Tomlinscote School Review 2026: High-expectation Surrey secondary with an established iPad culture

A large 11–16 Surrey secondary where routines are clear, expectations are high, and learning is strongly shaped by day-to-day use of technology. Every student having an iPad is not positioned as a gimmick here, it is built into how work is set, revisited, and supported across subjects.

The latest Ofsted inspection (14–15 November 2023, report published 12 January 2024) judged the school Outstanding overall, and Outstanding in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Tomlinscote opened in 1970 as Surrey’s first purpose-built comprehensive, and remains sizeable, with around 1,500 students and a published intake of 300 per year group.

A significant leadership transition is scheduled, with the current Principal, Mr R Major, due to retire in August 2026 after 28 years’ service to the school.

The tone is ambitious and purposeful, with a strong emphasis on students understanding how they learn and taking responsibility for doing the basics well. External review evidence supports a culture where students feel listened to, relationships are warm, and behaviour is consistently strong, which matters in a school of this scale.

Values are expressed in a direct, practical way, as a set of anchors that staff return to across curriculum and pastoral work: excellence, perseverance, character, community, and progression. These are not treated as marketing language, they are described as being lived daily, alongside a high bar for conduct and effort.

The house system is a major organising feature of school life. Introduced in 2019, it allocates every student (and staff) to one of five houses, Attenborough, Hawking, Mandela, Pankhurst, and Rowling, and is used to structure competition, identity, and charity activity. For many students, this becomes the easiest way to feel known within a big school, since it creates smaller affiliations that run across year groups.

Leadership is currently in a transition phase. Mr R Major remains Principal, with planned reduced availability from March 2026 and an agreed retirement in August 2026, and an interim Associate Principal role noted on the school’s leadership listing. For families, this is not automatically a risk, but it is a live factor. The practical implication is to pay attention to continuity, for example how behaviour routines, teaching expectations, and communications are maintained during the handover.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), Tomlinscote is ranked 1,378th in England and 1st locally in the Camberley area. This places performance broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), while still leading locally in the same comparison set.

The Attainment 8 score is 53.2, and Progress 8 is +0.28. A positive Progress 8 score indicates students make above-average progress from their starting points across eight subjects, which is often the more useful indicator for families than raw grades alone, particularly in a comprehensive intake.

EBacc outcomes show an average EBacc point score of 4.62, and 14.1% of pupils achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure.

What these numbers tend to signal in practice is a school where teaching and routines help many students exceed what their primary-school starting points might predict, even if headline outcomes are not positioned as “elite” by England-wide ranking. For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you view these measures side-by-side with nearby schools, rather than trying to infer quality from reputation alone.

A defining feature is the way “mastery” is used as a through-line across subjects, in other words building carefully from prior knowledge, checking understanding, and returning to content until it sticks. The external review narrative supports a picture of subject expertise among staff and classrooms that are focused, with students encouraged to ask questions and treat mistakes as part of learning rather than something to avoid.

The curriculum model also shows deliberate staging. Students experience a broad Key Stage 3, with GCSEs described as beginning in the last half term of Year 9. That structure matters because it signals time for genuine subject exploration before option choices, while still creating runway for exam preparation.

Technology is integrated rather than optional. The school describes every student having an iPad, and student leadership roles include “digital leaders” who support others to use tablets effectively, including community-facing work with primary pupils around responsible device use. The practical implication is that homework, organisation, and revision are likely to rely heavily on digital systems. For some students this increases independence and consistency; for others it works best with clear family routines around screen time and notifications.

Early literacy support is also explicit. The prospectus describes an Accelerated Reading programme for Years 7 and 8, which is a useful signal that reading is treated as a cross-curricular priority rather than something confined to English lessons.

Where Students Go Next

Because Tomlinscote is 11–16, post-16 progression is a central planning issue for families. Careers education is presented as a strength, with structured guidance and individual discussion as students approach Key Stage 4 decisions about pathways, courses, and providers.

There is evidence of employer and partner links being used as practical enrichment rather than occasional add-ons. The prospectus references links with local businesses and a relationship with Wellington College, and also describes work experience and one-to-one careers interviews as part of preparing students for next steps. The implication is that students who engage with these opportunities should leave Year 11 with a clearer sense of direction, whether they move into A-levels, vocational courses, or apprenticeships.

For families, the key question to ask early is not “does the school have a sixth form”, because it does not, but “what does a strong Year 11 transition look like here”. Useful prompts include how option choices are guided in Year 9, how apprenticeship and technical routes are presented alongside A-level pathways, and how references and interview preparation are handled for competitive post-16 providers.

Admissions operate through Surrey’s coordinated process, with applications made via the local authority and an on-time deadline that, for September 2026 entry, was 31 October 2025. Surrey describes applications for September 2026 entry as opening on 1 September 2025.

The school’s published Year 7 timeline for September 2026 entry also sets out key milestones: outcomes released by local authorities on 2 March 2026, and a deadline to accept or decline offers on 16 March 2026. Open evening and tours are shown as happening in late September and early October, which aligns with the typical secondary admissions rhythm, even though exact dates vary year to year.

As an academy, Tomlinscote is its own admissions authority, but the equal preference system is administered by Surrey County Council. The admissions policy sets a planned admission number (PAN) of 300 students per year group for Years 7–11.

