Classpot

Guildford County School

Guildford, GU2 4LUSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Outstanding
Feb 2023
Progress 8
+0.72
Well above average
−20+2
Competition
1.3×
Oversubscribed
226 1st-choice / 172 places
Ranking
🏆Top 10%
#264 of 3,141 nationally

About Guildford County School

Guildford County School is a mixed state secondary and sixth form in Surrey that is currently full to the brim, with 1,190 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,187. Demand is exceptionally high: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 757 applications for 172 places, an oversubscription ratio of 4.4 to one. Of those, 226 families put it as their first preference, and 166 first-preference offers were made. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 8.3 per cent, which is below the national average and reflects the relatively affluent catchment in Guildford. The school has no religious character and is led by headteacher Steve Smith. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in February 2023, confirmed that the school remains Outstanding, a rating it first earned in a graded inspection in 2017. The previous graded inspection in 2013 rated the school Good, so the trajectory has been upward.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterNone
AddressFarnham Road, Guildford, Guildford, GU2 4LU
HeadteacherSteve Smith
Local AuthoritySurrey
Number of Pupils1,190
Free School Meals (FSM)8.3%
School Capacity1,190 / 1,187 (100% full)
Sixth FormYes

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

23 Feb 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
Sixth Form Provision
Outstanding

Latest monitoring visit (23 Feb 2023): School remains Outstanding

Source: Ofsted, 28 Feb 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

9
TheatreDining HallArt StudiosSports HallSwimming PoolScience LabsTennis CourtsLibrarySixth Form Centre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

14

Sports

AthleticsTennisHockeyDanceBadmintonNetball

Clubs & Activities

Book ClubArt ClubYoung EnterpriseChoirChessFilm ClubDuke of EdinburghModel United Nations

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:30 – 15:30

Source: guildfordcounty.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Guildford County School

Guildford County School has been rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. This means the school provides an exceptional quality of education, and pupils thrive both academically and personally.