Weydon School A GSG School

What The Good Schools Guide says

Head

Since 2019, Jackie Sharman who joined Weydon as head of science in 2001 following stints at state secondary schools in Surrey and Hampshire. Discovered a passion for teaching during a school placement as part of her degree in medical microbiology and biochemistry from the University of Surrey. A PGCE at the University of Exeter followed and led to her fascination with all matters pedagogical.

She was inspired by her own physics teacher who 'created a sense of belonging for me'. 'I want to do for others what he did for me,' she says. To this end, still teaches year 11 chemistry and leads whole school assemblies. 'We all respect her, she’s just like, wow,’ one boy says. 'You can tell she loves this school,' adds another. Her team say her leadership is supportive and they praise her promotion of flexibility. She says, 'The system needs to change, the profession is missing a wealth of experience simply because it doesn’t fit with family life.'

Being head of one of the country’s top state schools comes with immense responsibility and she admits that keeping Weydon at the top of the league tables is ‘challenging’. When Ofsted recently downgraded the school in two areas from outstanding to good, she candidly reveals 'it hit really hard’. 'It was devastating and a hard pill to swallow,' she admits, despite the school being graded outstanding in personal development and quality of education. Parents remained supportive and the latest GCSE results helped pick her up.

Entrance

Without doubt, the most sought after non-secular secondary in town. Families are making educationally led moves to Farnham from all over the country purely for Weydon. There are 330 places each year, and children from six partner primary schools (also oversubscribed) get first dibs after looked after children, siblings and children of staff. Consequently, catchment alone is way down the list, so out-of-towners might want to plan a move earlier than year 6 and keep close. In 2024, furthest distance offered to pupils from feeder schools was 4.5km.

Exit

As with most schools in the vicinity, no sixth form means all students depart post GCSE usually heading to Godalming and Alton colleges and The Sixth Form College Farnborough. 'I’d dearly love to have a sixth form here,' head reveals adding school has applied to extend ‘a number of times’ but always been turned down. Excellent careers provision includes work experience and interview practice for all year 10 and 11 pupils, careers club for years 7 and 8, college taster days, annual careers fair and numerous talks from universities and local businesses.

Latest results

In 2024, 49 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 76 per cent 9-5 in both English and maths at GCSE.

Teaching and learning

School is in the top six per cent nationally for GCSEs and results are plastered outside most classrooms, reminding pupils of Weydon’s academic ambitions at every turn. 'It’s exciting when you get to GCSEs because then it’s your chance to get those grades,' one student says.

It all starts with a thorough year 7 transition process where ‘we get to know every single child coming in’. Then a systematic, quality assured ‘flow teaching’ model based on pedagogical best practice (‘not fads’) kicks in. Described by industry leaders as ‘amongst the most exceptional nationally’, it encompasses a three-year run up to GCSEs to ‘allow pupils to delve deeper into topics and help with the pressure’. Parents are impressed with GCSE preparation, saying pupils are taught a variety of revision methods and tested ‘frequently and incrementally all the way through’ so ‘they take the final exams in their stride’. 'By year 11 the teachers really go the extra mile, and you feel they are genuinely rooting for the pupils to do well,’ says one mother.

Initially all subjects taught in tutor groups before ‘streamed parallel pathways’ are introduced at the end of year 9 to ensure ‘no sink groups and all students feel successful’.

Each lesson begins with a ‘do it now task’ - a revision exercise which continually consolidates learning. Lovely broad curriculum with astronomy, business studies, politics, film studies and photography on offer at GCSE. Most popular options are PE and computer science. An upsurge in pupils taking art and food and nutrition too. Around a third take separate sciences and 26 per cent further maths. Languages not compulsory, but ‘positively pushed’ although school recently dropped German and Italian to focus on French and Spanish.

Parents commend teaching staff as ‘absolutely fantastic’ and ‘super dedicated’. Lots of long termers and very few cover staff according to pupils and parents. 'You can tell they truly care and that their relationships with students are solid and respectful,' said one. Another, using language we didn’t expect to hear in leafy Surrey, revealed, 'They don’t take any crap and will say to the kids "do better". I like that.'

