WHAT? WHERE?

Students at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

An independent day school for boys and girls aged 2-16, Hoe Bridge School is in the midst of some big changes. It’s a forward-thinking school in a new phase of growth, expanding to take children up to GCSE level.

The all-through journey begins in the Pre-Prep (Nursery to Year 2) and continues through the Prep (Year 3-8) into the Senior School. The first Year 9 cohort will be in place in September 2025. It’s a bold move, but one that will fill a gap in Woking for a choice of independent senior schools.

Located on a 22 acre site on the outskirts of Woking, the school grounds are a lovely mix of fields, grassland and woods with a lake and a stream.

The school was established in 1986 after the merger of two boys’ schools, Allen House and St Michael’s School. Girls were admitted three years later.

There are currently around 540 pupils with numbers expected to reach 550 by the end of the year. The main points of entry are Nursery, Reception, Year 3, Year 7 and now also Year 9. The school describes its admission process as ‘lightly selective’ saying it want families who will fit in with the ‘Hoe Bridge way’. There are basic assessments for maths, writing, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning from Reception – but the results aren’t the be-all and end-all. The school takes a more holistic approach looking at the whole child first and the bigger picture.

Children are mostly local, living within a seven or eight mile radius – no great surprise from a school with the tagline ‘The local school for local families’. Also unsurprising is the school’s exceptionally strong sense of community.

FACILITIES

Hoe Bridge is soon to be a school of three parts – but one that very much forms a whole. There are dedicated facilities for the Pre-Prep and Prep, and the GSCE Hub – starting in autumn 2024 and expected to be completed by 2026 – will also have its own dedicated building and separate entrance. The building will be carbon neutral with solar panels everywhere. It has been designed to blend into the surrounding environment.

Artist's impression of the new senior school at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

The Prep is housed in a beautiful mansion house that dates back to 1680 and was a favourite retreat of Lady Castlemaine, a mistress of King Charles II. The Grade II-listed building is teeming with original features including stunning frescos on walls and ceilings, a grand central staircase and fireplaces.

A pretty chapel dates back to 1850 and houses art and DT studios as well as music rooms and practice rooms. The school also has specialist ICT classrooms and science labs.

A large dining hall is adjacent to the performing arts centre with a clever retractable wall between the two to create a more versatile large space.

Sports wise, there’s a huge indoor sports hall plus another smaller one. Outside the extensive grounds lend themselves well to a vast range of sports facilities including a Forest School called the Hideout. There are three large playing fields, flood-lit all-weather pitches, a heated outdoor swimming pool, and a cross country running course. There are also cricket squares and nets, plus a cricket pavilion. Local sports grounds are also used for the older children.

SPORT

Netball at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

The school has traditionally been known for its sporting strength, and while this hasn’t diminished the arts and academics have been bolstered to create a more balanced all-rounder offering.

That said, sport is still an intrinsic part of the Hoe Bridge DNA and an important part of school life. It’s a sport-for-all philosophy, with plenty on offer. A big thing at Hoe Bridge is to give children plenty of opportunity to help them shine at something they’re passionate about.

School days start with a HIIT session. They’re run by the headmaster, and while it’s optional, they’re hugely popular with children. Pupils have PE or games lessons four days a week, and Wednesday afternoons are dedicated to sporting fixtures from Year 4 upwards. Children compete in a dizzying array of sports – from the usuals like netball, hockey, cricket, football, rugby and swimming to tennis, golf, skiing and cross country.

THE ARTS

Art at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

A push to develop the arts over recent years has clearly paid off as they’re super strong in all areas.

As well as timetabled music lessons, about 70 per cent of pupils are also having individual music lessons in more than 20 different instruments. Children in the Prep have plenty of opportunity for performance with a number of small concerts and recitals held throughout the year. There are also about 10 ensembles in choir, strings, bass, woodwind and percussion for children to join.

Got a budding thesp? The drama offering won’t disappoint. Several small productions are staged each year, and a main school production by the Years 6 and 8 pupils. Children in Years 4 and 5 are keen to get in the act, so another major production is likely to be added to the school’s calendar. Children can also do LAMDA, musical theatre and dance as part of the extra-curricular programme.

During my visit, the school was gearing up for an annual arts showcase and the standard of Prep artwork on show was genuinely really great. Much of it wouldn’t look out of place in a Senior school. The arts studio in the Chapel is a lovely light-filled space. Design technology is also part of the curriculum – wood and metalwork sits alongside electronics, 3D printing and vacuum forming.

LITTLIES

Children at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

The Pre-Prep is housed in its own purpose-built building with 220 children in total from age 2 to 7 years overseen by Amanda Willis, Head of Pre-Prep. Children start in Nursery Twigs at 2, moving on Nursery Acorns the following year. From Reception, it’s three-form entry with class sizes no bigger than 21. Each class has two adults – the class teacher and a high level teaching assistant.

In Nursery and Reception the school follows the Reggio Emilia learning method – a child-led and child-centred approach that centres learning around the children’s interests. There’s a strong emphasis on outdoor learning with teachers encouraged to plan at least two outdoor sessions every week. All classrooms have their own outside space (except Year 2 who are upstairs), and inside there’s also a feeling of the outdoors with lots of natural authentic materials in place of bold-coloured plastic toys.

Things become more structured in Year 1, and children are encouraged to become more independent. Learning becomes topic-based . Children also start to learn French, and basic coding is also introduced at this stage. Individual music lessons are also offered from Year 1. In Year 2, an impressive 89 per cent of pupils are learning a musical instrument.

