Finding good schools and a manageable commute to London is often the starting point for a family move to Surrey. Making both work together takes more than choosing a town from a list. The right answer depends on your children, where you work and how you want everyday family life to feel.
I have worked in property since 1988 and lived in Cobham since 2007. Today, helping buyers assess homes and locations remains my day-to-day work. I have also had two children through school in Cobham and Leatherhead, so I bring personal experience of local education and the practical demands of combining school, work and family life.
This guide draws on that professional and personal experience. Through Rowallan’s support network, I can also introduce Edward Borton of ESB Consulting, who advises on school choices and placement. His specialist knowledge can help you explore educational options while we consider where a home would make the whole arrangement work.
The 11 locations below offer different combinations of schools, transport and local facilities. They are starting points for your search, with examples of schools to investigate rather than a ranking or a complete directory.
Choosing good schools before choosing a home
A school’s reputation can help you build a shortlist, but it will not tell you whether your child will feel comfortable, supported and appropriately challenged there. Look at pastoral care, learning support, subject choices, sport and the arts alongside academic results.
For state schools, check the current admissions policy, how places are allocated and what evidence of your address is required. A nearby house does not guarantee admission. An in-year move also needs its own enquiries about availability; it is different from applying at the usual Reception or secondary intake.
For independent schools, establish entry requirements, available places, fees, transport and whether day or boarding arrangements suit your family. Schools described as prep, infant, senior or sixth form serve different stages of education and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Surrey County Council’s admissions guidance is a useful starting point for state-school moves. Contact individual schools early, visit where possible and ask questions about your child’s particular needs.
Good schools can shape your property search, but consider the next stage too. A convenient arrangement for one child’s current school may become difficult when siblings attend different schools or move into secondary education.
Assess the whole commute
Train times below are approximate guides for selected services, not promises about every departure. Check the current South Western Railway timetables and the trains you would actually use. For routes to Victoria, check Southern’s services as well.
The journey begins at your front door. Allow for reaching the station, parking or walking, waiting for the train and travelling onwards from the London terminus. Your office’s location can make Waterloo or Victoria a much more useful arrival point.
The school run belongs in the same calculation. Could one parent take the children while the other catches a train? Is a school bus practical? What happens when there is an after-school activity or a late meeting?
I would also test the road journeys during term time. A route that looks easy during a weekend viewing may feel quite different on a wet weekday morning. The A3, M3 and M25 are useful connections, but a fixed driving time to “London” tells you little without a destination and departure time.
11 Surrey locations with good schools and London commuting options
Esher
Esher suits families who want shops, restaurants and access to London without moving far out into the countryside. Nearby places to consider include Claygate, Oxshott and West End, Esher.
Good schools to investigate
Claremont Fan Court School is an independent school with provision from nursery through sixth form. Esher Church of England High School is a local state secondary option. Danes Hill in nearby Oxshott is a prep school, serving a different age range from the senior schools.
Commuting
Selected Esher services reach Waterloo in approximately 30–35 minutes. The station is not on the High Street, so the journey from the individual property matters. Claygate and Oxshott have their own stations and different services. The A3 offers a road route towards London.
Sport and family life
Esher Rugby Club is an established local option. Nearby Walton-on-Thames has the Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex for swimming and fitness, alongside the Xcel Sports Hub. Check the particular teams, activities and session times your family would use.
Cobham
Cobham combines a busy village centre with surrounding residential roads and countryside. Oxshott, Stoke d’Abernon, Downside, Bookham, Fetcham, East Horsley and Ripley give you different settings to compare.
Good schools to investigate
Independent options include Reed’s School and ACS Cobham International School. ACS offers an international curriculum, including IB and Advanced Placement pathways, which may be particularly relevant when relocating from abroad.
Parkside, Feltonfleet and Danes Hill are prep-school options in Cobham and nearby Oxshott. St Teresa’s is in Effingham. State provision includes Cobham Free School and St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School.
The schools serve different ages and educational needs. Identify suitable schools before assuming that any home with a Cobham address will offer the right daily routine.
Commuting
Cobham & Stoke d’Abernon station is in Stoke d’Abernon, away from the village centre. Selected services to Waterloo take roughly 40–45 minutes. Access to the A3 and M25 is useful, but assess school traffic and the station journey from each property.
Sport and family life
Cobham Rugby Club, where I referee, and Cobham Football Club are part of local sporting life. For swimming, gyms and other activities, compare facilities in the surrounding area, including Elmbridge Xcel and private health clubs, against the journeys you would make.
