School Chooser

Esher Church of England High School

Secondary · ages 11-16MixedAcademyChurch of England1,160 pupilsEsherSurrey
School Chooser Score
77
Above
similar schools
Likely range 70 to 82
Out of 100. Better than 86% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, April 2026
Strong pass in English and maths61%England 46%
Attendance92.4%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families21%A bit fewer than most schools
Places40 spare1,160 pupils, 1,200 places
Pupils per teacher18.1School workforce census

Esher Church of England High School is a converter academy in Esher for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,160 pupils and room for 1,200. About 21 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 77 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 86% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in April 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

More Lane, Esher, KT10 8AP01372 468068esherhigh.surrey.sch.ukMr Andy King headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 28 April 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
16 March 2022UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

218 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score55.4
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths61%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths81%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.22In each subject, pupils here finished a little ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 49.549.520182019: 48.648.620192022: 50.850.820222023: 52.052.020232024: 49.949.920242025: 55.455.42025
Since 2018: +5.9Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018SurreyEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11218233221226187208
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 855.449.952.050.848.649.550.646.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.22+0.11+0.01+0.08+0.18
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths61%58%57%57%50%54%54%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths81%76%72%71%69%71%73%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score5.124.504.684.484.264.404.544.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry61%43%49%38%39%40%44%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged37.637.930.435.342.034.2
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged58.551.455.353.250.651.9
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers29.031.632.626.723.3
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers67.567.371.061.866.1

Subjects

Results came out for 22 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Geography74%grades 9 to 5, England 51% · 348th of 3,116 schools
Social Studies76%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 138th of 1,043 schools
English Language73%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 354th of 3,210 schools
English Literature76%grades 9 to 5, England 58% · 386th of 3,202 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Food Preparation & Nutrition (33% here, 52% across England), Dance (41% here, 58% across England), Art and Design (47% here, 58% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
English Language218 entries · 13th of 53 in Surrey
73%England 54%
Mathematics217 entries · 25th of 53 in Surrey
63%England 53%
English Literature212 entries · 11th of 53 in Surrey
76%England 58%
Religious Studies203 entries · 25th of 34 in Surrey
56%England 60%
Combined Science154 entries · 21st of 53 in Surrey
49%England 36%
Art and Design114 entries · 46th of 52 in Surrey
47%England 58%
History112 entries · 23rd of 53 in Surrey
63%England 52%
Geography91 entries · 13th of 53 in Surrey
74%England 51%
French88 entries · 21st of 38 in Surrey
67%England 60%
Business87 entries · 28th of 41 in Surrey
55%England 51%
Spanish65 entries · 27th of 40 in Surrey
54%England 54%
Physics60 entries · 5th of 45 in Surrey
100%England 82%
Biology60 entries · 18th of 45 in Surrey
98%England 82%
Chemistry60 entries · 20th of 45 in Surrey
97%England 81%
Physical Education43 entries · 14th of 50 in Surrey
74%England 56%
Social Studies33 entries · 8th of 24 in Surrey
76%England 54%
Drama33 entries · 14th of 28 in Surrey
73%England 60%
33%England 52%
Dance17 entries
41%England 58%
59%England 56%
Music16 entries
69%England 61%
0%England 49%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Language21832%73%86%54%354 of 3,210
Mathematics21733%63%83%53%756 of 3,211
English Literature21235%76%88%58%386 of 3,202
Religious Studies20320%56%71%60%1,147 of 1,825
Combined Science1548%49%71%36%598 of 3,084
Art and Design11411%47%64%58%1,990 of 2,818
History11236%63%72%52%767 of 3,126
Geography9142%74%80%51%348 of 3,116
French8835%67%83%60%818 of 1,974
Business8726%55%74%51%680 of 1,806
Spanish6528%54%80%54%1,017 of 1,941
Physics6082%100%100%82%108 of 2,546
Biology6062%98%100%82%418 of 2,570
Chemistry6063%97%100%81%633 of 2,537
Physical Education4321%74%88%56%362 of 1,559
Social Studies3324%76%91%54%138 of 1,043
Drama3339%73%85%60%298 of 844
Food Preparation & Nutrition1817%33%50%52%
Dance170%41%53%58%
Computer Science1729%59%71%56%
Music1631%69%88%61%
Other Modern Languages100%0%0%49%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
37.658.5
Gap 20.9England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
25%67%
Gap 42 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
54.556.3
Gap 1.8England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places1,127 pupils for 1,200 places, 2024/25
94% full

