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British Values

British Values Statement

Guildford County School is committed to serving its community. We recognise the multicultural, multi-faith and ever changing nature of the United Kingdom. We also understand the vital role that we play in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.

Guildford County School follows equal opportunities guidance which seeks to guarantee that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. It is also crucial that Guildford County School prepares its students for adult life, beyond the formal examined curriculum, preparing them for the diverse and dynamic community in which they will live and work. An understanding of British values is a critical part of this education.

The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. The government set out its definition of British Values in the 2011

‘Prevent Strategy’ – values of:

  • democracy
  • the rule of law
  • individual liberty
  • mutual respect
  • tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Guildford County School uses strategies within the National Curriculum and beyond, including dimensions of PSHE and SMSC, to secure such outcomes for pupils. The examples that follow show some of the ways in which and beyond seeks to embed British Values.

Democracy

  • Elections are held for important decisions within the school community, for example for the School Council and for the Senior Team (Head Girl and Boy and Deputy Head Girl and Boy). This fosters the concept of freedom of speech and group action to address need and concerns.
  • Students are able to vote to choose which charity their House Groups will support.
  • The principle of democracy is explored in History, Government and Politics and

Religious Studies as well as in assemblies where there is frequent commemoration of key global political events, such as the freeing of Nelson Mandela. This helps to develop an understanding of the vital importance of democracy in securing a civilised and fair society for all.

The rule of law

  • Rights and responsibilities are emphasised through our Student Support system, our

House Teams and through work undertaken in PSHE and tutor time.

  • In History students are taught the value, the derivation, and the reasons behind the laws that govern and protect us and by studying events such as the Holocaust demonstrate the potential appalling consequences of the absence of the rule of law.

Individual liberty

  • Students at Guildford County School are encouraged to exercise their right to free speech by sharing their views.
  • Tutor time and PSHE sessions encourage students to know their rights, but also the responsibilities that come with these. Furthermore, staff also work hard to set clear boundaries so that students can make informed choices in a safe, secure and supportive environment. Guildford County School has a clear Anti-Bullying Policy and Behaviour for Learning Policy. 

Mutual Respect

  • Mutual respect is at the heart of ‘The County Way’, our statement of our values and our ethos. We expect all members of the Guildford County School community to treat each other with respect, consideration and integrity. Students learn through their interactions with staff, in assemblies and in tutor time that their behaviour has an impact on others.
  • Students are encouraged to reach out to communities who are less fortunate than themselves and each year we raise thousands of pounds for projects around the world, demonstrating the respect that our children have for those who live in very different circumstances to themselves.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

  • Tolerance is emphasised through our Student Support Programme and through our daily interactions with each other.
  • Students benefit from the opportunity to visit different communities around the country and the world and receive international visitors regularly, including those from other continents and cultures.
  • Our assembly themes, the Lower and Upper School RE curriculum and the whole school enrichment programme provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures.
  • We encourage students to understand their place within a culturally diverse society and above all to ensure that they leave Guildford County School with a set of values which will ensure that they continue to contribute positively to society as they enter adult life.

 

News

13th August 2026

A Level Results 2026

Today has given us the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our outgoing Year 13 students and the culmination of two years of hard work, determination and commitment.  Their results, the best at A level in our school’s history, reflect not only their own considerable efforts, but also the expertise, care and high expectations of the many colleagues who have taught, guided and supported them throughout their time in our Sixth Form. Sincere thanks go to our Sixth Form and Exams teams for the enormous amount of work that goes into preparing for results day and for ensuring that this morning ran so smoothly.  Thank you, too, to the many colleagues who came in early to help with the distribution of results and, importantly, to be there to congratulate, reassure and support our students as they considered their next steps. Headteacher, Steve Smith, said, 'There was a real sense of positivity around school this morning.  Alongside celebrating what has been achieved, I was particularly pleased by the quality of the professional conversations already taking place about the year ahead.  Colleagues were rightly proud of the considerable strengths within this year’s results, while also being keen to look beneath the headline figures, identify those areas in which we can improve further and consider how we secure even stronger outcomes for our new Year 13 students in the summer of 2027.' Mr Smith went on to comment, 'That balance is important.  We should take genuine pride in excellent outcomes and recognise the expertise and commitment that have made them possible.  Equally, our expectations of ourselves and of our students must remain exceptionally high.  Our ambition is always to improve and our collective drive for excellence must remain unrelenting.' 'Taken as a whole, this year’s results are truly exceptional.  They represent an enormous achievement for our students and for the colleagues who have supported them.  My genuine thanks and congratulations go to everyone who has contributed.  The table below provides the detail of our headline outcomes for your interest.' Of course, behind every percentage and headline figure sits an individual student and it is important that we do not lose sight of that. For some of our young people, the results received today represent the culmination of an extraordinary personal journey.  Their achievements have been made possible through their own hard work, alongside the expertise of their teachers and the support, encouragement and challenge provided by colleagues across the school and through our Governance model. We would like to congratulate all of our students for what they have achieved.  There are many individual successes of which we can be extremely proud and I share some of those with you here: Felix - A* A* A Nathan - A* A* A Aidan - A* A* A Aaron - A* A* A* Hannah - A* A* A Lara - A* A* A Anuthmie - A* A* A Oliver - A* A* A Lauren - A* A* A B Dylan - A* A* A A Douglas - A* A* A* Isabel - A* A* A* A* There are equally some wonderful stories within our students’ destinations data this year, whether they are progressing to university, competitive courses, apprenticeships, employment or other exciting opportunities. 88% of our cohort applied to university and 44% of our applicants, at time of writing, have gained entry into a Russell Group insututution. Further, we have three Conservatoire and three Oxbridge entrants. Our congratulations to them all. Conservatoire Felix  Leah  Jamie Oxbridge Noah  Oliver  Isobel  Results day is inevitably focused on grades, but today is about considerably more than a set of letters on a page.  It marks the conclusion of an important chapter in the lives of our students and the beginning of another.  We should be immensely proud of the young adults who leave us this summer, of what they have achieved and of the contribution that they have made to our school community. It is therefore a great pleasure to congratulate the Sixth Form Class of 2026 and to wish them every success and happiness as they take their next steps.  I very much hope that many will remain connected to the school through our alumni community, allowing us to follow and celebrate their achievements in the years ahead.  Read Full Article
26th June 2026

