The Bishop Wand Church of England School, Sunbury-on-Thames

Ofsted's report card from its 10 March 2026 inspection grades The Bishop Wand Church of England School on 7 areas: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils achieve highly across the school's curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "There is a strong sense of belonging in the school community."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school's values are at the heart of its extensive, carefully designed and highly effective personal development programme."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that enables pupils to build knowledge and skills across a broad range of subjects."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Most disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care are supported well."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders know their school extremely well."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have strengthened the leadership of the school's post-16 provision following its recent expansion to meet local needs."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to embed more consistently effective teaching across the curriculum, with a focus on addressing gaps and misconceptions in pupils' knowledge and adapting learning to support pupils who have barriers to their learning"; "Leaders should sustain and further build on their recent improvements to the post-16 provision, ensuring that students' achievements and published outcomes continue to improve".

From the headteacher's welcome: "As Headteacher, I am immensely proud to lead a community that consistently delivers academic excellence, outstanding pastoral care, and a vibrant co-curricular life."

In 2026, pupils at The Bishop Wand Church of England School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.8 in Surrey and 47 across England.

55% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 54% in Surrey and 47% in England.

That is down from 53.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.4: 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 48.4, against 51.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 3.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 282 families put The Bishop Wand Church of England School as their first choice and 748 named it as one of their preferences, for 211 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 86 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Bishop Wand Church of England School are Sunbury Manor School (0.4 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 38.4); Sunbury Manor School (0.4 miles); St Paul's Catholic College (0.6 miles, Attainment 8 60); and Heathside Walton-on-Thames (1.2 miles).

The Bishop Wand Church of England School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.

The Bishop Wand Church of England School is one of 2 schools run by Instanter Learning Trust, an academy trust.

296 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Bishop Wand Church of England School (as of April 2026): 81% would recommend the school, 79% say their child is happy there and 56% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (81%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (56%).

Of the 182 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 108 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 48% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 25% into work. 22% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

9.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (65%), Asian (9%) and Mixed (8%).

The nearest railway station is Upper Halliford Rail Station, about 420 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bishop Wand School (outside), 40 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 147 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Surrey (76), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Bishop Wand Church of England School issued 96 suspensions, 8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Bishop Wand Church of England School are Springfield Primary School (0.2 miles), Hawkedale Primary School (0.3 miles), St Ignatius Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles) and Chennestone Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.