All Pre-Prep children have specialist teacher for sport, music, musical theatre and swimming.

The Pre-Prep playground is a haven for children with an adventure playground, a meadow and the very popular Hideout.

ACADEMICS

In a classroom at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

Academics are robust at Hoe Bridge School, and pupils are generally six to nine months ahead of the national curriculum regardless of whether they’re Year 6, 7 or 8. Children join the Prep in Year 3 – most of which transition from the Pre-Prep. Lessons are mostly taught by the form teacher with subject specialists in science, maths, French as well as PE, Games, music, drama, art, DT, and ICT. In Year 4, almost all lessons are specialist taught.

Until recently, numbers have tended to drop off going from Year 6 to Year 7, with about a third staying on. But in 2024 more than half have stayed and will continue through to Year 11. The’ve been dubbed the Pioneering Year 7s.

Although the school is moving away from the Common Entrance, recent results have been amazing. In 2023, 90 per cent of pupils achieved an A*-B. Those who didn’t stay on at Hoe Bridge accepted places at Reed’s, St George’s Weybridge, RGS Guildford, Tormead, St John’s Leatherhead, Charterhouse, Guildford High, St Catherine’s Guildford, Lord Wandsworth, Rodean, Prior’s Field, ACS Egham and Claremont Fan Court.

PASTORAL CARE

Children at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

This is a school that appears to have nailed the pastoral care. The key thing, I’m told, is the caring staff who have built close relationships with students. As I walk around the school with the headmaster Chris Webster, it’s decidedly evident that strong relationships are formed by all – he greets every child by name and the children are relaxed and chatty. In the Pre-Prep there was much of the same, on her way out the door a little girl wrapped her arms around headteacher Amanda Willis.

For most children, their form teacher will the the first port of call. But there are also heads of department, two counsellors, four Elsa’s plus a school nurse.

Relationships are also strong with parents – at the first whiff of an issue the school will call parents which means things are dealt with early rather then escalating.

Like all schools, there’s a formal pastoral structure in place which includes an student profiling system.

Chris Webster is also incredibly involved with the pupils he’s and a strong believer in open communication. He greets pupils every day as they arrive and waves them off as they leave – no mean feat for a busy head overseeing significant change within the school. I got the impression it’s very much about individual needs of children, rather than a cookie-cutter approach to wellbeing and mental health.

THE HEAD

Chris Webster, head master at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

Chris Webster has been headmaster at Hoe Bridge School since 2018 and has certainly made his mark. He’s a popular head – with both parents and pupils – which is no surprise. Warm, friendly and generous with his time, he’s all about empowering children by building confidence and self-esteem. His open door policy, means children are given a voice (and they’ll often drop by with ideas) and parents can speak to him easily too.

Before Hoe Bridge, Chris was deputy head at King’s Hall School in Taunton for five years, and before that was at Sedbergh School in Cumbria for 12 years. He’s always worked in boarding schools, and until now always lived on-site. Perhaps that’s why he’s passionate about building a strong school community. Hoe Bridge certainly has a big family feel.

He’s married with four children – the youngest two are in their final years of senior school, the elder two both working, one as a teacher. His wife is also in education.

QUIRKS

Every year students in Year 7 take part in the Greenpower challenge which involves them designing, building and then racing an electric car. The Hoe Bridge team come up against students from other senior schools and universities. The event is hosted by Goodwood.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Hockey at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

Days are relatively long at Hoe Bridge with the academic day ending between 4pm-5pm, and then most children taking part in extra curricular clubs after that. There are 33 different extra curricular clubs which change termly – everything from Lamda, ballet and tap to sports clubs, code club, arts and crafts, and cooking.

There’s Breakfast Club from 7.30am and then in the afternoon wrap around care is available until 6.30pm.

ISI REPORT

Hoe Bridge was awarded ‘Excellent’ in all areas by Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspectors in in March 2023. Read the full report here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Mobile phones use is not allowed at Hoe Bridge. If pupils require a phone to get to and from school, it must be checked into the office each day.

TRANSPORT

Three mini busses run across three different routes each morning and evening – operating two services allowing children to arrive early for Breakfast Club or in time for registration and being able to select their departure time with Prep and After School Activities finishing at variable times.

Routes cover villages around Woking including Knaphill, Mayford, Pyrford, Woodham, Chobham and Horsell going as far as West Byfleet.

FEES

2024-25: Termly fees start at £4,100 for full-time in the Nursery; £4,500 in Reception; £4,800 for Years 1-2; £5,900 for Years 3-4; £6,500 for Years 5-6; £6,600 for Years 7-8; and £7,000 for Years 9-11. Fees include lunch and all break-time drinks and snacks.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Children performing at Hoe Bridge School in Woking, Surrey.

Parents love the community spirit at Hoe Bridge, and the commitment of staff. They say teaching is excellent. One parent said the school was very good at getting the best out of children, regardless of where they were positioned academically.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Self-motivated all-rounders who have a go-getter drive and are keen to throw themselves into activities while keeping up with their studies. Families looking for an all-through option.

Not for: It’s a busy school with lots going on so it might not suit those who don’t like to get involved.

Dare to disagree? Go see the school for yourself. The headmaster conducts private tours each week. There are open events for the Prep and Senior schools on Tues 4 February and for the Pre-Prep on Thurs 23 January.

Hoe Bridge School, Hoe Place, Old Woking Road, Woking, GU22 8JE. Tel: 01483 760018

Hoe Bridge School, Woking

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