There are, however, some fears that the size of the school may mean those in the middle or quiet achievers might ‘go under the radar and coast rather than be pushed’. Academic results at least suggest otherwise.

Homework peaks at around an hour an evening by the end of year 7, after a gentle introduction at the start of the year. Builds to 90 minutes by years 10 and 11 with the school adopting an array of edu-apps to quiz and test pupils - about which we hear a few grumbles from parents. ‘We’re trying to keep them off screens but everything is online and needs a different password!' All pupils are expected to have their own iPad for learning, although school does fund the purchase for families needing support and helps install parental controls for those that need assistance.

Learning support and SEN

Vast but calm and welcoming student support block houses equally vast SEN provision. Parents are ‘incredibly impressed by the knowledge and understanding' across the team of 26. 'They just get it, we haven’t had to push for anything,’ one told us, adding, 'right from the start, the response and professionalism has been like a breath of fresh air'.

Specialists in literacy and numeracy, ELSA and speech and language, support around 14 per cent of the school population who are on the SEN register with a mixture of mainly low level to moderate needs. Comprehensive SEND strategy, informed in partnership with the specialist schools in the WMAT trust, takes a fully inclusive ‘in-class’ approach with targeted specialist interventions for those that need it, plus excellent suite of access arrangements from reduced and alternative curriculum provisions to reader pens and extra time in exams.

Art therapy, therapeutic story writing and early intervention sessions for mental health are available. There are ‘safe and structured’ break and lunchtime clubs for those seeking quiet solace plus an after-school learning club too. 'We build their independence to give them the best possible outcomes and life chances,' says head of department.

The arts and extracurricular

A year 9 samba class reaches a crescendo as we tour the Medici building, a contemporary creative hub akin to an out-of-town arts centre housing a 300-seat theatre with fully-stocked bar (for events only, the school assures!), art gallery, exhibition spaces and music and drama studios.

On the top floor are three art studios, flooded with natural light, surrounding a central gallery displaying varying standards of student work in all mediums. Year 7s have two hours of art weekly, although only one hour is offered at year 8.

Run as a faculty encompassing art, drama, dance, photography and music, the department head tells us, 'Creative arts is seen as crucial to the development of students because we are challenging and academic.'

As we write this review, pupils are literally beating down the door to get into one of the numerous and hugely popular lunchtime drama clubs run by student leaders. Over 100 students were involved in the last whole school production, which has been nominated for the national school theatre awards. 'It is not over-selling it to describe productions as West End standard,' a parent says. Around 60 pupils take GCSE drama. Music uptake increasing - around 15 per cent opt to study it from year 9. Over 100 peri lessons each week – most popular being piano, with singing on the rise. School’s ‘tuning up’ programme offers free music lessons and instrument loans to disadvantaged pupils. Bi-annual trip to New York for GCSE arts students is a highlight, plus at least three other local theatre trips a year offered.

Eighteen extracurricular clubs in the arts alone, and over 100 in total, meaning that Weydon measures up nicely against the independent sector in this area too. From debating, philosophy and chess to DJ and sound production, mindful colouring and embroidery – plus a packed timetable of sports offerings – run by both staff and students. DofE take up is high; around half of each year group for bronze and 70 for silver. Students can apply for leadership roles in specific subjects, and at the top of the school ‘the senior six’ are an impressively mature bunch who lead the student voice. When we visit, they are instigating a cross year buddying programme ‘because the size of the school can make it difficult to connect beyond your own year group’.

Sport

Sparky and substantial sports team deliver what is described as ‘the life blood of the school’. Sporting facilities, approach and outcomes knock spots off some of the locality’s best independent offerings and are underpinned by the department’s motto, ‘excellence for some, opportunity for all’.

