Woldingham School Prospectus

EVERYONE HAS A STORY INSIDE THEM LET WOLDINGHAM HELP YOU FIND YOURS

EVERY WOLDINGHAM STUDENT IS SPECIAL AND UNIQUE

In 700 acres of stunning countryside in the Surrey Hills close to London, students at Woldingham learn how to ‘Write Your Own Story’.

Through inspirational teaching, with outstanding facilities in a kind, supportive and stimulating environment, girls aged 11-18 learn about themselves, the world around them and achieve exceptional exam results opening doors to world class universities and a wonderful range of opportunities and careers.

INSTILLING COMPASSION, COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE

Woldingham’s community is truly international and welcoming. Every year we have students and staff from at least 40 nationalities – creating a unique, tolerant and open community where mutually respectful relationships and lifelong friendships are made.

Woldingham’s pastoral care is caring and supportive, helping girls navigate the joys and challenges of teenage years. Students learn about kindness and expectations, succeeding and failing – with a soft landing – resilience and determination, so that they become compassionate, courageous and confident young women ready to make a positive impact on their, and our, world.

LIVE AND LEARN TOGETHER

Whether a full, weekly or flexi-boarder, you’ll learn to live in a warm and supportive environment gaining all the important life skills to foster independence, community spirit and co-operation.

Living with other students in your own year group, boarding is the perfect way to be fully immersed in school life at Woldingham. Parents will be pleased to know there is dedicated time for study, especially in the run up to exams, but there is also plenty of time for trips, activities at school, sport, making friends for life and enjoying the space and freedom of Woldingham’s gardens, parkland and fields.

#SkillsForFutureSuccess

VALUES SHARED ACROSS GENERATIONS

Founded in 1842, Woldingham is one of the UK’s oldest schools for girls. Originally based in west London, we’ve been in our current home in the stunning Surrey Hills since 1946. While Woldingham continues to improve, with new facilities, use of innovative technology and providing world-class teaching and learning, our mission for students to become confident, compassionate and courageous remains at the centre of all we do.

As the UK’s first Sacred Heart School, Woldingham is a Catholic school welcoming students of all faiths and none. Guided by the five Sacred Heart ethos and values of Faith, Community, Intellectual Values, Social Awareness and Personal Growth, each Woldingham student is encouraged and supported to find her own personal faith based on kindness, love and respect for others.

THE BEST EXPERIMENTS HAPPEN IN CHEMISTRY

Whether in our amazing science centre, light-filled art studios, cosy language labs, stimulating English classrooms or dynamic rehearsal spaces, our fantastic teachers inspire, motivate and coach students to achieve their best. Through empowered learning, by the time each student leaves Woldingham she has the skills, desire and love of her subjects to become a lifelong successful learner. It’s much more than just passing exams. It’s about owning her future.

As one of the oldest schools for girls in the UK, Woldingham is expert in teaching girls. With research consistently showing that girls do better academically in single sex schools, there are no ceilings on achievement at Woldingham. Our classrooms, labs and studios are stimulating and safe spaces to explore, debate, hypothesise and experiment.

AMBITIONS HAVE NO LIMITS

With some of the best facilities for music and drama of independent schools in the UK, it’s not surprising that our student productions and performances are simply outstanding.

At the centre is our professional standard 630-seat theatre auditorium where students from Year 7 upwards shine on stage in plays, musical theatre, musical ensembles, choirs, orchestras and as soloists. Every year, students are offered places at world-leading drama and music institutions choosing to pursue successful careers both front and backstage. In recent years Woldingham alumnae have received BATFA, Oscar and Golden Globe awards and nominations.

#ComposeYourOwnSoundtrack

FIND YOUR SPORT TO LOVE

Sport is everywhere and for everyone at Woldingham. And because Woldingham is a girls’ only school, girls’ sport is always top of the agenda. It’s for athletes who aspire to represent their country at the Olympics, as well as those who haven’t found their sporting passion yet. Both indoor and outdoor sports facilities are excellent with plans to make them even better in the next few years. Alongside netball, hockey, tennis, swimming, athletics and cricket we have fitness classes, yoga, badminton and dance as well as a wide range of sports clubs, many making the most of our 700 acres, such as cross country running and our brilliant outdoor adventure centre complete with high and low ropes course.

EVERYONE FLIES HIGH AT WOLDINGHAM

We don’t teach students how to fly a plane – at least not yet –but we do help them become a pilot, if that’s what they want to do. Woldingham students choose a huge range of career options. Students become doctors, authors, environmentalists, musicians, teachers, scientists and entrepreneurs. They work in a wide variety of sectors from property to health, and marketing to pharmaceuticals and from design to construction.

Woldingham alumnae include award-winning actors, government ministers and leading journalists.

At Woldingham we widen opportunities and expand students’ horizons both inside and outside the classroom. Our higher education and careers Futures Programme provides insight and support so each student can set and achieve her ambitions.

(And while students are considering their plans, they can fly through the trees on Woldingham’s own zipwire course.)

NATURE AND PEOPLE IN HARMONY

With beautiful historic buildings, set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covering a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), it is no surprise that Woldingham is acutely aware of our important role in protecting our wonderful corner of Surrey for future generations and having a positive impact on the wider world.

Woldingham has ambitious plans towards being a carbonneutral school and to pass on skills and tools to students to become environmental ambassadors both at school and throughout their adult lives.

Our new woodland-based outdoor education centre is a creative hub where we connect the curriculum to sustainability and environmental protection. This enables students to make connections between academic study and the environment, alongside our nature-based clubs and societies such as eco club and bird watching, just a few of the amazing 80+ activities to try in our impressive extra-curricular programme.

WOLDINGHAM IN A SNAPSHOT

School for girls aged 11 to 18 years

One of the UK’s oldest schools for girls, established in 1842 Day, full, weekly and flexi-boarding

Top 5% for value added at GCSE meaning students achieve better exam results than they would at most other independent schools

Students secure places at top universities in the UK and worldwide

Sacred Heart Catholic school welcoming students of all faiths and none

Professional-standard 630-seat auditorium with weekly whole school assemblies

Four Houses – Barat, Digby, Duchesne and Stuart

700 acres of gardens, parkland and agricultural land

25 minutes by train from Clapham Junction, London

30 minutes’ drive from Gatwick, 45 minutes from Heathrow

School-run local transport options

OUTSTANDING EDUCATION FOR GIRLS SINCE

1842

VISIT WOLDINGHAM TO SEE FOR YOURSELF

Woldingham School, Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey, CR3 7YA (for satellite navigation please use postcode CR3 7LR)

T: 01883 654206 E: registrar@woldinghamschool.co.uk www.woldinghamschool.co.uk