WHAT? WHERE?

Girls at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

Prior’s Field is a day and boarding school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Godalming. It was founded in 1902 by Julia Huxley, mother of the novelist Aldous Huxley, as a progressive school for girls.

Huxley came from a distinguished family that included scholars, writers and suffrage campaigners. Her aim at Prior’s Field was to empower young women with a love of learning, high aspirations and ambition. She wanted her pupils to be strong and kind, but also bold and brilliant with a social conscience.

Huxley had original ideas about education, taking it out of the classroom and into galleries, theatres and museums as well as the countryside. She allowed the girls freedoms – of exploration, discovery and expression. Prior’s Field soon attracted the daughters of the intellectual and social elite including Arthur Conan Doyle, Alexander Siemens and Gilbert Murray.

Her legacy is strongly in force today. This is a school where girl power seeps from the foundations. It is a place where individuality is celebrated and uniqueness embraced. Girls appear happy and confident, and they go on to pursue a wide range of further education from nuclear engineering, neuroscience and medicine to acting and fine arts.

There are currently 370 pupils on the role at Prior’s Field. Entry is softly selective.

Notable alumnae include actresses Lily James, Victoria Hamilton and Jill Bennett, the author and playwright Enid Bagnold, and the writer and painter Patricia Angardi.

FACILITIES

Boarding at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

The school is set in 42 acres of grounds, gardens and woodlands with a striking Arts and Crafts building as the centrepiece. Originally a private house, it was designed by the acclaimed English architect CFA Voysey. The house is Grade II-listed and many of the original features can still be seen in the school today including stylised keyholes, door handles and fireplaces, plus the grand Oak Hall, the oldest part of the school, used today as a meeting space.

In this main building you’ll find the school’s library, dining hall and admin offices, as well as some boarding upstairs.

Further buildings have been added over the years, but all in keeping with the Voysey style of the main building. In fact you’d be hard pressed to age any of the later additions.

The Arnold Building is home to eight modern science labs, the Music School (including an 80-seat recital room, recording studio and several practice rooms), a food technology suite and several general classrooms.

Huxley House is where you’ll find the Sixth Form centre and the boarding houses for the Fifth and Sixth Form pupils.

Prior’s Field has an impressive DT workshop equipped with laser cutters, 3D printers and more power tools than you can shake a 4×4 plank at. There are two art studios, a photography studio and darkroom and a textiles studio.

There’s a purpose-built sports hall with a fitness room and dance studio, several tennis and netball courts, a heated swimming pool, athletics arena and grass pitches, all-weather sports pitch and extensive woodlands.

SPORT

Sport at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

While sport isn’t what Prior’s Field is known for, the sporting agenda here is growing with many students competing at regional and some at national level. The ethos is firmly set around blending sporting excellence with a sport-for-all attitude. And from what I could see the school is achieving that.

The main sports are hockey and netball, and tennis – thanks to the school’s own Tennis Academy which offers specialist coaching alongside a tailored curriculum. Cricket is on the rise, and the addition of new cricket nets in the sports hall has increased the girls’ enthusiasm for this further still.

The school’s commitment to offering a variety of activities and sports to the girls is also seen on the sports agenda. Girls take part in a range of sports from gymnastics and dance, to basketball, badminton, rugby, football, athletics, golf and swimming. Those who excel are well supported and perform at regional and national levels in many areas including athletics, cross-country running, skiing, hockey, netball, swimming and tennis.

Visiting coaches and masterclasses help to support pupils, and each year girls also take part in sporting trips and tours.

THE ARTS

Drama at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

The creative and performing arts are huge at Prior’s Field – and something of a calling card. You can’t help but notice it – the art studios are lined with phenomenal pieces of artwork.

Musically, there’s a lot going on. About 50 per cent of girls take individual lessons in at least one instrument, many in more than one. Lessons range from flute, drums and harp to the bassoon, french horn and oboe. Singing, saxophone, guitar and piano are also on the list, among others.

Alongside all that musical talent comes a host of bands, music groups, orchestras and ensembles – steel band, jazz band, a cappella choir, chamber choir, strings, sax, flute and brass ensembles, plus pop and rock bands, to name a few. The school also hosts the annual multi-school Battle of the Bands competition.

Moving on to performing arts, and one look at the leavers’ destinations will tell you this is a biggie. In 2023 pupils went on to study Acting in New York, Drama and Theatre (Aberystwyth), Theatre Production (Surrey), Music and Technology (Liverpool) and Music (Cambridge). A healthy number of girls choose drama at GCSE and many of those continue with the subject at A Level. But the co-curricular offering is also strong – Lamda is offered, and for exceptionally able thespians the RADA Shakespeare Certificate exam.

