Woldingham School
Courage, Confidence, Compassion
Founded in 1842 by the Society of the Sacred Heart, Woldingham is a Catholic boarding and day school for girls, set in seven hundred acres of Surrey countryside at Marden Park, with its own railway station in the grounds and central London barely half an hour away. It belongs to the worldwide family of Sacred Heart schools, and draws on that tradition to educate the whole person, mind, character, and heart together.
Key Facts
Location : Woldingham, Surrey
Type : All-girls, boarding and day
Age Range : 11 to 18
Pupil Numbers : Approx. 550 girls
Founded : 1842
Values : Courage, Confidence, Compassion
Academic Profile
Girls at Woldingham follow a broad curriculum that keeps three separate sciences and a modern language in place for every girl, before taking their GCSEs. In the Sixth Form they study A Levels, and old girls proceed to Oxford and Cambridge, alongside a wide range of leading universities that includes Durham, Exeter, and UCL.
Co-Curricular Life
The performing arts are an outstanding strength, and drama in particular has helped shape several of Britain's best-known actors, among them Carey Mulligan and Emma Corrin. At least three major productions are staged each year in the acoustically designed Dineen Auditorium, which seats more than six hundred and has its own orchestra pit, alongside a studio theatre for smaller work. Music runs deep, through choirs, a symphony orchestra, and chamber ensembles, with an annual orchestra day that brings the London Mozart Players to perform alongside the girls. Sport is played across the school's seven hundred acres and extensive indoor facilities, with netball, hockey, cricket, and swimming among the strengths, supported by a covered tennis dome and an indoor pool, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, debating, and Model United Nations run alongside a wide range of clubs.
Admissions Essentials
Girls join Woldingham most commonly at 11, into Year 7, at 13, and in the Sixth Form, with full, weekly, and flexible boarding available alongside day places. Entry is assessed through age-appropriate tests and an interview, within a personal and welcoming admissions process, and boarders applying from overseas can be assessed remotely. Sixth Form entry is based on GCSE results and an interview. Scholarships are available for academic distinction, music, drama, art, and sport.
In Essence
For a girl who will flourish where character is formed as carefully as the mind, Woldingham offers a close and caring Catholic community in beautiful Surrey countryside, a fine tradition in the performing arts, and the quiet confidence that comes of being known, valued, and encouraged to think of others.