The Ashcombe School, Dorking

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are an ambitious, caring and supportive school that has a clear vision that learning is for life rather than simply something that stops at the final exam. Our aim is: "To prepare and enable young people to lead fulfilled lives in the 21st century. " We do this through a commitment to learning in all its forms."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include sewing, photography and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at The Ashcombe School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 55.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.8 in Surrey and 47 across England.

61% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 54% in Surrey and 47% in England.

That is down from 57.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.27: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 39.2, against 57.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 18.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 20 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 268 families put The Ashcombe School as their first choice and 644 named it as one of their preferences, for 223 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 53 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Ashcombe School are The Priory Church of England School (1 mile, Attainment 8 39.9); Howard of Effingham School (3.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 56.7); St Andrew's Catholic School (4.4 miles, Attainment 8 65.4); and Therfield School (4.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.9).

The Ashcombe School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

The Ashcombe School is one of 3 schools run by South East Surrey Schools Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51 in 2024/25.

Of the 251 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 14% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 128 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 58% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 27% into work. 36% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

10.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (78%) and Mixed (7%).

The Ashcombe School had 112 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Dorking Deepdene Rail Station, about 340 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ashcombe Road (sw-bound), 160 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Ashcombe School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, The Ashcombe School issued 89 suspensions, 5.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Ashcombe School are St Martin's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles), St Paul's CofE Primary School (0.7 miles), St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles) and Powell Corderoy Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.