Hurtwood House School
School summary
Few independent schools are built so deliberately around the sixth form as Hurtwood House. Founded in 1970 and set in Holmbury St Mary near Dorking, Surrey, it teaches roughly 330 pupils aged 15 to 19, almost all of them in the sixth form. Boarding is part of the fabric here, and the Independent Schools Inspectorate rated the school excellent for both education and personal development at its most recent inspection, with compliance requirements met. The atmosphere leans towards the creative and the performance-minded, reflected in scholarships for performing arts alongside maths and the sciences.
Where every mark matters.
Places are limited and demand is high, so exam performance is what sets candidates apart. Passmate turns the months ahead into ten focused minutes a day on the exact topics this school tests.
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Latest results
A-level A*-A
54%
National average 28%
A-level A*-B
84%
National average 55%
Inspection reports
- ISI rating
- excellent
- ISI personal development
- excellent
- Last inspected
- 21 October 2025
Teaching & academics
A-level results are strong, with 54 per cent of entries graded A*-A and 84 per cent reaching A*-B. The subject mix is telling: Drama and Theatre Studies, Dance, Music Technology and Art and Design sit comfortably beside English Literature, Mathematics, Economics and Psychology. GCSE and the EPQ are also offered, and a notably high proportion of pupils receive SEN support, suggesting individual needs are taken seriously rather than overlooked.
Languages
Head master · Mr Cosmo Jackson
Sixth form
- Sixth-form pupils
- 325
A-level subjects
Qualifications offered
Beyond the classroom
Performance and the arts are clearly a defining strength, supported by dedicated scholarships and a creative-leaning curriculum. On the sporting side, football, basketball, netball and hockey are the main team games.
Main sports
School life & ethos
- Founded
- 1970
- Boarding
- Yes
- SEN support
- 36.68%
- EHC plans
- 0%
Fees & bursaries
- Day fees (per year)
- £44,813
- Boarding fees (per year)
- £67,216
Schools nearby
Duke of Kent School
Cranleigh, South East
Aurora Poppyfield School
South East
Manor House School
Horsham, South East
Guildford High School
Guildford, South East
St Hilary's School
Godalming, South East
Ingfield Manor School
Billingshurst, South East
Watch Passmate decide how to teach.
Answer as a child would. Left: what they see. Right: what it learns about them.
A small, boarding-focused school made for ambitious teenagers who want their sixth form to be a launchpad, especially those drawn to the creative and performing arts.
That’s where Passmate comes in. Tutoring is the most effective thing in a child’s preparation - a well-tutored child can outperform the vast majority of their peers. Passmate works alongside your tutor, not instead of them: it learns how your child thinks, finds the gaps, and shows the tutor exactly where to spend each session - so the limited time you have lands on what actually decides a place.
Works alongside your child’s tutor - not instead of them.
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Hurtwood House School 11+: frequently asked questions
Compiled from public data. Last checked 5 June 2026.