There are main productions each year – the upper school and lower school productions – as well as staff panto (written in-house and said to be a hugely fun highlight) and a cabaret show by upper school pupils and scholars. There’s much build-up to the announcement of the upper school production each year with a palpable buzz hanging over the school on the day I visited as pupils and teachers awaited the announcement. And *drumroll* for 2024, it’s Into the Woods.

ACADEMICS

Boarding at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

Prior’s Field is academic – and there is a focus on academic achievement – but it’s by no means pushy. The focus here is on supporting the individual needs of each girl to help bring out their best. As a softly-selective school, there are girls of all abilities – and Prior’s Field is justifiably proud of its value-added outcomes which are excellent.

The school prides itself on girls becoming confident, resilient and happy. It also strives to instil an understanding in girls that achievement is much more than academic success.

With that in mind, the curriculum is deliberately broad with a strong emphasis on independent learning, creativity and problem solving. A wide range of subjects are on offer throughout which includes core subjects like English, maths, French, Spanish and Latin, the classics, food and textiles. The sciences and maths are particularly strong. In 2023, 100 per cent of pupils gained a 7 or above in GCSE chemistry, and biology. Physics, history, religious education and Latin were among the strongest subjects, with more than 75 per cent of girls gaining at 9-7. At A Level, the strongest subject were geography, history, business, chemistry and Chinese – with 100 per cent of pupils achieving A*-A.

Girls’ academic progress is closely monitored, and each week all departments will meet to discuss pupil progress, so when support is needed it’s picked up promptly.

Most girls will take nine subjects at GCSE, although those doing separate sciences will do 10. In Sixth Form, there are 26 different subjects on offer – a mix of A Levels and BTECs, plus the EPQ. Class sizes are generally small.

SIXTH FORM

In Sixth Form, girls are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and development, to help prepare them academically and socially for life after school. Girls take on leading roles within the school – as prefects, school mentors, house captains and sports captains. A Student Wellbeing Ambassador Programme is designed to school girls in the psychology of wellbeing.

There’s a separate Sixth Form centre – a vibrant hub with study spaces as well as social spaces. There’s a bespoke enrichment programme – PROMOTE – to help girls prepare for their future.

ACADEMIC RESULTS

In 2023 results were strong. At A Level, pupils achieved a 100 per cent pass rate and 47 per cent of pupils achieved A*–A. At GCSE, 54 per cent of girls achieved grades 9-7.

In 2023, leavers went on to a wide range of universities including Cambridge, Oxford, St Andrews, Durham, Bath, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Warwick, Bristol, Newcastle, Liverpool, the Royal Veterinary College, New York University, The University of Vermont. One pupil also accepted a degree apprenticeship in nuclear engineering at Rolls-Royce.

PASTORAL CARE

Boarding at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

You’d expect an all-girls school to be wise to the importance of pastoral care, and from my conversations during my visit, Prior’s Field is delivering. It’s the essence of the school’s ethos and runs throughout the school.

There’s a strong support system which comes from the top down. Many of the senior leadership team are from a background of pastoral care. The school has a staff wellbeing group. A formal tracking system is also in place, and staff meet regularly to discuss pupils.

The pastoral team also includes a wellbeing coordinator, two counsellors, two ELSA’s, a life coach and nurses. There’s also a network of support in each of the boarding houses. All heads of year and key pastoral staff are trained in bereavement counselling and EBSWA (helping those who experience challenges in attending school due to negative feelings such as anxiety. And all staff have training in first aid and mental health awareness.

There’s a focus here on developing happy, self-assured and confident girls who feel valued. Girls are given a voice through a number of councils covering everything from LGBTIQA+, multi-faith, multiculture, eco, food and neurodiversity.

WHAT ELSE?

Prior’s Field is a school that likes to give back to its community. This year, a quarter of all pupils took part in volunteering programmes in the local community. This included 84 per cent of the girls in Sixth Form who signed up to do the programme – which is entirely voluntary and carried out during timetabled study periods. Their work at three local state primary schools has resulted in about 400 primary school students getting additional support.

In addition to this programme, Prior’s Field has also delivered student-led outreach workshops to local schools in fields that includes art, sport and music working with more than 500 children.

In the Fifth Form, a quarter of all student take part in a sports leaders programme with 180 local primary school children who benefit for regular sports tuition.