Numerous grass football pitches double up as cricket fields in the summer and have a long jump runway and shot-put circle. There are two all-weather pitches, four netball courts (complete with smart branded goal posts) and four basketball courts which we’re pleased to see are packed with pupils playing at break times. Inside facilities are on par, with a fully equipped fitness suite, two sports halls with four trampolines and some 15 table tennis tables – which we hear are enjoyed by parents at the weekly ping pong club.

Apart from hockey (which is being worked on) Weydon offers all the usual sports plus an excellent and eclectic selection of the more unusual including archery, boxing, boccia, cornhole, padel boarding and even office chair Olympics, which sounds like a hoot!

Nearly half of pupils take PE into GCSE with almost a third achieving grades 8 or 9. Annual ski and sports ‘trips of a lifetime’ are the jewel in the crown. ‘Absolutely brilliant, I’ll never forget having that experience,’ one boy says of a recent jaunt to South Africa. Many others we speak to tell us sport is what they love most about Weydon and the camaraderie between pupils and PE team is palpable.

The school’s award-winning annual sports newspaper reports that pupils are swimming, running, shooting and golfing for the county, region and country. There's a hattrick of success for the U13 girls football team who scooped the district league, cup and county cup in a single season, and years 7,8 and 9 are county netball champions. Cabinets of silverware across the school include the English School Football Associations School Cup won by the boys U16s in 2023.

To inspire further, all pupils are welcome to attend regular guest talks on everything from resilience in sport to how the menstrual cycle affects performance. 'Participation in the upper school amongst girls is as high as it is in the lower school,' the head of department tells us proudly.

Ethos and heritage

Weydon opened in 1957 on what was a hop field and the site now spans 12 acres with modern red brick buildings framing the central sports park. Inside, off some of the widest corridors we’ve ambled along, are bright, spacious, and noticeably spic and span classrooms. There are fully equipped DT, textiles and cooking rooms and a huge well-stocked library. All areas are pristine and Weydon easily wins the award for smartest, best equipped state school we’ve visited, perhaps because it’s part of a trust which has secured over £25m in extra capital funding in recent years. Encompassing four other mainstream secondary schools, three special schools and one primary, the Weydon Multi Academy Trust launched in 2017 and boasts an ethos of excellence, ambition and aspiration for students and staff alike. As a result, each of the schools are oversubscribed with student numbers up by almost 20 per cent across the board.

Weydon particularly has been highly acclaimed in national newspaper schools’ awards, resulting in growing interest from families relocating to Surrey from London boroughs. 'We had never heard of Farnham before. We chose to move here purely because of the school,' one parent says.

For a school of such huge numbers, Weydon feels warm, respectful and relaxed. We see shining examples of affable interactions between staff and pupils during our visit. At break time we observe pupils chatting in small groups and playing basketball and table tennis.

Pastoral care, inclusivity and discipline

‘This school is built on relationships,’ says head who cultivates Weydon’s values of ‘belong’ and ‘care’ from top down. 'We hook them in and make them feel good, that’s the key,' she says. School’s third value, ‘believe’, instils aspiration and confidence, features which are evident in our conversations with pupils.

Despite its size, the pastoral process at Weydon is slick and robust. School is split into two (it must be said, highly competitive) colleges with 11 forms in each year group. The tutor ‘is the champion’ and each stays with their class through to year 11. They are supported by staff wellbeing leads whilst student wellbeing ambassadors give pupils a voice.

Weydon recently launched an expansive student wellbeing package for which it charges parents (who can afford it) £20-30 a year (payment is optional). It is available to every student and includes workshops and resources from a leading neuroscientist, parent talks and a wellbeing measurement platform. 'We fully support it,' said one parent, ‘it’s great idea in the economic situation state schools currently find themselves in.' Additional wellbeing resources are offered via school’s learning platform and include an anonymous email service plus specific clubs, including year 7 hot chocolate club and year 11 exam worries club. School also boasts a wellbeing garden for quiet reflection.

