and some others not great either. We also think they'll be worried about RGS creaming off the top GHS girls to protect their own results.

On that note, GHS is definitely the one to watch as bright Girls who want co-ed go to RGS instead ,and to put bums on seats GHS will have to be far less selective.

For them to accept so many other local indie senior and prep kids in, it is a big red flag for me, never before seen in my Guildford decades; the times are indeed changing!

In 5 years watch those results with a keen eye!

I've heard some similar stories @AndreaKnowsBest . Looks like the hurdles to being part of the 'dream' are adjusting.

For StCatherines Bramley ( I assume that is what you mean by down south? ) it is a super selling point, isnt it?, alongside Tormead for us, and wherever else now feeding in.

"If you go to SCats, Tormead, etc. you more than bright enough, or will have been taught to be bright enough, for GHS"

Winner I reckon for them - as, they clearly produce the goods, but dont have the 'intense' reputation of GHS.

And on my niece; thankfully she got offered another local girls option just outside of guildford, so at least she had a choice, bless her!

Interestingly, I think that will be her final choice too. A lovely, nurturing school, not too academic, which also keeps my brother in law happy, as he was really worried the academics would be too much for her otherwise!

Yeah yeah all speculation and gossip.
Unless you know exactly the intake for “decades” I would dismiss most of this as pure speculation.

I don’t think co-ed RGS is the big threat that you think either. RGS’s recent results haven’t been that great and there are plenty of other co-ed options that have a history or co-ed.
personally I wouldn’t send my girl to a traditional boys school that just started co-ed.

My DD has a scholarship offer from GHS and Surbiton. We are waiting for LEH and Wimbledon results but her favourite is Tiffins, a grammar so we will be waiting until 02/03 to decide.

You dont need to know the intake, you just need to know that girls, such as my family member, have been offered places that normally they wouldn't have got - and, what struck me, is the number of girls @AndreaKnowsBest says going into year 3.

Im sure you've been in guildford for a while too, but seeing GHS - and my niece isnt even the only one we know about - taking a broader church is the fact of it.

The landscape is changing due to smaller birth rate and absolutely affordability, adjustment is the key word for us all these days.

And on girls to RGS - I very much agree with you that this will be the case for prep aged girls and year 7 - I would keep my DD well clear! - but for sixth form - try stopping your year 11 girl choosing herself....

PP, It's true - local prep school here, at least 4 or 5 offers to enter GHS year 3. That's an eye opener. Are they opening another class, short of year 2s (thought they were always oversubscribed), or just ramming the classes fuller.

Doesn't seem very GHS.