Surrey is home to some of the country’s most respected independent schools. Whilst this is great for families looking for an independent education for their children, it can also be a little daunting when you are choosing for your own child. Here is a guide to what matters most as you weigh up your options.
Look beyond the league tables
Results matter, but so does how a school achieves them. Ask how academic challenge sits alongside genuine support and look at the detail behind the headline grades on a school’s exam results page.
Pastoral care and wellbeing
The best schools know each child as an individual. Look for evidence of this in a school’s latest ISI inspection. Ours, for example, found “a robust safeguarding culture across all parts of the school” and “kindness, tolerance and mutual respect pervade every aspect of school life.” (ISI 2025).
Co-curricular breadth
Sport, music, drama, clubs and trips shape confident, well-rounded children. Ask what is on offer and how much is included. At RGS Guildford we offer a wide range of over 70 clubs and societies and actively encourage children to participate in these and promote them at our clubs and societies fair early in the Michaelmas term at the start of the academic year.
Values and community
A school’s values set its culture. It is worth reading a school’s values and asking how they show up in daily life.
Practicalities: travel and fees
Consider the journey and the cost realistically. Most schools set out fees and entry points clearly on their admissions pages.
Visit, visit, visit
Nothing beats seeing a school in action, meeting staff and watching how students speak to one another. Put open mornings in the diary early.