Powell Corderoy Primary School

About Powell Corderoy Primary School

Powell Corderoy Primary School is a state-funded mixed primary in Mole Valley, within Surrey local authority. Among the 298 primary schools in Surrey, it sits outside the very top tier occupied by peers like South Farnham School, The Raleigh School, and Cardinal Newman Catholic Primary School, but it holds its own as a solidly Good-rated option. With 202 pupils against a capacity of 210, the school is near full and clearly popular: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 108 applications for just 26 places, an oversubscription ratio of 4.15 to one. Of those, 23 were first-preference offers, meaning most families who put it top got in, but competition is stiff. Headteacher Richard Darke leads a school that feels like a genuine local choice rather than a regional powerhouse — one that parents in the Dorking area are clearly keen on.

Academically, Powell Corderoy’s most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2022 rated it Good overall, with a standout Outstanding for personal development. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all scored Good, while early years provision also came in at Good. This is a consistent improvement from its previous 2016 inspection, which also rated overall effectiveness as Good but gave early years a lower grade of 2 (Requires Improvement at the time). The school’s KS2 performance data isn’t published here, but Surrey’s local authority average for KS2 attainment is 66 per cent, so parents can benchmark against that. The school serves a relatively affluent intake — just 8.9 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals — which may partly explain its steady outcomes, though the Ofsted report highlights genuine strengths in how pupils develop personally and socially.

The school offers a practical range of facilities including a sports hall, library, playing fields, music rooms, and an outdoor playground, with clubs spanning gardening, chess, choir, and science. Sports provision covers gymnastics, cricket, football, and netball. For families with children who have additional needs, the SEND register is broad: the school supports pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. There’s no nursery or sixth form, so it’s a straight primary for ages 4 to 11. Given its oversubscription, this is a school for families who live close enough to secure a place and who value a well-regarded local primary with strong pastoral care and a good range of activities, rather than a high-pressure academic environment.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Powell Corderoy Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents