Therfield School

Therfield School is a mixed comprehensive school educating pupils aged 11–18 in Leatherhead, Surrey, England. Therfield School sixth form teaches courses of further education for students between the ages of 16 and 18 and has an arrangement of reciprocated entry criteria with three others in the county: The Ashcombe School, Warlingham School and Oxted School.

Not to be confused with Therfield School also known as Therfield First School, Hertfordshire

Therfield School
Address
Dilston Road Leatherhead , Surrey , KT22 7NZ England
Coordinates	51.306°N 0.335°W / 51.306; -0.335
Information
Type	Secondary Community
Motto	The Best For All — Excellence, Leadership and Opportunity
Founder	Surrey County Council
Local authority	Surrey County Council
Department for Education URN	125252 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Chairman of Governors	Mr R. Hart
Headmaster	Mr James Malley
Staff	76 teaching, 29 support
Gender	Mixed
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	951 pupils as of January 2015
Houses	Juniper, Leith, Polesden, Norbury
Colour(s)	Green      (Therfield dark and mid shades) Red      (tie stripes)
Current admissions policy	Comprehensive
Chairman of Therfield Trust Fund	Mrs C. Garel
Website	www.therfield.surrey.sch.uk

Funding

A non-fee paying school, Therfield School's funding is received predominantly via pro rata Surrey County Council annual allocation. Funding since 1981 has been enhanced by donations such as through its Charities Commission-registered Therfield School Trust Fund and successful registration or selection for pupil premiums and grants restricted to central and local government-funded schools.[1][2][3]

Type of funding	Therfield School (2013–14)	Surrey median	National median
Government grant funding per pupil	£6,034 (98%)	£5,192	£5,720
Self-generated income per pupil	£132 (2%)	£193	£141

Free school meals eligibility: 7% (band: low).[4]

Attributes

Therfield was a Specialist Sports College September 2005 — February 2008, achieving in its view its aim "to use sport as a tool to raise the whole school attainment through the focus on pupil and staff leadership skills, for Therfield to become a centre of excellence for sport" and thereafter broadening its focus.

In the house system, each of the four houses which compete in sport and other activities may constitute a single tutor group form in a given year or may be split into two. The resultant tutor forms provide a pastoral, advice point across all activities.[5]

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding (additional government funding for children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families) is below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action is above the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.

The school makes arrangements for a small number of pupils in Year 10 and 11 to access alternative provision or work-related courses through ‘The Link’, a school-funded facility accommodated off site.[3]

Facilities

The main facilities which are in time slots available for out-of-hours hire are:

• Astroturf - Hockey and Football
• Main Hall
• Dining Hall
• Sports Hall
• Sports Gym
• Tennis Courts
• Classrooms
• ICT Suites
• Library
• Cookery Classrooms[6]

Sixth Form

Therfield Sixth Form takes as preferential applications from internal students. It has pre-arranged provision for 15 external pupils to commence Year 12 per year who meet entry requirements referred to in the Sixth Form Prospectus for the individual subjects or courses. Reciprocated special preference is given to an eclectic range of sixth forms in terms of individual programmes of study and vocational courses: at: the Ashcombe School, Dorking; Warlingham School, Warlingham; and Oxted School, Oxted.[7]

Ofsted

The Ofsted inspection of spring 2013 gave the school an overall Grade 2, Good, on the four-point scale (Outstanding/Good/Satisfactory/Inadequate). Omitting praised examples, the headline assessment of teaching was:

"Teaching has improved since the last inspection. Teaching is good in the majority of lessons and some is outstanding. Leaders and managers have challenged inadequate teaching, and skilled staff work with others to share the good practice which is in the school.

Where teaching is good or better, teachers have high expectations of pupils and encourage them to work collaboratively in pairs or small groups. They plan activities that engage and give pupils the confidence to think for themselves. As a result, relationships are supportive and this promotes pupils’ learning very effectively.

Teachers have good subject knowledge and explain clearly to pupils what they are expected to learn. They use a variety of teaching methods to engage and motivate pupils."

— School Report: Therfield School, Page 4. 21 March 2013, Ofsted: Dearden, Woods, Briggs, Singh and Collins (Senior Inspector and Assistant Inspectors)[3]

School partnerships

Country	School Name	Partner since
Germany	Willi Graf Gymnasium, München, Bavaria (Bayern)

References

1. 1082392 - Therfield School Trust Fund. Charity Commission. Accessed 2015-04-23.
2. Amalgamated, removed charity: 281932 Accessed 2015-04-23
3. School Report: Therfield School At pages 2 and 4. 21 March 2013. Ofsted: Dearden, Woods, Briggs, Singh and Collins (Senior Inspector and Assistant Inspectors)
4. School and College Performance Tables: Finance 2013-14 Department for Education. Last updated 13 April 2015. Accessed 23 April 2015.
5. Pastoral organisation Therfield School. Accessed 2015-04-23.
6. Facilities for hire Therfield School. Accessed 2015-04-23.
7. Sixth Form Admissions Policy Therfield School.