Research a school
You must research the schools that you are interested in before you apply.
The following information will help you research and choose a school.
Our school map helps you to find your nearest school and check the approximate distance from your home address to a school.
Our Directory of Surrey schools is a list of all state schools in Surrey.
Each school's entry includes links to their Ofsted results and to the school's own website.
On their websites, you'll also find their achievements, admissions criteria, open days or evenings, and exam results.
You can visit a school that you are considering by contacting them directly to arrange a time to visit.
Admission authorities are responsible for setting and applying admission arrangements.
Each school has admission criteria which set out how they allocate places.
You should read the criteria for your preferred schools and consider how likely it is that your child will be offered a place.
You should also consider which schools have vacancies. You can find this out by contacting the local authority or the schools. Please note vacancy information is subject to change.
Many schools put their admission criteria on their websites, please see our Directory of Surrey schools for a link to their websites .
You can find out how Ofsted inspect schools and their inspection reports for schools on the Ofsted web site.
Our Directory of Surrey schools also has links to Ofsted reports for each school.
Check if your child will be eligible for travel assistance to your preferred schools. Eligibility for travel assistance is not linked to the admission criteria of a school.
To be considered for travel assistance to a school that is not your child's nearest, you will normally be required to demonstrate that you have applied for and been refused a place at any nearer schools.
You should also not assume that existing transport will be operating or available in the future, including local and school buses. If your child is not eligible for travel assistance, you should think carefully about how your child will get to school.
Schools your child can go to
- Primary school - Reception to Year 6 (between ages 4 and 11).
- Infant school - Reception to Year 2 (between ages 4 and 7).
- Junior school - Year 3 to Year 6 (between ages 7 and 11).
- Secondary school - Year 7 to Year 11 (between age 11 and 18).
Types of schools and their admission authorities
Admission authorities are responsible for setting and applying admission arrangements
- The local authority is the admission authority for community and voluntary controlled schools.
- A school's academy trust or governing board is the admission authority for academies and foundation, free, trust and voluntary aided schools.
Check what type a school is by using our Directory of Surrey schools.
Please see the list below for a definition of the types of state schools in Surrey.
Independent of the local authority and funded directly by the Department for Education. An academy can set its own curriculum.
Maintained by the local authority.
State funded school run by its own governing board.
A type of academy set up by a group, such as parents, teachers, charities, community groups and businesses.
A type of foundation school, which forms a charitable trust with an outside partner.
Maintained by the local authority but strongly supported by the church authorities (usually Church of England or Catholic).
Maintained by the local authority but with close links with the church authorities. Some of the governing board is appointed by the religious foundation.
Boarding schools
The Royal Alexandra and Albert School in Reigate has junior and secondary boarding facilities and Gordon's School in Woking has secondary boarding facilities. Contact the schools directly for details of their fees.
