Weydon School Review 2026: High-performing 11–16 secondary in Farnham with a strong curriculum and breadth beyond lessons

A large, established secondary serving the Farnham area, this is a school where academic ambition is paired with a clear focus on personal development. Its scale matters, with a published capacity of 1,650 places and a current roll slightly above that.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (April 2023) judged the school Good overall, with Outstanding grades for Quality of Education and Personal Development. That combination tends to signal a setting where teaching is consistently effective, expectations are high, and the wider programme is more than an add-on.

Families often shortlist this school for two reasons. First, outcomes: the school’s GCSE indicators sit comfortably above typical England levels, and FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking places it in the top quarter of schools in England for GCSE outcomes. Second, culture: formal evidence points to calm day-to-day routines, respectful relationships, and a wide enrichment offer that gives students many ways to build confidence and skills.

The prevailing impression, based on official evidence, is of a school that takes standards seriously while keeping relationships at the centre. Students are described as happy, ambitious, and safe; staff and students are said to work in partnership, with strong relationships underpinning achievement and confidence.

The school’s own language puts “friendship, character and leadership” at the heart of its values, and it frames its day-to-day aims through a set of priorities that emphasise teaching quality, high expectations, and enrichment. For families, the implication is practical: this is likely to suit students who respond well to clarity, routines, and a culture that expects sustained effort.

Weydon’s physical footprint supports that identity. A standout feature is the Medici building, opened in September 2015, which combines a theatre used regularly by the Arts faculty with large art rooms and a central gallery used for student work and exhibitions. It is a tangible signal that creative subjects are treated as core to school life, not a peripheral extra.

Leadership information available through government and local authority sources lists Mrs Ros Allen as headteacher or principal. (Some sections of the school website still reference earlier leadership names; for decision-making, parents should treat the government register and local authority admissions materials as the current baseline.)

Weydon’s dataset indicators point to a school delivering strong academic outcomes across the cohort, rather than relying on a narrow band of high prior attainers.

Start with the two headline metrics that parents can benchmark most easily. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 62.2, which is a high figure in the context of England’s secondary system, and its Progress 8 score is 0.52, indicating that students, on average, make well above average progress from the end of primary school to GCSE. (Progress 8 is designed so that 0 is the England average; positive scores indicate stronger-than-average progress.) These are precisely the kind of measures that can reassure families who care not only about top grades, but also about how consistently students are moved on from their starting points.

The EBacc indicators also give a useful sense of curriculum depth. The school’s average EBacc APS is 5.44, and 24.5% of pupils achieve grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure. In isolation, EBacc figures can be misleading, because schools differ in how widely they enter pupils for the full EBacc suite. Here, the wider evidence suggests leaders have actively shaped the curriculum and subject uptake over time, with a view to breadth at GCSE and beyond.

Rankings matter mainly as a quick comparator. Ranked 714th in England and 2nd in Farnham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits above England average, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England for GCSE performance. This is the type of ranking that helps parents compare local options quickly, particularly when used alongside Progress 8 and Attainment 8 to separate “selective intake advantage” from genuine value added.

A good way to use these numbers in practice is to look at them alongside nearby schools using the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool. Families deciding between multiple secondaries often find that a side-by-side view of Progress 8 and Attainment 8 is more informative than any single headline grade.

Teaching appears to be built around a clear sequence of knowledge and skills, with lessons designed to build carefully on prior learning and to surface misconceptions early. Staff are described as having strong subject knowledge, and leaders are said to invest in staff development, which is usually a prerequisite for consistent classroom practice across a large school.

There is also evidence of deliberate stretch. The curriculum is described as including opportunities such as reading more challenging texts and studying AS examinations, and GCSE subject choice is described as broad. For families, the implication is that the school may work particularly well for students who like being pushed, but who still benefit from structured support.

Two practical features reinforce the learning culture.

First, literacy is treated as everybody’s job. Formal evidence points to targeted support for those who need help with reading, alongside an expectation that precise terminology and vocabulary are used across subjects, not only in English.

Second, digital learning is part of the model. The school requires students to have access to an iPad, and it references the use of Apple Classroom to monitor and support students during lessons. The school also publishes a defined set of device specifications and compatibility expectations, which is helpful for parents planning ahead.

This is an 11–16 school with no sixth form, so the key transition is at the end of Year 11. Students typically move on to sixth forms, colleges, apprenticeships, or training routes depending on attainment and interests.

The best evidence on destination “quality” here is not a list of universities, because this setting does not keep students through A-level. Instead, the relevant question is whether the school prepares students to make strong choices at 16. Formal evidence describes a careers education programme that gives students access to a range of providers, work experience and apprenticeship pathways, with the aim of supporting ambitious next steps.

If you are comparing post-16 pathways, it is worth checking how the school supports Year 11 applications, including guidance on sixth-form entry requirements, college courses, and apprenticeships, as this is a key determinant of how confident students feel at the point of transition.