Proposed Crossing outside Guildford County School - Road Safety Consultation

The safety of our students, staff and wider community is always a key priority and this proposed crossing has the potential to make a significant difference to the safety of everyone travelling to and from school. We would be extremely grateful if you could take a few moments to scan the QR code on the attached poster and complete the consultation. It is vital that as many members of our school community as possible share their views so that Surrey County Council can fully understand the importance of this proposal. The consultation closes on Friday 24th July 2026, so please do respond before this date. Read Full Article
21st August 2025

GCSE Results 2025

Guildford County School Celebrates Superb Results at GCSE Level Guildford County School is proud to present our GCSE results as we celebrate with our outgoing Year 11 class of 2025. We are absolutely thrilled to be able to report that a third of all of our grades were at 7, 8 or 9, with 2 thirds of all grades at what is termed a ‘strong pass’ at GCSE – that is grade 5 or above. Individual subjects tell a story of excellence too – Mathematics report over 40% of all grades at a grade 7 or above; a similar story has played out in History with just under 40% at grade 7 or above; and, as a Music Specialist College, we are delighted to announce that 50% of all Music GCSE grades were also at a grade 7 or above. All told, this places our students in an incredibly strong position to enter our Sixth Form provision and we cannot wait to welcome both them and a raft of external applicants to join us in September.  They will arrive in a Sixth Form that has just secured the best results in our history, with 3 of our outgoing Year 13 students securing places to study at Oxford; 7 students securing places to read medicine; 5 students being awarded places to read Law; and 1 being offered a place at Musical Conservatoire.  All of this alongside a range of high quality apprenticeships, gap years and other professional opportunities. For students and families considering where to study for A levels, both our GCSE and A Level results underline why Guildford County Sixth Form is such a strong choice.  We offer a track record of exceptional teaching, personalised support and a vibrant, ambitious learning community that equips students to excel in any path that they choose. This year’s success is all the more remarkable given the challenges that this cohort faced earlier in their education due to the pandemic.  Our students have shown determination, resilience and a commitment to excellence that will serve them well in the years ahead.  The results also reflect the strength of partnership between our school, our families and our wider community and the unwavering dedication of our outstanding staff. We are especially proud of our top performing students, all of whom averaged at least a grade 8 across all subjects.  For their exceptional results, our special recognition goes to: Iris Isabelle Charlotte Oliver Hayden Samuel India – 9 GCSEs at grade 9 and 1 at grade 8 Samuel Daisy – 9 GCSEs at grade 9 and 1 at grade 8 Jagoda Freya Katy – 10 GCSEs at grade 9 Karina – 9 GCSEs at grade 9 and 1 at grade 8 Isu – 9 GCSEs at grade 9 and 1 at grade 8 Caitlin Steve Smith, Headteacher at Guildford County School, said “We are really pleased with the results our students have achieved today.  A third of all grades being awarded in the top band of grades 7-9 is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our student and staff community.  Following exceptional results at A level last week, we now look forward to welcoming not only internal applicants, but also many new external students into our Year 12 provision.  Aside from our Year 11 students, we also want to make special mention today of the 15 students in Years 9 and 10 who took Heritage Language GCSEs and achieved grade 9s; an amazing achievement for them all.” Guildford County Sixth Form is now welcoming applications for September 2025.  With a proven record of academic excellence and a commitment to helping every student realise their potential, there has never been a better time to join our thriving community.Read Full Article
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