Oversubscription rules are clearly stated. After looked-after and previously looked-after children, exceptional social or medical circumstances, siblings, and children of staff, priority is then split between those living within the catchment area and those outside it. Where a category is oversubscribed, allocation is by straight-line distance from the child’s home to the nearest official school gate for student use, measured by the local authority’s mapping system, with random allocation used if distances are exactly equal.

If your family is making a housing decision based on admission prospects, it is sensible to use distance tools (including FindMySchoolMap Search) to understand how close you are to the relevant gate, then sanity-check this against Surrey’s published admissions guidance each year. Catchment boundaries and distance cut-offs can shift annually because they depend on where applicants live.

In-year admissions (Years 7–11 outside the normal transfer point) are handled differently. The school’s policy states in-year applications must be made directly to the school using its school-managed application approach, which is standard practice for many academies.

Pastoral structures are described as layered. Students belong to tutor groups with a form tutor as the day-to-day point of contact, and heads of year lead tutor teams across each year group. The prospectus also references student support officers, which typically indicates additional adults focused on wellbeing and barriers to learning rather than purely academic monitoring.

The external review narrative supports a model where wellbeing is built into routine structures, for example assemblies, tutor time, and planned school events, with rapid support available for pupils who need it. Students are described as knowing who to speak to if they have concerns, which is often the clearest practical indicator of whether a “pastoral system” functions in real life rather than existing on paper.

Student leadership roles also contribute to culture. Alongside house captains and school council roles, “digital leaders” and other responsibility positions create a sense that contribution is expected, and that older students help set norms. This can suit students who enjoy structured responsibility and clear recognition, especially in a large school where visibility is not automatic.

Extracurricular activity appears to be organised around a few clear pillars: creative arts, sport, internationalism, and STEM-linked enrichment, with house competitions as a constant overlay.

Creative arts are described with specific, named anchors. The prospectus references whole-school productions and highlights Rock of Ages as an example of a major musical, alongside Rock Challenge dance productions, with participation spanning Years 7–11. The practical implication is that performance is not restricted to a small specialist cohort, it is designed to draw in large numbers of students, which often helps quieter children find a defined role.

Music has a structured early entry point. The prospectus describes support for Year 7 students learning an instrument, including access to peripatetic staff and a Year 7 Wind Band, with additional ensemble options such as a Jazz Band. This matters for families who want music to be part of school identity without relying entirely on private tuition and external orchestras.

STEM enrichment is not left as a vague promise. Ofsted’s narrative references a ‘Race Team’ club connected to green power, which is a concrete example of applied engineering activity rather than a generic “STEM club” label. The prospectus also references SATRO and STEM competitions, suggesting competitive, project-based opportunities that can appeal to students who enjoy problem-solving and teamwork.

Internationalism is presented as sustained, with “international ambassadors” described as a student role and a continued International School Award accreditation referenced through to 2025, alongside a Goethe-Institut link and a pattern of language and history trips. The implication for students is that cultural learning is reinforced by roles, exchanges, and travel opportunities, not only classroom content.

Sport is wide-ranging and tied to facilities. The prospectus lists athletics, cross country, football and netball as consistently successful, and school communications reference use of a 3G pitch, astro facilities, sports hall spaces, and inter-house activity days. The best fit here is often a student who enjoys regular competition and structured training, but the breadth of listed activities also supports students who are not committed to a single sport year-round.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual secondary costs, for example uniform, trips, and optional activities.

The published timing of the school day (in place from September 2023) sets expectations clearly. The site opens at 08.00, students are expected on site by 08.30, and Monday to Thursday teaching runs through to a Period 6 finishing at 15.10. Fridays finish earlier at 14.15. Total compulsory weekly time is listed as 32.5 hours.

Travel planning is important because the school serves local Frimley and Camberley-area communities and is frequently oversubscribed. Families should check public transport options and safe walking or cycling routes carefully, especially given the earlier Friday finish. The school has also published material about traffic management and parking changes in the past, which suggests that drop-off and pick-up volumes are a live issue to consider.

• Leadership change in 2026. The current Principal is due to retire in August 2026, with a new Principal appointment scheduled to start from September 2026. Leadership transitions can be smooth, but families should pay attention to how continuity is maintained in behaviour, curriculum priorities, and communication during the handover.

• Large-school experience. With around 1,500 students and a 300-per-year-group structure, this is not a small setting. Many students thrive on the social breadth and scale of opportunity, but others prefer a smaller environment where visibility is automatic rather than earned.

• Device-led learning requires routines at home. A one-to-one iPad approach can improve organisation and access to resources, but it also works best when families establish clear routines around homework, notifications, and screen time boundaries.

• Competitive admission in a catchment-driven system. The admissions policy relies heavily on distance once priority categories are applied. If you are outside the catchment, or close to its boundary, your likelihood of an offer may be sensitive to yearly applicant patterns.

Tomlinscote is a high-expectation, large comprehensive with a strong external judgement and clear evidence of purposeful learning culture. The combination of structured pastoral systems, defined leadership roles for students, and an embedded iPad approach will suit students who respond well to routines, enjoy being stretched, and are comfortable using technology as part of everyday learning. The main constraint is admission, which is shaped by Surrey’s coordinated process and the school’s catchment and distance rules.