The Bishop David Brown School
Woking, GU21 5RF · Surrey · secondary school
Check the area around this school
35th of 57 secondary schools in Surrey we can score, 58 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 6.5/10 against 828 of them, against 5.3/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 45.7 · 52 | 30% | 1.56 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.03 · 52 | 25% | 1.31 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 48.1 · 61 | 10% | 0.61 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
The Bishop David Brown School overview
How it's doing
The school was rated Good by Ofsted in April 2024. In 2024/25, 42.3% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 45.0, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.03 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (5.8 out of 10 against similar schools, 4.9 out of 10 against all schools).
Getting in
The published school roll is 790 pupils against a stated capacity of 750. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school manage class sizes when operating 40 pupils over its designated capacity? What specific support structures are in place for pupils who are not meeting the national median in Attainment 8? How does the school ensure that the positive Progress 8 score is maintained for students with similar backgrounds?
What Ofsted said about The Bishop David Brown School
Overview
The Bishop David Brown School continues to be a good school, characterised by a "vibrant and inclusive" community where pupils feel safe and valued. The report highlights strong relationships between staff and pupils, alongside a carefully considered curriculum that supports the school’s ethos of "enabling all to achieve to their full potential."
Strengths
- Pupils are "immensely proud" of their school and benefit from "nurturing environments" and "trusting relationships" with staff.
- The curriculum is "broad and carefully considered," with staff actively working to "remove any potential barriers to pupils’ ambitions and aspirations."
- Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are "fully included in every aspect of school life" and receive "bespoke support."
- Conduct is "polite and respectful," creating a "calm atmosphere" where learning mostly takes place without disruption.
- The personal, social and health education programme is "thoughtfully considered," teaching topics such as consent and online safety with sensitivity.
Areas to improve
- The school should strengthen teaching across the full curriculum, as teacher expertise in some recently developed subject areas is "more varied," meaning pupils are not always learning as much as they could.
- The school needs to continue embedding specific strategies for checking pupils’ knowledge and understanding, as some staff and pupils are not yet confident in using these to identify gaps.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 43.4 |
| 2024/25 | 45.0 |
| 2025/26 | 48.1 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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