A small all-through day school in the Caterham area, this campus sits in a Grade II listed building close to the historic Kenley Aerodrome, a setting that adds genuine character without pretending to be a traditional “big school”. The defining feature is the OneSchool Global model, a structured approach designed to make students increasingly self-directed, supported by a wider UK and international network of shared resources and online teaching. The campus principal is Mr Lee Sutton, who took up the role in November 2024.
The tone is shaped by two things that do not always sit together in English schooling: a clearly stated Christian ethos, and a deliberately modern learning model that leans hard into technology, independent study habits, and coaching rather than constant whole-class instruction. The school’s published values include integrity, care and compassion, respect, responsibility, and commitment. Those values are presented as practical expectations rather than branding, with an emphasis on self-discipline and personal responsibility as part of daily routines.
Families considering the school should be clear-eyed about fit. The admissions policy is explicit that the school exists to serve the children of Brethren families, and that priority is given to those known and involved in the relevant local community, with further places potentially offered to Plymouth Brethren Christian Church families beyond the immediate area if capacity allows. That is a distinct cultural context, and it can be a positive for families seeking strong alignment between home and school expectations. It will be less attractive for families who want a broadly mixed faith intake, or who would prefer a more plural ethos embedded across the curriculum and school life.
Scale matters here. In a campus of roughly one hundred students, students are known quickly, and expectations can be reinforced consistently. The trade-off is that the “big school” breadth, especially in activities and specialist spaces, is inherently harder to deliver on one site. That is not a criticism, it is simply the reality of a small roll and a deliberately streamlined model.
Leadership, too, reads as part of a wider organisational structure. The prospectus describes governance and operational roles spanning a campus administrator team and a campus board structure, with OneSchool Global UK representatives involved. For parents, the practical implication is that some policies and systems are standardised across the group, and families can expect consistency of approach rather than a bespoke, head-led reinvention of processes year by year.
Performance data for independent schools can be difficult to compare cleanly across the market, so the most helpful anchor is the school’s relative position using standard measures. On the FindMySchool GCSE outcomes ranking, the school is ranked 1087th in England and 3rd locally (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places it above England average, within the top 25% of schools in England.
The attainment picture is mixed in a way that is worth understanding, not glossing over. An Attainment 8 score of 55.7 is a positive signal on overall grades. However, the EBacc entry and outcomes are more modest, with 16.7% achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc and an EBacc average point score of 5.04. These are not “good” or “bad” in isolation, they reflect choices about entries, cohort profile, and what the school prioritises for its students.
For families, the implication is straightforward. If your priority is a strongly academic, broadly EBacc-heavy pathway, you will want to ask direct questions about subject entry patterns and how the school supports students who aim for the full English Baccalaureate suite. If, instead, you want a school where small scale, clear routines, and structured independence are central, the overall GCSE performance suggests the model can deliver solid outcomes for its size.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
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% of students achieving grades 9-7
The school is unusually explicit about its teaching model, which makes it easier for parents to evaluate fit. The published framework is built around four components: the Assignment, the Lesson, the Study, and the Tutorial. In plain terms, the Assignment sets the learning contract and checkpoints, the Lesson covers direct teaching, the Study is student-led time to execute tasks, and the Tutorial adds targeted one-to-one or small group support.
That structure matters because it changes the day-to-day feel. A student who thrives here tends to be someone who can plan, work independently, and treat deadlines as non-negotiable. Evidence in official reporting points to learning spaces designed to support this, including learning hubs and individual booths intended to help students work responsibly and with focus. The implication for parents is that the school’s strengths are not only about subject teaching, but about developing habits and routines that travel beyond school.
Technology is not an add-on. The prospectus describes a model designed for “technology-empowered” learning environments and for drawing on resources across the wider OneSchool network. In practice, that can widen access to teaching expertise that a small campus could not staff entirely on-site. It also places a premium on students being organised, resilient, and able to learn through a mix of in-person and online experiences, which will suit some students far more than others.
Teacher development is another visible strand. The prospectus describes an in-house Teacher Academy to train staff for this model of teaching and coaching. This matters because schools that rely on self-directed study time rise or fall on the quality of feedback, checks for understanding, and timely intervention when a student drifts off course. Parents should ask how progress is monitored through the week, how teachers spot misconceptions early, and what happens when a student is not meeting expectations in independent study blocks.
This is an all-through school, so “destinations” operate at more than one point. For families joining at the lower end, the main question is continuity and whether the culture remains coherent as pupils move through secondary and into sixth form. The model aims to do exactly that, by keeping the learning framework consistent while increasing independence as students mature.
For older students, the information available publicly focuses less on university pipeline metrics and more on readiness for adult life, including employment. Formal reporting has described a leaver pattern where sixth-form pupils move into full-time employment, supported by a careers approach aligned to opportunities within the broader community while still pointing students to wider online resources about other pathways. The implication is that parents who want a highly quantified university destinations narrative, such as Russell Group percentages and named counts by institution, may not find the level of public detail they expect from more traditional academic independents.
If you are considering the sixth form specifically, it is sensible to ask three grounded questions. First, what are the typical post-16 programmes offered and the normal study load. Second, how much teaching is delivered on-site versus via wider network links. Third, what support exists for students who are aiming for competitive university courses, including guidance on subject combinations, super-curricular expectations, and admissions testing where relevant.
Admissions are not framed as a competitive academic selection process. The admissions policy instead emphasises openness to children of Brethren families, community alignment, and a process of dialogue and mutual discernment around the student’s circumstances and the school’s purpose. Priority is explicitly connected to involvement in the relevant local community, with further consideration for applicants from outside that immediate area if places remain.
