Asked what makes this place special, one student replies that she feels supported in ‘not being the best, but being the best I can be – and the cows help, too!’ With its backdrop of fields full of grazing cattle and ponies, learning here is guided by a strong sense of the pastoral. Year 7 students recently planted 60 saplings (which will mature as they reach their final years at the school) and a new outdoor adventure and education centre comes with zip wires, a climbing tower and nature trail. The 700-acre grounds are also home to an annual cross-country run, and hardy students have started swimming at a local reservoir. Academic facilities are currently being given a glow-up, too – a new library will join the Sixth Form Centre – while the recently refurbished dance studio houses the choreography club, ballet and ‘Dance with Attitude’. The new Sophia programme – where Sixth Formers join university-style seminars to explore topics related to culture, science, ecology and anthropology – has been greeted with excitement. (So far, sessions have covered the nature of time and one of the oldest writing systems in the world.) Given such lofty pursuits, it’s inevitable these students produce strong exam results and progress to an impressive range of destinations. STEM subjects are the most popular degree choices, selected by 33 per cent of pupils; and while Durham is preferred for higher education, leavers also head to such academic groves as RADA, Cambridge and Cornell.
Woldingham School features on The Tatler Address Book, our definitive online lifestyle guide for high net worth individuals seeking the very best of everything. See their profile here.
Location: Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey CR3 7YA
Website: woldinghamschool.co.uk
Head: Dr James Whitehead, PhD, since 2020; previously Director of University Strategy at Rugby School
Pupils: 630 girls: 320 day, 310 boarding
Ages: 11–18
Term fees: Day: £8,455; boarding: £14,110
Oxbridge: 2%
Admission: School’s own exam
Alumnae: Actor Emma Corrin, journalist Ore Ogunbiyi, Grayling CEO Sarah Scholefield
