Godalming College, Godalming
Godalming College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 19 in Godalming. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Godalming College in detail
Godalming College in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, hockey, cricket, tennis, athletics, basketball, badminton and yoga.
Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 7 July 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Surrey
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 1100 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 41% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 36% into work. 31% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Godalming Rail Station, about 1100 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Godalming College (adjacent), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Godalming College stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2019, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Godalming College excels at creating an environment where students thrive academically. Teachers break down complex ideas into manageable pieces and provide detailed feedback so students know exactly how to improve. The college is genuinely ambitious for every student, whether they need extra support or are aiming for prestigious universities like Oxford or Cambridge.
Key Strengths
- Highly knowledgeable teachers create calm, orderly learning environments where students make excellent progress
- Excellent curriculum organisation that builds on foundational knowledge and helps students understand complex concepts fluently
- Effective teaching techniques including probing questions, clear explanations, and regular revisiting of topics to strengthen understanding
- Strong careers programme tailored to student aspirations with high progression rates to top universities
- Ambitious approach to supporting all students, including those with additional needs, with early identification and individualised support
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with students knowing how to keep themselves safe and feeling confident that concerns would be acted on appropriately.
Extracurricular Activities
Work-related activities with employers, university researcher talks, psychology industry speakers, police and health worker safety sessions, cybersecurity learning, careers events with higher education institutions and employers
Godalming College is a 16-19 academy in Surrey with 2,521 students studying A levels, BTECs, or a combination of both. The college continues to be rated as outstanding, providing highly effective learning experiences in a positive and welcoming community.
About
Godalming College is a sixth form college, in Godalming, 31 miles (50 km) south-west of London and five miles from Guildford, Surrey. The college had been consistently oversubscribed in years prior to 2010 and has been considered to be one of the best state colleges in the UK.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
B
Average grade
39.0
Points per entry
B
Best 3 A-Levels
16%
Achieving AAB+
Above average
Value added
1,132
A-Level students
94%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
+ 19 more subjects
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,100 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
31%
Top-third university
71%
Degree course
74%
Any L4+ destination
2%
Apprenticeships
Based on 964 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with Godalming College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Surrey is 13 (the median across 521 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Godalming
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Godalming
Across Surrey council
Places available
12,569
Applications
11,986
Got 1st preference
81.3%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All secondary applications across Surrey council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
Questions parents ask about Godalming College
What is Godalming College's Ofsted rating?
Godalming College's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Godalming College?
No fixed boundary. When Godalming College is oversubscribed, Surrey allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Godalming College?
Apply through Surrey's coordinated admissions process, naming Godalming College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Godalming College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Surrey is 13 (the median across 521 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Godalming College?
Godalming College is at Tuesley Lane, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1RS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)