What this means in practice is that “catchment” works differently from a state school, and differently from many mainstream independent schools. It is not primarily about postcode distance, and there is no published “furthest distance at which a place was offered” figure to use as a planning tool. The limiting factor is more likely to be capacity and the priority framework described in the admissions policy.
The policy is also clear that meeting priority criteria does not guarantee a place. That matters for families relocating. If you are moving into the area and assuming entry is automatic, it is prudent to begin conversations early and ask direct questions about year-group capacity, likely entry points, and how transitions are handled for students joining mid-phase.
The pastoral approach is closely tied to culture and expectations. Official reporting describes a school environment shaped by respect, personal responsibility, and commitment, with pupils feeling safe and secure in a setting where home and school values are closely aligned. This kind of coherence can reduce low-level disruption and create a calm working environment, particularly in a small campus where students are highly visible.
There are also specific areas that families should explore carefully, because they show where small systems can be vulnerable if oversight slips. Earlier formal reporting raised concerns about consistency in some safeguarding-adjacent operational practices, including the administration of medicines and the handling of a very small number of bullying-related situations. The practical implication for parents is not alarm, but due diligence: ask how policies are monitored day to day, how staff ensure consistency, and what checks are in place so that small process failures do not repeat.
Support for students with additional needs is referenced in formal reporting, including the use of personal learning plans and adapted timetables where appropriate. For families with specific learning support requirements, it is important to ask what is available on site, how support is delivered within the self-directed model, and what the school can realistically provide given its size.
Extracurricular breadth is one of the most important “fit” variables here, because what is typical in larger independents is not always practical on a small, academically structured campus. Earlier formal reporting stated that there was no on-campus extra-curricular clubs programme at that point, and that this limited recreational opportunities, even though some occasional virtual activities existed across the wider group. That is a clear, concrete constraint, and it is worth testing what has changed since then.
The school does, however, describe a Global House System designed around inclusion and teamwork, with houses used to recognise academic work, effort, sporting achievements, and good citizenship. This is not the same as a menu of daily clubs, but it is a defined structure for participation, peer identity, and shared events. For many students, a well-run house system can provide belonging and motivation, particularly in a small school where peer groups can otherwise feel narrow.
There is also an emphasis on charitable fundraising and community contribution within the house system narrative. For parents, the best question is practical: what does this look like in a termly calendar, and how often do students have opportunities to lead projects, plan events, or take responsibility beyond their own academic work.
If your child strongly values sport, performance, or hands-on creative activities, do not assume. Ask what is delivered on-site, what requires off-site facilities, and how often those opportunities occur, because the lived experience can differ significantly from larger schools with extensive specialist spaces.
The published day fee is £1,613 per term (excluding VAT). As an annual estimate, that equates to about £4,839 per year across three terms, noting that schools can apply additional charges and the basis should be confirmed directly.
The school describes itself as being supported by donated time and financial support from members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, which helps explain why the headline fee level is unusually low compared with many independent schools. The school does not advertise scholarships or bursaries as part of its published fee information, so families who need support should ask directly what, if any, assistance is available in practice.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
The published school day runs Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 15:00. Families should ask directly about any wraparound provision, because this is not clearly set out in the publicly available campus information and may matter for working parents.
Transport is likely to be a mix of car journeys and local rail or bus connections, given the campus’ proximity to south London and the Caterham area. If you are planning travel logistics, the most useful approach is to map realistic door-to-door times at drop-off and pick-up, rather than relying on straight-line distance.
Faith-linked admissions and culture. Priority is given to children from the relevant Brethren community, and the ethos is explicitly Christian and Bible-based. This will suit families seeking close alignment; it will not suit everyone.
Extracurricular breadth may be limited. Earlier formal reporting stated there were no on-campus clubs at that point, which constrained recreational options. Ask what is now in place, and how often activities run.
A self-directed model is not universally comfortable. The framework is designed to build independence through structured assignment and study time. Students who need constant external structure may find it demanding.
Small scale cuts both ways. A small campus can mean strong relationships and consistency, but it can also mean fewer subject and activity permutations than larger schools.
This is a specialist proposition in the independent sector: small scale, a clearly stated faith context, and a teaching model built around structured self-direction supported by technology and a wider network. It suits families who actively want a values-aligned community school and a learning approach that pushes students to plan, work independently, and take responsibility for outcomes. The main challenge is ensuring the cultural fit and the breadth of activities match what your child needs, because the experience will not mirror a conventional large independent.
Parents who are shortlisting should use FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature to keep comparisons clear, then revisit your shortlist once you have tested day-to-day practicalities like wraparound needs and the true shape of extracurricular life.
It has a strong overall GCSE outcomes position relative to England, ranking 1087th nationally and 3rd locally for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). The teaching model is clearly defined, with a structured approach intended to develop self-directed learning and independence. The most recent formal monitoring confirmed the required standards were met, following earlier areas identified for improvement.
The published day fee is £1,613 per term (excluding VAT). As a rough annual estimate across three terms, this is about £4,839 per year, but families should confirm the exact basis and any additional charges directly with the school.
The campus principal is Mr Lee Sutton, who took up the role in November 2024. Families who value leadership stability may also wish to ask how responsibilities are shared between campus leadership and the wider OneSchool Global UK governance structure.
The admissions policy prioritises children from the relevant Brethren community, with priority given to those connected to the local community served by the campus. Places are subject to capacity, and meeting priority criteria does not guarantee admission. The policy does not publish date-based deadlines in the same way as many mainstream independent schools, so families should ask early about year-group availability and entry points.
The school uses a defined Learning to Learn framework built around the Assignment, Lesson, Study, and Tutorial. This is designed to build independence through structured tasks, checkpoints, and student-led study time supported by teacher coaching. It can work particularly well for students who respond to clear expectations and who can organise their time effectively.
Get in touch with the school directly
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