St Mary's CofE Primary School

About St Mary's CofE Primary School

St Mary’s CofE Primary School in Tandridge is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 158 applications for just 59 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.68, meaning nearly three families applied for every spot. Of those, 74 put it as their first preference, and all 59 first-preference applicants were offered a place. While the school doesn’t publish a parent recommendation percentage, this level of demand speaks volumes about its reputation in the community. The school is led by headteacher Timothy Samuel and has a Church of England character, though it welcomes families of all backgrounds. With 633 pupils on roll, it is close to its capacity of 660, and just 8.8 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average.

Academically, St Mary’s performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Surrey average of 66 per cent. The school ranks 4th out of 17 primary schools in Tandridge and 59th out of 298 across the whole of Surrey. In reading, 91 per cent met the expected standard and 38 per cent reached the higher standard; in maths, 84 per cent met the expected standard and 36 per cent achieved the higher level. Average scores were 109 in reading and 107 in maths. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good overall, with Outstanding marks for personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. This is a step down from its previous Outstanding rating in 2015, but the inspection noted strong provision across the board.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, music rooms, an ICT suite, a chapel and a Forest School programme. Sports on offer include netball, tennis, athletics, cross country, rounders and swimming, and there are clubs such as art, chess and book club. For families with children who have additional needs, St Mary’s has a broad SEND offer covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a large, oversubscribed primary that suits families who value strong academic outcomes within a Church of England setting, and who are prepared to apply early given the competition for places.

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