Best primary schools in Surrey
Surrey has 300 state primary schools – a fairly equal mix of academies, community schools and faith schools. Separate infant and junior schools are common and require separate applications for reception and year 3. Unlike the Catholic primary schools, many of the Church of England primaries in Surrey do not have a faith requirement for applicants but always check the admissions policy.
Results are generally higher than the UK average and almost a third of Surrey primaries are oversubscribed. Alongside our article on primary school admissions, reading up on Surrey County Council’s admissions policies and oversubscription criteria is essential when selecting your four preferred schools. The council can also advise on furthest distance (between home and school) of successful applicants in previous years. If you are already thinking ahead to secondary education, be aware that some schools prioritise named feeder primaries.
Primary schools in Farnham
Currently one of the nation’s top performing primaries, ‘outstanding’ South Farnham School has four classes’ worth of pupils regularly getting excellent SATs results. Hard on its heels is Highfield South Farnham School. On the outskirts of town, Rowledge CofE Primary School in its idyllic village setting is another local favourite. All three are named feeder schools for sought-after secondary, Weydon School.
Edging south, popular Grayswood CofE School in Haslemere performs well academically and makes good use of its beautiful forest area.
Primary schools in Guildford
Underpinned by a strong Christian ethos are centrally located Pewley Down Infant School and the equally popular Holy Trinity Junior School, Guildford (part of the same federation) where ‘fluffy Fridays’ take pupils out of their comfort zone and into a range of activities beyond the classroom.
On the edge of town are high-performing and heavily oversubscribed Burpham Primary School and Boxgrove Primary School. Boxgrove’s swimming pool and café pips it with the parents. Small and nurturing Wonersh and Shamley Green CofE Primary School, with its six acres in the Surrey Hills, prioritises families living in the local parishes.
Primary schools in Godalming
Alongside Wonersh and Shamley Green CofE Primary School mentioned in the Primary schools in Guildford section, Busbridge Infant School and Busbridge CofE Aided Junior School are equally popular yet connected by name only. While religious criteria are part of the junior school’s admissions policy, a maximum of 10 pupils are admitted into year 3 under this category.
For Catholic families, St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and St Cuthbert Mayne Primary School in Cranleigh prove that small is successful. Both are named feeder schools for top-performing St Peter’s Catholic School in Guildford.
Primary schools in Cobham
Cited by parents as ‘the closest thing to private school you can get’, all-through Cobham Free School ensures automatic entry into the senior school. Note that school business model relies on voluntary contributions from parents, with suggested minimum monthly donation of £50.
North-east of Cobham, Hinchley Wood Primary School – with its strong academic results and extensive outdoor space – is well thought of by local families. In Thames Ditton, St Paul’s Catholic Primary School is a top choice for parents seeking a good education in a distinctively Catholic environment.
Primary schools in Woking
Dominating the top of the league tables in this area are the named feeder schools for high-performing St John the Baptist Catholic Comprehensive School. These include St Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Primary School, The Marist Catholic Primary School and St Dunstan’s Catholic Primary School. All three welcome children of other faiths but baptised Catholic children still take the majority of places. Nestled amongst them is outstanding Pyrford CofE Primary School, serving the villages of Pyrford and Wisley.
West of Woking, Frimley CofE Junior School’s SATs results place it in the top five per cent nationally. Although underpinned by Christian values, there is no faith-based oversubscription criteria. Majority of pupils join from Cross Farm Infant Academy or Sandringham Infant and Nursery Academy.
Primary schools in Weybridge
There are several excellent state primaries in this area with most, understandably, oversubscribed. Oatlands School (infants) is a firm favourite and a named feeder for the equally sought-after Cleves School (juniors) which tops the charts for SATs results. Two-thirds of parents regularly miss out on their first choice of a place at Pyrcroft Grange Primary School in nearby Chertsey.
Competition for a reception place at St Charles Borromeo Catholic Primary School is fierce thanks to its impressive results and formal feeder school status for Salesian School.
Outstanding New Haw Community Junior School in Addlestone is one of Surrey’s top 10 performing schools where pupils have professional singing lessons and learn ballroom dancing. We recommend applying for a reception place at feeder school, The Grange Community Infant School, if it’s on your radar, as these pupils are prioritised for entry.
Primary schools in Leatherhead
West Horsley, on the outskirts of Leatherhead, is home to one of England’s top performing primaries, The Raleigh School – parents rave about ‘exemplary behaviour’ and a ‘competitive sporting programme’. In hot pursuit is St Peter’s Catholic Primary School. Places have been offered to pupils meeting the last oversubscription criteria (no faith evidenced) in recent years but the Catholic faith permeates all aspects of school life with daily prayer and weekly liturgies.
Another popular option is heavily oversubscribed Fetcham Village Infant School with its extensive grounds and community feel. There is no formal link but most children move on to nearby Oakfield Junior School.
In Epsom, children at the outstanding Wallace Fields Infant School and Nursery enjoy workshops with professional artists and feeding the chickens. Its pupils are prioritised for entry into the equally popular Wallace Fields Junior School next door.
Primary schools in Reigate and east Surrey
A source told us that many parents will travel from the other side of Reigate for Holmesdale Community Infant School, which is a named feeder for Reigate Priory School. Reigate Parish Church Primary School boasts strong academic results and is popular thanks to its ‘nurturing approach’. Half of reception places are prioritised to active church participants so read the admissions policy carefully before applying.
At oversubscribed St Mary’s Oxted, regular church attendance is factored into the application process but living in the parish of Oxted holds more weight; a second round of admissions in year 3 doubles the cohort. One-form entry Audley Primary School in Caterham achieves impressive SATs scores, but you’ll need to live less than a kilometre from the school gate to be sure of a place.
State primary schools for children with special educational needs in Surrey
Surrey County Council outlines its SEND information and services on its website along with a list of special schools and specialist centres. Like many local authorities, Surrey uses private or charity-run schools outside the state sector to provide provision for some children with special educational needs. As such, the division between state and private education with specialist provision is different to mainstream.
Moor House School & College in Oxted is a specialist school with boarding for young people aged 7-19 with speech and language disorders. Just over the border into London, near Croydon, is all-through special school The Link, which specialises in speech, language and communication needs as well as autistic spectrum conditions.
All mainstream primary schools have learning support departments, while some have additional resource provision for more complex needs. Pyrcroft Grange Primary School’s specialist centre supports children with autism, and Burpham Primary School offers 13 specialist places (infants only) for children with speech and language needs. Parents praise the special needs centres for children with autism at Eastwick Infant and Junior Schools near Leatherhead.