The Abbey School, Farnham
The Abbey School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Farnham, part of Weydon Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Abbey School in detail
The Abbey School in its own words
In its own words: "All the staff, governors and students at The Abbey are very proud of our school. The Abbey School is a strong and vibrant special school with places for 170 students aged 11-16 years who have moderate learning difficulties. Around one in three of our students have a diagnosis of autism."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, basketball and Lego.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 19 May 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Surrey
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Abbey School are The Ridgeway School (0.6 miles, Outstanding); More House School (2.2 miles, Outstanding); Inclusion School Aldershot (2.7 miles); and Pathways Education (4.5 miles, Good).
The Ridgeway SchoolMore House SchoolInclusion School AldershotPathways Education
The trust
The Abbey School is one of 18 schools run by Weydon Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 21 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 76% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college.
Who goes there
41.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 7.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%), Mixed (8%) and Asian (7%).
Almost every pupil at The Abbey School has an education, health and care plan (171 of 171 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Farnham Rail Station, about 580 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Waverley Lane (after), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Abbey School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Abbey School issued 22 suspensions, 14 for every 100 pupils, and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
41.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with The Abbey School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Abbey School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Abbey School is in Surrey; for families living there:
- Surrey's school travel policy: Travel Assistance Policy for under 16s
- How to apply: Apply online for under 16 travel help
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
171 pupils
170 places
1 pupil over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Farnham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Farnham
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(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
171
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
171
Total Pupils
111
Boys
60
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
27
Teachers
6.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,407
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
14.5%
Persistent absence
159
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about The Abbey School
What are GCSE results like at The Abbey School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Abbey School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 1.8. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Abbey School's Ofsted rating?
The Abbey School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for The Abbey School?
No fixed boundary. When The Abbey School is oversubscribed, Surrey allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Abbey School?
The Abbey School has around 171 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Abbey School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at The Abbey School in 2024/25. 14.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Abbey School?
Apply through Surrey's coordinated admissions process, naming The Abbey School 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 The Abbey School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 The Abbey School?
The Abbey School is at Menin Way, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 8DY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)