Dorking
Dorking offers a market-town centre alongside access to the Surrey Hills. Brockham, Westcott and Abinger Hammer are nearby alternatives for families wanting a village setting.
Good schools to investigate
The Ashcombe School and The Priory Church of England School are state secondary options. RGS Surrey Hills, formerly Box Hill School, is an independent day and boarding school in Mickleham for pupils aged 11–18.
Consider how the location of each school relates to your home and station. A countryside setting can be attractive, but it may mean driving in different directions for school and work.
Commuting
Dorking’s main station has services to Waterloo and Victoria. Waterloo journeys are around an hour, depending on the service. Dorking Deepdene and Dorking West serve a different rail route, so the town’s three stations should not be treated as equivalent London commuting options. The A24 connects towards the M25.
Sport and family life
Dorking Rugby Club and Dorking Wanderers provide local sporting connections. Dorking Sports Centre has swimming, gym and exercise facilities, while the surrounding countryside offers walking and cycling.
Virginia Water
Virginia Water, including the Wentworth Estate, may appeal to families looking for privacy, established residential surroundings and access to Windsor Great Park. Nearby places include Englefield Green and Sunningdale; Sunningdale is in neighbouring Berkshire.
Good schools to investigate
Trumps Green Infant School is a local state option for younger children. Independent schools in the wider area include St George’s Ascot and The Marist in Sunninghill, both in Berkshire.
These schools are not all in Virginia Water itself. Compare admissions, age ranges and the actual journey before drawing up a property shortlist.
Commuting
Selected services from Virginia Water to Waterloo take approximately 45–55 minutes. Access to the M25 and M3 adds road options, but neither removes the need to test the route at your normal travel time.
Sport and family life
Virginia Water FC is a local football club. Windsor Rugby Club and Windsor Leisure Centre provide options in the wider area. Wentworth Club offers private sporting facilities, with membership arrangements to investigate separately from any property purchase.
Guildford
Guildford is useful for families who want a larger town’s shops, services and cultural life alongside access to the countryside. Shalford, Chilworth, Shere, Albury and Ripley offer nearby settings with different station and school journeys.
Good schools to investigate
Independent options include Guildford High School and the Royal Grammar School. George Abbot School is a state secondary school with a sixth form.
Look beyond the town name when comparing homes. Schools are spread across Guildford, and being convenient for one can mean a longer journey to another.
Commuting
Selected faster services from Guildford to Waterloo take approximately 30–45 minutes. Other services take longer. Check whether Guildford’s main station or London Road station is the relevant option for a particular home. The A3 provides a road connection towards London.
Sport and family life
Guildford Rugby Club and Guildford City FC are local clubs to explore. Guildford Spectrum offers swimming and other leisure facilities, and the town has a choice of gyms. Consider which activities would fit around school and work rather than simply counting facilities nearby.
Farnham
Farnham offers a historic town centre and access to surrounding villages and countryside. Frensham, Tilford, Runfold and Dockenfield are nearby places to consider.
Good schools to investigate
South Farnham School is a state primary option, while Weydon is a state secondary school. Independent choices include the prep schools Edgeborough and Barfield, and Frensham Heights in Rowledge. Charterhouse in Godalming may also enter a wider search for senior schooling.
These are examples of good schools to investigate for different stages of education. Their suitability depends on your child and admission options.
Commuting
Selected Farnham services to Waterloo take roughly 50–65 minutes. A property in an outlying village adds a station journey, which needs to be included. Road options towards London include connections to the A3 and M3.
Sport and family life
Farnham Rugby Club and Farnham Town FC are established local clubs. Farnham Leisure Centre provides swimming, gym and exercise facilities. The surrounding countryside also offers options for walking, cycling and outdoor family time.
Godalming
Godalming combines a town centre, riverside setting and rail access. Milford, Elstead, Hambledon and Chiddingfold provide nearby alternatives, with different journeys to school and station.
Good schools to investigate
Charterhouse is an independent senior day and boarding school in Godalming. Aldro is an independent prep school in Shackleford. Broadwater is a state secondary school, while Godalming College provides sixth-form education and draws pupils from miles around from both sectors.
That distinction matters: a prep school, secondary school and sixth-form college address different needs within a family’s longer-term plans.
Commuting
Selected services from Godalming to Waterloo take approximately 40–60 minutes. Compare the particular train and the walk or drive to the station. The A3 is the principal road connection towards London.
