Independent School Reviews – Surbiton High School

June 16, 2022

• Topical

Surbiton High School was founded in 1884 as a ‘Church of England’ school. Today, it is an independent school educating girls between the ages of 4 and 18. The high school is connected to two preparatory schools: The Boy Preparatory School for boys aged between 4 to 11 and The Girls Preparatory School for girls aged between 4 to 11. The school is predominately a day school, however, it offers boarding to up to five girls aged over 11 years old.

Situated in Surbiton in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, Surbiton High School aims to ‘inspire, encourage, and empower’ the students who study there, with co-curricular activities and contact which remains beyond their time at school. There are currently 1550 students at the school including 200 boys who attend the preparatory school and 217 girls in the Sixth Form.

The school has a range of facilities including the Assembly Rooms, which are the three school halls used for assemblies and performances. The school also has a range of sporting facilities at their playing fields in Hinchley Wood. These include floodlit courts for sports such as netball and hockey, an Astroturf pitch, grass pitches and tennis courts. They also have a boat house along the river Thames where students can row.

The Good School Guide emphasises the school’s ability to be prepare ‘driven girls’ to be ‘ready to embrace life and all its challenges’. Indeed, the examination results from 2019 showed that 90% of students studying for their A-levels received grades between A*- B. In addition, 70% of GCSE students obtained grades between 9-7, with 50% of students achieving at least one grade 9. Many students went on to attend Russell Group universities including Oxbridge to read a range of subjects including Biology, Classics, and French.