Primary schools3 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Peter Trimming · CC BY-SA 2.0BSchool Grade
Schools in South Merstham · DfE, Ofsted
South Merstham’s state schools: secondary results beat 87% of towns in England, primary results only 34%
South Merstham’s secondaries average an Attainment 8 score of 53.1 across eight GCSEs, close to Surrey’s towns (52.6) and above towns in England (45.9). 5 state-funded schools are located in South Merstham’s built-up area. South Merstham grades B for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #51 of 65 in Surrey. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
5
3 primary, 1 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
58%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
53.1
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
58%
a strong pass in both · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
What stands out about South Merstham’s schools
Strong secondaries, weaker primaries
South Merstham’s secondary results beat 87% of English towns; its primary results beat 34%. 58% of the town’s 11-year-olds meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England and 66% across Surrey. Every school’s result ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
School Grade
South Merstham grades B for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (58% meet the standard)Better than 34% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (53.1 and 58%)Better than 87% of towns in England
The secondary figure lifts South Merstham; the primary figure holds it back.
Each of South Merstham’s 3 primaries: % meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (2023–25)
England’s average schoolSurrey’s average school
The primary figure: 3 primaries in the town, 462 pupils in results over three years. South Merstham has 1 secondary of its own with GCSE results, too few to judge on, so the secondary figure uses the 4 graded secondaries in and within 3 km of the town (800 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where South Merstham’s 5 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is South Merstham’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondary (named)Special, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Results and intake
Which schools do better than their intake suggests
Schools with more pupils on free school meals tend to get lower results. The dashed line is the typical school in England for each level of free school meals; the band holds the middle two-thirds. A dot above the band is doing better than schools like it.
Primaries: KS2 reading, writing and maths against free school meals
The share of pupils on free school meals runs from 9% at Lime Tree Primary School and Nursery to 28% at Merstham Park School. 0 of 3 primaries are above the line.
Show as a table
| School | Free school meals | Result | Typical for that intake | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lime Tree Primary School and NurseryKS2 % | 9% | 65% | 66% | −1 |
| Furzefield Primary AcademyKS2 % | 25% | 56% | 62% | −6 |
| Merstham Primary SchoolKS2 % | 21% | 51% | 63% | −12 |
Free school meals: pupils eligible now, DfE January 2026 census. The typical-school line is a straight-line fit across every graded school in England. It describes; it doesn’t grade: the School Grade uses results alone.
Getting a place
How school places work in South Merstham
Surrey County Council handles applications for every state school in South Merstham, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 1 school is at or over it.
Lime Tree incl. nursery106%
Furzefield85%
Merstham Park79%
Merstham incl. nursery79%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
5 state schools in South Merstham
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of South Merstham’s schoolsA 0B 2C 2D 01 without a letter
Secondary schools1 · best GCSE results first
Special schools, nurseries and colleges1 · no letter: their results don’t compare
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Outstanding 1Good 2Report card 1Ungraded inspection only 1
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 1 of South Merstham’s 5 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merstham Park SchoolJuly 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard |
Who runs them
2 academy trusts and the council
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
| Run by | Schools | Pupils | Their letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glf SchoolsMerstham Park, Lime Tree, Merstham | 3 | 1,392 | BBC− |
| Leo Academy TrustFurzefield | 1 | 403 | C |
| Surrey County CouncilWoodfield | 1 | 198 | — |
After 16
Where South Merstham’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
The state secondary in South Merstham teaches 11 to 16. The nearest college is East Surrey College, a further-education college 0.7 miles away.
Secondaries with a sixth form
0 of 1
state schools in South Merstham
Colleges within 12 miles
4
nearest: East Surrey College
Grammar schools in Surrey
0
no selective state secondaries
| College | Distance |
|---|---|
| East Surrey CollegeFurther-education college · RH1 2JX | 0.7 mi |
| North East Surrey College of TechnologyFurther-education college · KT17 3DS | 7.1 mi |
| Croydon CollegeFurther-education college · CR9 1DX | 8.3 mi |
| London South East CollegesFurther-education college · BR2 8HE | 11.9 mi |
Special needs
Special schools and alternative provision in South Merstham
South Merstham has 1 special school (Woodfield: 198 pupils). A special-school place isn’t applied for like a mainstream one: for a child with an education, health and care plan (EHCP), Surrey County Council names the school in the plan, after asking the family’s preference. These schools have no letter, because their results don’t compare with mainstream schools’. Their cards ↑
Surrey County Council’s SEND Local Offer lists support beyond these schools.
Towns its size
123rd of 373 English towns of 7,000 to 13,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of South Merstham, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chorleywood Hertfordshire | A+ | 79% | 59.8 | 71% |
| … | |||||
| 119 | Norton Canes Staffordshire | B | 71% | 44.7 | 38% |
| 120 | Worsbrough South Yorkshire | B | 62% | 47.8 | 52% |
| 121 | Sawston Cambridgeshire | B | 58% | 54.2 | 60% |
| 122 | Great Dunmow Essex | B | 69% | 44 | 42% |
| 123 | South Merstham Surrey | B | 58% | 53.1 | 58% |
| 124 | Otford and Kemsing Kent | B | 68% | 45.1 | 40% |
| 125 | Adlington Lancashire | B | 64% | 46.8 | 45% |
| 126 | Uppermill Greater Manchester | B | 69% | 43.8 | 41% |
| 127 | Edenbridge Kent | B | 63% | — | — |
| … | |||||
| 373 | Freshwater and Totland Isle of Wight | D− | 39% | — | — |
Neighbours
South Merstham and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
RedhillNetherne on-the-HillSouth NutfieldHooleyChaldonBletchingleyReigateSouth Merstham
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Merstham 5 schools | B | 58% | 53.1 |
| Redhill 9 schools · 1.9 mi | A | 70% | 53 |
| Netherne on-the-Hill 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.3 mi | A− | 66% | 50.5 |
| South Nutfield 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.3 mi | B+ | 67% | 45.7 |
| Hooley 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.3 mi | A− | 64% | 52.3 |
| Chaldon 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.4 mi | B+ | 65% | 47.9 |
| Bletchingley 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.4 mi | C+ | 57% | 47.4 |
| Reigate 8 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.8 mi | A | 66% | 53.3 |
Redhill has the best-graded schools nearby (A). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In South Merstham: 5% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in South Merstham
Are schools in South Merstham good?
South Merstham’s state schools earn a B against schools across England: primary results beat 34% of towns in England; secondary results beat 87% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Surrey council.
What is the best primary school in South Merstham?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Lime Tree Primary School and Nursery: 65% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
Do South Merstham secondary schools have sixth forms?
No. The state secondary teaches 11–16; students move at 16 to a college, a sixth form elsewhere or an apprenticeship.
How do I apply for a school place in South Merstham?
Through Surrey County Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many schools in South Merstham are full?
1 of 4 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
How many state schools are in South Merstham?
5 open state-funded schools are located in South Merstham’s built-up area: 3 primary, 1 secondary and 1 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.