One pupil candidly tells us how supportive the school was after he was bullied for, as he puts it, ‘acting gay’ when he joined in year 7. Another said, 'I trust my tutor and know she’s there for me.' Diversity and inclusion are celebrated with a weekly E4E (Equality for Everyone) club promoting a ‘no outsiders’ approach plus Diversity Week and Culture Day. Recent guest speakers have included Surrey Pride and the police on hate crime.

School did recently come under fire however when some parents complained to local press about its new stringent behavioural policy. Pupils who break the rules, which include forgetting learning equipment, missing homework deadlines and chewing gum, are given a detention and multiple detentions or more serious ‘red line’ behaviours lead to time in the ‘reflection room’. Here pupils work, supervised but in silence, for the rest of the day they are sanctioned in, plus one hour after school, before returning the following day until the end of the period in which they were initially referred. When we visit there are four pupils working away quietly in the stark classroom. Head explains the policy was introduced after the pandemic when pupils lacked routine which started to impact learning. ‘It was the right thing to do and it has paid off,’ she insists.
Mixed views amongst parents. ‘Introducing consequences has instilled a sense of responsibility and independence in my son,’ said one in support. But another said the introduction of the policy when their child joined the school ‘made the first term hard and led to anxiety amongst some children’. Pupils we meet become quite animated as they bemoan the ‘absolutely ridiculous’ misdemeanours they’ve been pulled up on, which include ‘not having white socks for PE’ and ‘being spotted with a coat on indoors’ and one parent concurs, ‘it is a little OTT, the students are full of injustice at it.’ School assures us it has subsequently eased up the policy, with new year 7s now given a month’s ‘grace period’ to fully embed and understand the rules before detentions are dished out. 'It’s evolving and the school is open to feedback,' a mother added.

The carrot comes in the standard form of achievement points which are celebrated at end of terms assemblies, and we hear of the odd pizza party too. Pupils are rewarded for 10 key ‘characters of success’. They include ambition, integrity and kindness alongside love of learning, teamwork and leadership.

Pupils and parents

Pupils are articulate, confident, polite and compliant. They are proud to attend the school and say they feel a responsibility to continue delivering on its excellent results. Aforementioned behavioural policy is clearly eradicating any visible uniform rebellion too as they’re a sartorially smart bunch too. Parents are heavily invested in their children’s education. 'They can be a critical friend, but only because they want the best for the school,' one teacher explains. Full spectrum of socio-economic backgrounds, thanks to catchment that encompasses a neighbouring social housing estate which sits alongside multi-million pound piles. 'It’s not a homogenous bubble of affluence by any means,' said one father. Not the most racially diverse either though, largely due to its location in the Surrey Hills.

The last word

An industrious, orderly and academically enthusiastic school with facilities to rival the independent sector and results that outshine parts of it too. Solid processes and established teaching methods are underpinned with real care and delivered by an established, happy staff. Proving big can be beautiful, this is slick state schooling at its best. As one pupil told us, 'I know I’m in good hands'.

Special Education Needs

At Weydon School we aim to be fully inclusive so that all students, regardless of their strengths and difficulties in any area, are equally valued and are afforded the same opportunities to participate fully in and access school life. We make reasonable adjustments in order to include all students, remove barriers to learning and ensure equality of opportunity. Our experienced and dedicated team support students with a wide range of SEND. All teachers are provided with information on the needs of individual pupils so that they can plan the learning within our curriculum to ensure that all students are able to make progress and look after their well-being. As an inclusive school we aim for students to be supported in class, learning in lessons alongside their peers and not withdrawn from class. We work collaboratively with numerous agencies and providers, where appropriate, to support students and also facilitate regular staff professional development. We recognise that parental engagement is key and encourage partnership in co-production. We believe students are best supported when their voice is a central and integral part of the process.

Interpreting catchment maps

The maps show in colour where the pupils at a school came from*. Red = most pupils to Blue = fewest.

Where the map is not coloured we have no record in the previous three years of any pupils being admitted from that location based on the options chosen.

For help and explanation of our catchment maps see: Catchment maps explained

Who came from where