Esher Church of England High School

Esher Church of England High School is a caring, inclusive school where pupils are happy, feel safe and behave well. Safeguarding standards are met, and inclusion is a notable strength: pupils with additional needs are identified early and supported through well-coordinated provision, including the Willow Building, so they can settle, regulate and learn alongside their peers. Attendance has improved to above the national average, behaviour is calm and orderly, and pupils say bullying is rare and dealt with quickly. The school is part of the Enlighten Learning Trust and has a Church of England religious character. Most pupils achieve well, especially in GCSE English and mathematics, where strong pass rates are well above national averages. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, reading is prioritised, and pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips and careers education. Leadership and governance are effective, with strong trust and governor oversight, positive parental engagement and good staff wellbeing. However, disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities have not made the same progress as their peers over time. Assessment and feedback are not applied consistently across all subjects, which can make it harder for some pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, to understand how to improve. Leaders' recent work on inclusion and adaptive teaching is beginning to make a positive difference, and the next steps focus on consistent assessment and feedback and ensuring staff fully consider the specific barriers disadvantaged pupils face in achievement and attendance.

Strengths

• Inclusion is a standout strength, with early identification and well-coordinated support for pupils with SEND.
• The Willow Building provides effective specialist therapeutic and pastoral provision.
• Pupils with additional needs are included fully in lessons and wider school life.
• Pupil premium funding is used well to remove barriers, including attendance support, transport and access to clubs and trips.
• Most pupils achieve well, with GCSE English and mathematics strong pass rates well above national averages.
• Recent curriculum and teaching improvements are helping disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND remember learning more securely.
• Attendance has improved and is now above the national average.
• Behaviour is calm and orderly, and pupils report that bullying is rare and dealt with quickly.
• Clear routines, including the paired system and phone-free approach, have created a respectful culture.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with clear explanations and regular checks on understanding.
• Reading is prioritised, with effective support and a well-stocked library.
• Leadership and governance are effective, with strong trust and governor oversight.
• Parents speak positively about the school and staff feel well supported.
• Personal development is well planned, including culture curriculum, relationships and sex education, online safety and careers.
• Pastoral support is highly effective and pupils feel known and cared for.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs, trips and leadership opportunities, especially in sport and performing arts.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND have not made the same progress as their peers over time.
• Assessment and feedback are not used consistently across all subjects.
• Inconsistent assessment and feedback can make it harder for some pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, to understand how to improve.
• Leaders should ensure staff fully consider the specific barriers disadvantaged pupils face to support achievement and attendance.
• Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8 has been negative and the disadvantage gap remains notable in English and mathematics.
• Attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND is close to but not yet at the national average.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Esher Church of England High School attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 6.2% of pupils at Esher Church of England High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Esher Church of England High School had 18.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 8.8% of pupils at Esher Church of England High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Esher Church of England High School received £8,088 and spent £7,946 for each of its 1,131 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,602,000 (£1,416 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Enlighten Learning Trust, income was £7,626 and spending £7,438 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Esher · Surrey local authority: places and applications

Esher Church of England High School is part of Enlighten Learning Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Cobham
• St Martin's Church of England Infant School Epsom
• St Martin's Church of England Junior School Epsom
• The Priory Church of England School Dorking
• St Nicolas' Church of England Infant School Guildford

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Esher Church of England High School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Esher Church of England High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Esher Church of England High School was last inspected in July 2026.

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

Esher Church of England High School has 1,160 pupils on roll.

What age range does Esher Church of England High School cover?

Esher Church of England High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

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

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.0, and 47% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Esher Church of England High School?

Esher Church of England High School is at More Lane, Esher, Surrey, KT10 8AP.