Sport and family life
Guildford Rugby Club is based in nearby Godalming, and Godalming Town FC is another local club. Godalming Leisure Centre has swimming and fitness facilities. A home within walking distance of town may offer a different daily routine from one in a surrounding village.
Cranleigh
Cranleigh offers a village centre with shops and services, alongside access to the Surrey Hills. Ewhurst, Forest Green, Holmbury St Mary and Alfold are nearby options; Rudgwick is over the border in West Sussex.
Good schools to investigate
Cranleigh School is an independent senior day and boarding school, with Cranleigh Prep serving younger pupils. Glebelands is a local state secondary school.
For families drawn by good schools and a country setting, Cranleigh deserves consideration. The school and work journeys still need to be assessed together.
Commuting
Cranleigh has no railway station. Guildford is one option for reaching London by train, with selected faster Guildford–Waterloo services taking approximately 30–45 minutes. That is only the rail leg: add the journey from Cranleigh, parking and the onward trip in London.
I would assess this particularly carefully for someone commuting several days a week. Occasional London travel and a daily commute can lead to quite different location choices.
Sport and family life
Cranleigh RFC and Cranleigh Football Club are local clubs. Cranleigh Leisure Centre offers swimming, a gym and exercise classes, alongside other activities.
Haslemere
Haslemere may suit families looking for a smaller town, rail access and surrounding countryside. Hindhead, Grayswood and Chiddingfold offer nearby settings to compare.
Good schools to investigate
St Ives School is an independent prep school for children aged 2–11. Woolmer Hill is a local state secondary school.
The Royal School in Hindhead closed in August 2025 and is no longer an option for a new school search.
Commuting
Selected Haslemere services reach Waterloo in approximately 50–70 minutes. The station can be convenient for some town properties, while homes in surrounding villages may require a drive. The A3 offers the principal road route towards London.
Sport and family life
Haslemere Community Rugby Club is a local option. Haslemere Leisure Centre offers swimming, gym and exercise facilities, with walking and other outdoor activities available in the surrounding countryside.
Chobham
Chobham offers a village setting with access to the surrounding countryside. Windlesham, West End and Lightwater provide nearby alternatives. Chobham and Cobham are different locations, with different school and transport arrangements.
Good schools to investigate
St Lawrence Church of England Primary School is in Chobham. Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School is in nearby West End.
Gordon’s School, also in West End, is a state boarding school with distinct arrangements for day and residential boarding places. Read its admissions policy carefully rather than assuming that moving to Chobham will secure a place. Check the relevant boarding charges too.
Commuting
Chobham has no railway station. Woking is a commonly considered option, with selected faster services to Waterloo taking around 25–35 minutes. Add the drive, parking and onward London journey when judging whether it suits your routine. The M3 offers a road connection towards London.
Sport and family life
Chobham Rugby Club is part of the local sporting community. Lightwater Leisure Centre provides a gym and sports facilities, but does not have a swimming pool. If swimming matters to your family, investigate a separate pool and include that journey in your plans.
St George’s Hill and Weybridge
St George’s Hill is a private residential estate in Weybridge, rather than a town or village. It may suit buyers seeking that particular residential setting while remaining connected to Weybridge’s schools and services. Walton-on-Thames and Byfleet are nearby places to consider.
Good schools to investigate
St George’s College is an independent senior school, with St George’s Junior School providing a separate younger-years option. Notre Dame in Cobham and Feltonfleet prep school are further independent options in the surrounding area.
Their locations and entry arrangements differ, so compare each school against the home you are considering.
Commuting
Selected services from Weybridge to Waterloo take approximately 30–40 minutes. Factor in the journey from the property to the station, particularly within the estate. The A3 and M25 provide road connections.
Sport and family life
Weybridge Vandals Rugby Club and Walton & Hersham FC are local sporting options. Elmbridge Xcel in Walton-on-Thames provides swimming and fitness facilities. St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club offers private facilities, with membership to consider separately from buying a home nearby.
How Rowallan helps you bring the choices together
A family search involves several decisions that depend on each other. Finding good schools is important, but so is choosing a home from which your children can get there comfortably, you can manage work and everyone can enjoy life outside the school week.
We begin by understanding those priorities and the compromises each family member is prepared to make. We then assess locations and individual properties against the complete brief, covering homes on the open market and opportunities introduced privately.
Where specialist educational guidance would help, we can introduce Edward Borton through our support network. Exploring school choices and placement early can help us focus the property search on locations that make practical sense.
Our guide to places to live in Surrey offers a broader view of the county. If you are planning a move and want help bringing good schools, commuting and the right home together, contact Rowallan to discuss your plans.