Full list of the best and worst Surrey secondary schools based on pupils' progress

-Credit: (Image: Google)
-Credit: (Image: Google)


When looking at what secondary school to choose from, there are so many factors that come into play. As children reach their teenage years, they will want to have more say in where they spend the best part of a decade studying.

Some will want to stick with their friends, and others might already know what they want to study at GCSE and A Level, and choose the best school for particular subjects. Regardless, the main factor in choosing a school that is so important to prioritise is the progress students are making in class.

Parents should be thinking about schools that can push students to the best of their abilities, and provide them with education tailored to their learning styles. The jump from key stage two to key stage four is a big milestone.

Surrey schools have been measured on each progress 8 score. According to the government website, this is the progress that pupils in a school make from the end of primary school to the end of year 11. Pupils’ results are compared to other pupils nationally with similar starting points.

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The government website also cautions users that the pandemic impacted scores between 2021 and 2022. This is because students were predominantly working from home, which affected the overall grades of those taking exams.

Surrey’s top school for student progress was St Peter’s Catholic School in Guildford, and is the highest placed state school in the UK, based off 2022 exam results. The school was named as the Sunday Times comprehensive school of the year in the South East in 2022. Toby Miller, headteacher at St Peter’s Catholic School, told the newspaper at the time that it was the faith-based sense of nurture that helped the students at his 1,300-strong school to a record set of results.

It doesn’t have a catchment area, those looking to send children there should look at attending feeder schools. Recommended schools are: St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, in Guildford.

Another school that scored well was St Andrew's Catholic School. It is a Christian secondary school and sixth form college in Grange Road, Ottways Lane, Leatherhead.

On the other end of the spectrum, is Farnham Heath End, in Farnham with the lowest progress 8 score. The last Ofsted was held in 2020, where the school received a rating of ‘good’ across the board, and was rapidly improving since its previous inspection.

Schools with the highest progress 8 score

School

Count of KS4 students

Progress 8 score

St Peter's Catholic School in Guildford

208

1.45

St Andrew's Catholic School in Leatherhead

245

1.30

Hinchley Wood School in Esher

220

0.87

St John the Baptist Catholic Comprehensive School in Woking

239

0.87

Gordon's School in Woking

125

0.84

Salesian School in Chertsey

278

0.79

St Paul's Catholic College in Sunbury-on-Thames

202

0.72

Rosebery School in Epsom

230

0.72

Broadwater School in Godalming

118

0.72

All Hallows Catholic School in Farnham

239

0.68

Schools with the lowest progress 8 score

School

Count of KS4 students

Progress 8 score

North East Surrey College of Technology in Epsom

20

-3.34

Merstham Park School in Redhill

78

-0.60

Sunbury Manor School in Sunbury-on-Thames

237

-0.59

Oakwood School in Horley

264

-0.58

Christ's College in Guildford

111

-0.47

de Stafford School in Caterham

167

-0.43

The Matthew Arnold School in Staines

158

-0.43

Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford

142

-0.36

The Priory CofE Voluntary Aided School in Dorking

143

-0.31

Farnham Heath End in Farnham

213

-0.27


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