Woking High School Review 2026: High expectations, strong GCSE outcomes, and a clear sense of direction

Woking High School is a mixed, state-funded secondary in Horsell, serving students aged 11 to 16. It operates as an Academy within the single-academy Woking High School Academy Trust, and it is consistently oversubscribed in the normal admissions round.

A recent inspection found a positive, purposeful culture where students feel safe, behaviour is calm, and learning is taken seriously.

On outcomes, the school performs strongly for GCSEs in the FindMySchool rankings, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England on this measure. Entry, however, is the practical hurdle, especially for families relying on catchment and distance criteria.

High expectations are an obvious feature of day-to-day life here. Students are described as proud of their school and keen to learn, and staff are portrayed as approachable and trusted, including when students raise concerns such as the small number of bullying incidents that arise.

There is also a strong inclusion narrative, backed by a well-defined resourced provision for students with visual impairment. That provision is not presented as an add-on, it is described as bespoke academic and pastoral support that makes a material difference to the students using it.

Leadership stability is another anchor. The current headteacher is Maiken Walter, whose appointment began in September 2019.

Historically, the Morton Road school opened as Horsell High School in 1985, then took the Woking High School name in September 1997, a reminder that the school’s identity has long been tied to serving a wider area than one village.

This is a school with outcomes that stand up well in both local and England-wide context, based on FindMySchool’s analysis of official performance data. Ranked 990th in England and 3rd in Woking for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), Woking High School sits above England average overall, placing it comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England on this measure.

At GCSE level, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 54.5. Progress 8 is +0.31, indicating that students, on average, make above-average progress from their starting points by the end of Year 11.

The EBacc picture is more mixed, and it is useful to interpret it carefully. The average EBacc APS is 4.86, above the England benchmark of 4.08. Meanwhile, 25.8% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure, which reflects a cohort where strong overall outcomes coexist with a more selective pattern of EBacc entry and success.

For families comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you place these figures alongside nearby schools, particularly when weighing Progress 8 and overall attainment together rather than focusing on one measure in isolation.

Curriculum design is a notable strength, with subject content sequenced so that new learning builds logically on what students have already secured. Teaching is described as knowledgeable and well-checked, with questioning used to test understanding and address misconceptions, and with structured opportunities for practice and consolidation.

There is also a clear push to strengthen reading, including identifying gaps quickly and putting targeted support in place. The intent is not limited to English lessons, it is framed as a school-wide culture where students increasingly engage with challenging texts across subjects.

Two practical curriculum trade-offs are worth understanding because they affect subject breadth. The timetable structure described in the inspection report indicates that, in Key Stage 3, choosing Latin can mean dropping Music. In Key Stage 4, choosing Triple Science can reduce the amount of Physical Education on a student’s timetable.

Where Students Go Next

With no sixth form, the end of Year 11 is a genuine transition point. Students are expected to move on to sixth forms and colleges across Surrey and the wider area, so families should think early about the subjects and pathways their child is likely to want at 16.

Careers education and preparation for next steps appear well-established. Students have access to work experience placements, and the school meets the provider access duty around technical education and apprenticeships information.

For Year 7 entry, applications are made through Surrey’s coordinated admissions process. For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 01 September 2025 and the on-time deadline was 31 October 2025. Offers are issued on 02 March 2026, and families must accept or decline by 16 March 2026.

Competition is a defining feature. In the most recent available demand snapshot for the normal round, the school is recorded as oversubscribed with an applications-to-offers ratio of 3.33.

Admissions criteria include several priority routes that matter in practice. The published oversubscription framework referenced in official documentation highlights the importance of sibling priority, a feeder link with Horsell Primary, and a catchment-area criterion.

A key nuance for families is that catchment coverage does not automatically translate into realistic admission chances across the whole area. Official documentation discussing the school’s catchment notes that, in practice, allocation under catchment tends to concentrate around families living close to the school, because places are ultimately constrained by demand and distance-based tie-breaks.

If you are relying on proximity, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your precise distance and to sense-check it against recent patterns, while remembering that distance patterns can shift from year to year with cohort geography.

Pastoral systems appear to be taken seriously, with students encouraged to raise concerns and with confidence that staff will respond. The inspection report also describes strong relationships between students and staff, helping to create a settled environment for learning.

Attendance is treated as a strategic priority. Where students are persistently absent, pastoral teams are described as working with families to improve patterns over time, rather than treating attendance as a purely punitive issue.

Inclusion support is a headline feature, especially for students in the visual impairment provision. More broadly, the school identifies needs accurately and provides staff with detailed information about how to meet them, though consistent use of adaptive teaching is an area still being embedded across all classrooms.

Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular life appears to be a meaningful part of the experience, with examples that go beyond generic lunchtime activities. Two named clubs referenced in formal reporting are Comic Club and Debate Club, giving a sense of breadth across creative and academic interests.

Student leadership is structured rather than symbolic. Roles such as anti-bullying ambassadors and peer mentors sit alongside participation in the school council, which can suit students who enjoy responsibility, representation, and practical problem-solving.

Trips are also part of the offer, including international travel referenced in formal reporting. For many families, the value is not simply the destination, it is the preparation, teamwork, and wider cultural context that travel programmes can introduce into a student’s secondary years.

Sport is clearly active and organised, with a dedicated fixtures and results platform covering teams and competitive matches across the year, including football, basketball, swimming, indoor cricket, and netball.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual secondary costs such as uniform, trips, and optional enrichment activities, as these vary by year group and participation.

Daily start and finish times, as well as any breakfast or after-school provision, should be checked directly with the school as these details were not available from the sources accessed for this review.

For travel, the school is in Horsell, close to Woking, and many families will approach by local bus routes, cycling, or short car journeys. If you are planning a walking route, it is sensible to test it at school-run times because local traffic patterns can be different during drop-off and pick-up periods.

• Admission remains competitive. The school is oversubscribed, and the practical question for many families is how the oversubscription criteria will apply to their circumstances. Build a realistic plan that includes at least one alternative preference.

• Catchment can be misunderstood. Official documentation highlights that, even within catchment, allocation often concentrates close to the school because places are constrained by demand and distance tie-breaks. Families should treat catchment as one factor rather than a guarantee.

• Curriculum breadth has some trade-offs. Examples given include Latin affecting access to Music in Key Stage 3, and Triple Science reducing Physical Education time in Key Stage 4. Families with strong views on breadth should discuss likely option patterns early.

• No sixth form. Students will need to move setting at 16. For some, this is a welcome fresh start; for others, it means planning early for post-16 travel, subjects, and pastoral continuity.

Woking High School combines a settled culture, strong GCSE outcomes in the FindMySchool rankings, and a clear emphasis on inclusion, particularly through its visual impairment provision. It will suit students who respond well to high expectations, structured teaching, and a school environment where behaviour supports learning. The main constraint is admission, so families should approach the process with both ambition and a practical shortlist, using distance and criteria checks to stay realistic.