Admissions are coordinated through Surrey’s local authority process, and the school publishes an annual admissions policy for Year 7 entry.

For September 2026 entry, the school states it will offer 330 Year 7 places, noting that places for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are given priority, which can reduce the number available in the general allocation.

The on-time application window for Surrey is clear. Applications open 1 September 2025 and close 31 October 2025 for September 2026 entry. Offers are issued on the national offer day, which Surrey confirms as 2 March 2026, with Surrey residents required to accept or decline by 15 March 2026.

Demand is strong. In the Surrey information booklet for 2026–27, Weydon is shown with 646 preferences and 352 offers in the September 2025 allocation round, alongside a planned admissions number of 330 for 2026 entry. Those figures suggest sustained competition, with the practical implication that families should be realistic about the role of admissions criteria and distance tie-breaks.

Weydon’s local authority documentation and admissions information also highlights an important feature: a set of named partner primary schools that sit within the priority structure for admissions. For families outside those feeder routes, it is sensible to treat the school as competitive and to plan a balanced set of preferences.

A useful practical step is to use the FindMySchool Map Search to estimate your home-to-school distance accurately. Even where a school does not publish a single “catchment boundary”, small differences in distance can change outcomes when demand is high.

Pastoral strength shows up in two places: daily routines and safeguarding culture.

Day-to-day, formal evidence points to respectful behaviour in lessons and around school, and to an environment where pupils are proud of the school and understand shared values. Bullying is described as rare, and students are described as confident that they can raise concerns and be listened to.

The inspection confirmed safeguarding arrangements are effective, describing systematic training for staff and high vigilance around reporting and responding to concerns. For parents, this matters because it signals consistency, safeguarding works best when it is operational rather than aspirational.

The main pastoral development need is also clearly flagged. Persistent absence is described as too high for some disadvantaged pupils and some pupils with SEND, limiting their progress. The school is described as having put systems in place, with the key question being how consistently those systems translate into improved attendance over time.

Breadth is a distinctive strength here, supported by formal evidence rather than marketing language.

The school is described as offering over 70 clubs, including 30 sporting leagues, with activities such as debating. A programme of that scale usually requires coordination and staff capacity, and it tends to benefit students who want to explore interests beyond their timetable or to build confidence through performance, competition, or leadership roles.

Two school-specific structures are worth highlighting because they show how enrichment and learning support are organised.

Home Learning Club runs as a drop-in session in the Learning Resource Centre, with access to computers and adults available to support students. Timings are published as 2:45 to 4:15 on Mondays, and 3:20 to 4:15 Tuesday to Thursday. The implication is practical: for students who struggle to concentrate at home, or for families managing busy schedules, this is a concrete support mechanism rather than a vague promise of help.

Parent Advisory Council groups represent each year group and meet termly with the Principal to discuss strengths, concerns, and areas for change. For parents, that can be an additional route to understand how the school responds to feedback and how it communicates priorities through the year.

Facilities also play into extracurricular range. The Medici Theatre and associated art spaces provide a proper performance venue and gallery context, and the school also indicates that facilities available include a sports hall, gym, football pitch, netball courts and a basketball court.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for ordinary school costs such as uniform, trips, and optional paid activities where external coaches are used.

In terms of time structure, the school publishes a minimum weekly time in school of 32.4 hours. For after-school academic supervision, Home Learning Club provides a supervised space in the Learning Resource Centre on set weekday afternoons.

Transport is unusually well signposted. The school references bus routes 17, 18 and 19 (Stagecoach services) and points families to train travel via Farnham station. It also notes that Surrey and Hampshire councils offer funded transport for eligible students in neighbouring villages, subject to criteria.

• Competition for places. With 646 preferences recorded in a recent allocation round against a planned Year 7 intake of 330, admission can be competitive. Families should treat school choice as a portfolio decision, not a single-bet plan.

• Attendance remains a key improvement area. Persistent absence is identified as a limiting factor for some disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Families should ask how attendance support is applied day to day, and what escalation looks like when absence patterns begin.

• No sixth form. Students leave at 16, so parents should be comfortable with a planned transition to post-16 provision, and should consider travel time and course breadth for likely next-step providers.

• Digital device expectations. The iPad requirement is clear and the school publishes compatibility expectations. For some families this is straightforward; for others it is a cost and planning consideration.

Weydon School combines strong academic outcomes with a large, well-evidenced personal development and enrichment offer. It looks particularly well suited to students who thrive with high expectations, structured teaching, and plentiful opportunities beyond lessons, including sport, arts, and academic extension.

The main question is admissions competitiveness, and, for some families, the practicalities of post-16 transition since the school finishes at 16. Best suited to families who want a high-performing comprehensive-style secondary in the Farnham area and who are prepared to engage early with the admissions process and, later, the Year 11 transition planning.