Hoe Bridge School is an independent co-educational, pre-prep and prep school in

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. At its last full inspection in 2023 it was rated excellent by the

Independent Schools Inspectorate The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is approved by the Secretary of State for Education – under section 106 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 – to inspect private schools in England. These schools are members of associations, whi ...

. The school was established in 1986 following the merger of two former proprietorial boys schools, Allen House and St Michael's School. In 1987 it became a charitable trust administered by a board of governors, and developed to include girls up to

Year 6 Year 6 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including Japan, most of Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It is usually the sixth year of compulsory education and incorporates students aged between ten and eleven. It is genera ...

in 1999. The school is based in a seventeenth century house and is set in its own grounds in Woking, Surrey.

Site and facilities

Hoe Place is a former mansion which is home to the Hoe Bridge Prep department. It dates from 1680 and was a favourite retreat of

Lady Castlemaine Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Castlemaine ( ; – 9 October 1709), was an English royal mistress of the Villiers family and perhaps the most notorious of the many Royal mistress, mistresses of King Charles II of Engla ...

, a mistress of King Charles II. The chapel, which houses teaching and music rooms, dates back to 1850 and has an original ice house in the gardens. The mansion remained a private residence until the 1920s, when Hoe Place Preparatory School was established in 1928 and in turn, became St. Michael's School in 1964. Hoe Bridge School itself was formed in 1986 when St Michael's School merged with Allen House Preparatory School which had been founded at Box Grove near Guildford, then on part of the present Royal Grammar School site. In 2019 the school opened a new performing arts facility. A Senior School building is planned to be opened by 2026 in order to expand the school to accommodate 13-16 year olds throughout GCSEs. In May 2025, it was announced that Hoe Bridge would merge with another local school Greenfield to form a new co-educational school for children aged 6 months to 16. The school is expected to be known as Hoe Bridge School with pupils from Nursery to Year 8 situated on the Hoe Bridge site and pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 on the current Greenfield site. It is expected to open in September 2026.

Activities

The school sponsors a girls' field hockey team.

Notable alumni

Rufus Hound Rufus Hound (born Robert James Blair Simpson 6 March 1979) is an English actor, comedian and presenter. Early life Hound was born on 6 March 1979 in Essex and moved to Surrey at the age of 7. He was educated at Hoe Bridge School Woking, Fre ...

, comedian"Comedian Rufus Hound on Surrey school days, theatre and politics"
''Surrey Life'', 02 August 2017

References

External links

* {{authority control Preparatory schools in Surrey Woking Educational institutions established in 1986 1986 establishments in England