BOARDING

Boarding at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

About one quarter of pupils board at Prior’s Field – on either full, weekly or an ad hoc basis. Unsurprisingly, numbers increase the further up the school you go. There’s a separate purpose-built Sixth Form boarding house, which is actually for those in the Fifth Form and Sixth Form. It’s a bright modern space with two common rooms and individual bedrooms, some of them with ensuite bathrooms.

There’s an extended programme of after-school and weekend activities for boarders.

THE HEAD

Zoe Ireland head teacher at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

Incoming head Zoe Ireland takes the reins in September 2024, from Tracy Kirnig who is retiring after nine years.

Zoe comes to Prior’s Field from Farnborough Hill School where she was deputy head (academic) for six years, including a year as acting head. Originally from Manchester, she’s had a varied career starting as a museum curator at the Manchester United Football Club. She discovered her passion for education when she did her PGCE, initially to be an education officer in museums.

Zoe has worked in a range of schools – both state and independent – as well as a nine-year stint at an international school for service children’s education in Cyprus.

She’s a history and politics teacher and hopes to get back into the classroom at Prior’s Field. Big on women’s empowerment, her values align neatly with those of the school and it’s founder. She says girls should aim to shatter those glass ceilings, not just reach them. And she’s striving to achieve equality in all industries, which starts in education. She wants to build on the foundations at Prior’s Field to create women who will make their mark on the world – bold, brilliant women in whatever field they want to go into.

Zoe will live on site with her two daughters, aged in their early 20s, and her cocker spaniel, Sandy.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Art at Boarding at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

Breakfast Club is from 7.30- 8am every day (cost is £4.25) and Supper Club is from 5.30-7.15pm (cost is £11.50).

There’s an excellent co-curricular programme with more than 45 clubs running after school every day. Clubs and activities range from magic, yoga and trampolining to juggling, debating and sports. There is a focus on physical vitality, creativity, problem solving, leadership and social responsibility, with the aim of enriching the lives of students.

ISI REPORT

The most recent ISI inspection was in September 2022. It noted that pupil attitudes to learning at Prior’s Field were positives, and girls were unafraid to make mistakes. It also found that pupils frequently give each other high levels of support, celebrating and congratulating each other’s achievements. Read the full report here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Mobile phones cannot be used during the school day and are safely secured in a lockable pouch. The exception is the Sixth Form, who are allowed to use their mobile phones whilst in the Sixth Form House.

TRANSPORT

Prior’s Field runs a network of busses which takes in routes to Farnham, Hindhead, Liphook, Haslemere, Godalming and Busbridge, Cranleigh, Guildford, Effingham, Cobham and Woking. Buses also stop at many of the smaller villages in between. The cost depends on which zone you’re in. Termly costs are for five days week and ranges from £175 per term single journey to £751.50 for a return.

A bus for weekly boarders runs from London is £15 single and £25 return per journey. There’s app on which all bookings can be made.

FEES (from January 2024)

Day fees are £7,475 per term for pupils in years 7-8, and for £7,635 for pupils in years 9-13.

Full boarding fees are £12,125 per term in years 7-8; £12,475 in years 9-13. Weekly boarding is £10,350 per term in years 7-8; £10,700 in years 9-13. Half boarding is £142 for two fixed consecutive night in years 7-8 and £152 in years 9-13. Occasional boarding is £87 per night.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Girls at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

Prior’s Field has a reputation for excellent pastoral care, and a friendly, nurturing atmosphere – and parents love this. It’s not pushy, but supportive and encouraging. It appears to nurture confidence, independence and leadership in a way that can’t be faked. The school also has a strong reputation for adding value to girls’ exam results.

Parents praised the extra-curricular offering saying the wide range allowed their girls to try new things and discover new passions.

Prior’s Field was also noted by parents for being excellent at educating girls – following a long history of girls-only education. They really understand and get girls.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Pupils playing violin at Prior's Field School, Godalming, Surrey

Good for: Families looking for a nurturing girls’ school where girls are supported academically but not in a pushy or hot-housey way. Artistic and creative girls will flourish here.

Not for: Parents looking for a highly academic school where girls are pushed hard may find Prior’s Field is not the right fit.

Dare to disagree? Visit the school and see for yourself. There’s a Sixth Form open evening on Thurs 11 Nov, and an all-school open morning on Fri 7 February 2025. Book here.

Prior’s Field School, Priorsfield Road, Godalming, Surrey GU7 2RH. Tel: 01483 810551

Prior’s Field School, Godalming

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