About 73 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 3% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.6 miles away in 2026, 2.4 miles away in 2025. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.6 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary2402601.6 milesLA
2025 Secondary2402932.4 milesLA
2024 Secondary240260all offeredLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 1.6 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.6 miles of the school£642,000half sold for £460k to £1.1m
Homes sold1,065December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-2%a typical home in the district sells for £655,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll1,160Census January 2026
Places1,20097% full
Pupils from low-income families21%21% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English10%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%102 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%55 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.943 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils30%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)21%£269,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls551 / 609
White British pupils67%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (75), Specific learning difficulty (28), Autistic spectrum disorder (21), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (13), Moderate learning difficulty (9), language and communications needs (7).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,1601,1301,1721,1651,1571,145
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals21%19%17%16%13%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language10%10%9%10%8%7%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support6%3%9%8%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%3%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance92.4%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school20.5%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils14.32024/25, 4 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.7%8.3%8.7%8.6%4.5%4.9%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.3%5.9%7.2%7.4%3.9%3.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.4%2.4%1.5%1.3%0.7%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence20.5%24.8%28.0%27.2%11.1%11.7%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate14.320.724.811.310.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions46212

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 221 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training93%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 76%, compared with 96% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training93%93%94%93%
Education89%87%90%89%
Apprenticeship2%2%2%1%
Work3%4%2%2%
Not in education, work or training6%5%4%5%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers63.9full-time equivalent, 69 people
Pupils per teacher18.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers97%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants15.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£58,317
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.22024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,890England £7,965. Total £8.9m
Income per pupil£8,024England £8,423. Total £9.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,747England £4,444
Money in reserve18%A healthy amount put by: £1.6m, £1,416 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£151kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,890spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m4412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate69 per 1,000 people24% lower than the England average
Typical house price£656,500Elmbridge
Nearest bus stop120 mEsher High School, 7 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Three Rivers AcademyAcademy1.4 miles1,311No overall grade 202426Compare
Hinchley Wood SchoolAcademy1.7 miles1,422Outstanding 202396Compare
Heathside Walton-on-ThamesFree school2.2 miles661No overall grade 202580Compare
Cobham Free SchoolFree school2.7 miles983Good 202378Compare
Chessington SchoolAcademy2.9 miles653Good 202462Compare
Southborough High SchoolAcademy3.0 miles935Good 202374Compare
Tolworth Girls' School and Sixth FormAcademy3.3 miles1,529Outstanding 202394Compare
St Paul's Catholic CollegeAcademy3.3 miles1,395Outstanding 202498Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Esher Church of England High School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats86%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 77 is 23 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 11 · middle 53 · highest 89100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 77 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 77% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 70 to 82. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%above
+0.12
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 218 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
-0.04
Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.08
DfE progress measure; 218 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.11
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 1,175 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.15
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 218 pupils
What pupils do next5%above
+0.02
221 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Esher Church of England High School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Esher Church of England High School scores 77 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 86% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 70 to 82, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Esher Church of England High School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 28 April 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Esher Church of England High School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 61% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 55.4, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Esher Church of England High School have?

1,160 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,200 places, so it is 97% full.

Is Esher Church of England High School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.6 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Esher Church of England High School?

Pupils were in school 92.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Esher Church of England High School?

The average class had 26.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 30% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Esher Church of England High School have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 93% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
More Lane, Esher, KT10 8AP
Telephone
01372 468068
Website
www.esherhigh.surrey.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Andy King
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Guildford
Multi-academy trust
Enlighten Learning Trust (6 schools)
Local authority
Surrey
Ward
Esher
Constituency
Esher and Walton
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 March 2014 (academy converter)
URN
140650 · LAESTAB 9364508 · UKPRN 10045189
Formerly
Esher CofE High School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from