The Beacon School
76%
Capacity
1,022
Pupils
1.2x
Demand
About The Beacon School
The Beacon School is a mixed state secondary in Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, serving pupils aged 11 to 16. It sits within a local authority that has 14 schools rated Outstanding, but the Beacon itself is not among them. In fact, among the 66 same-type schools in Surrey, it ranks 44th by Progress 8 score. Its closest Outstanding neighbour is Glyn School, 4.2 km away. The top-performing peers in the area include St Andrew's Catholic School, Gordon's School, and Salesian School, Chertsey, all of which post significantly higher Progress 8 scores. The Beacon's own Progress 8 score of -0.14 places it below the Surrey average of 0.26, and it ranks last among the six secondary schools in Reigate and Banstead. The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 270 applications for 228 places and 137 first-preference offers, suggesting it remains a popular local choice despite its middling academic standing.
Academically, the Beacon's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Requires Improvement overall, a step up from its previous Inadequate rating. The inspection found leadership and management, and personal development, to be Good, but quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and sixth-form provision all require improvement. At KS4, the school's Attainment 8 score is 46.4, and 52.8% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score is 3.94, with 28.6% of pupils entering the EBacc and 10.8% achieving a grade 5 or above in it. Progress 8 is -0.14, which is in the average band nationally, but well below the Surrey LA average of 0.26. In maths, Progress 8 is slightly positive at 0.08, while English is 0.03. The school does not have a sixth form, so KS5 data applies only to a small cohort of 31 pupils, whose A-level value added is well below average at -0.62, with an average grade of D per entry.
The Beacon offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, tennis courts, and art studios, and runs clubs from chess and coding to Young Enterprise and gardening. Its sports provision includes rowing, gymnastics, and rugby. The school has a comprehensive SEND offer, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 15.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, it serves a slightly more disadvantaged intake than some local peers. The school is oversubscribed at a ratio of 1.18, meaning it receives more applications than places, but with 137 first-preference offers, most families who want it get in. This is a school that suits families who value a wide extracurricular programme and strong SEND support, and who are comfortable with a school that is improving but not yet academically top-tier.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Picquets Way, Banstead, Reigate and Banstead, SM7 1AG |
| Headteacher | James Grant Duff |
| Local Authority | Surrey |
| Number of Pupils | 1,022 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 15.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,022 / 1,350 (76% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
16 May 2023Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 29 Jun 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.14)
1870th of 3,141
Nationally
286th of 461
In South East
6th of 6
In Reigate and Banstead
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
27.7
'22/23
28.6
'23/24
21.4
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2320%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 230 pupils).
- Sixth form college41%
- FE college25%
- School sixth form (stay)20%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Employment3%
- Not sustained3%
96% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2332%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 71 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
4%
Russell Group
6%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- Employment44%
- University (HE)32%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Not sustained7%
- Further education4%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology11
- English Language and Literature9
- Mathematics7
- Biology6
- Drama and Theatre Studies6
- Geography6
- Sociology6
- Law5
- Chemistry4
- Religious Studies4
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed228
270
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
137 families put this school as their 1st choice (51% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British69.3%
- White (other)6.5%
- Mixed6.0%
- Asian2.6%
- Black0.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
7
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Beacon School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Picquets Way, Banstead
Reigate and Banstead, SM7 1AG
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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