Best Schools in Dorking

How many schools are there in Dorking?

Dorking has 15 open schools: 8 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through, 3 independent, 1 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Dorking are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Dorking was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Dorking Nursery School. Counting Good as well, 71% of the 7 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Dorking Nursery School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Dorking get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Dorking with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Ashcombe School, with an Attainment 8 score of 55.2 and 61% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Priory Church of England School, with an Attainment 8 score of 39.9 and 32% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Unified Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 4.1 and 0% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Ashcombe SchoolThe Priory Church of England SchoolUnified Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Dorking have the best SATs results?

Of the 5 primary schools in Dorking with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Surrey Hills All Saints Primary School (87% in reading, 80% in maths); St Martin's CofE Primary School (81% in reading, 85% in maths); and Powell Corderoy Primary School (83% in reading, 80% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Surrey Hills All Saints Primary SchoolSt Martin's CofE Primary SchoolPowell Corderoy Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Dorking?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Dorking selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Dorking?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Surrey published how far the last place offered went at this school: The Ashcombe School, 5.5 km for 2026 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

The Ashcombe School

Source: Surrey admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Dorking?

Apply to Surrey through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.