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Cranbrook School

School typeGrammar

AddressWaterloo Road, Cranbrook, Kent, England, TN17 3JD

Cranbrook School is a co-educational grammar school that uses the GL exam for its 11+ entrance. The school does not conduct interviews and offers both day and boarding places, with a priority catchment area for day admissions.

Cranbrook School sits in the market town of Cranbrook, on a 75-acre campus in the Kent countryside, and for the right child that space and calm count for a lot. It is a co-educational grammar founded in 1518 and granted a royal charter by Elizabeth I in 1574, yet it remains state-funded and free to attend. What sets it apart is its boarding. Cranbrook is the only state grammar in the country that selects at 11+, takes both boys and girls, and offers boarding alongside day places. Around a quarter of pupils board, most from Kent, Surrey and Sussex, with a smaller group from further afield.

The school describes its values as kindness, integrity, curiosity, aspiration and individuality, and parents tend to find those words borne out in how settled the children seem. The Good Schools Guide describes a selective school that challenges the brightest local children alongside boarders from elsewhere, with a strong place in its town. There are six boarding houses, including a dedicated entrance house for the pupils who join in Year 9, and day and boarding life run side by side rather than as separate worlds.

Cranbrook suits an academically able child who would gain from the longer, fuller day that boarding builds, whether they board or not, and a family drawn to a long-established school with room to breathe. It appeals especially to those weighing state boarding against the independent sector. The school has been led since 2023 by headteacher David Clark. For a child ready to stretch themselves somewhere unhurried and green, it is a rare option worth seeing first-hand.

Key facts

Gender

Mixed

Year 7 places

Annual fees

None

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Open day

June, Sept, Oct

Registration opens

Jun

Registration closes

Jul

CAF deadline

Oct

Admissions contact

registrar@cranbrook.kent.sch.uk

Admissions phone

01580 711804

Registration form

View registration details

Sibling policy

Yes

What this school tests

Kent Test

English16 question types

PunctuationReading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Text Classification and PurposeReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / ChoiceSentence CompletionSpelling

Maths23 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMagic squaresMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueNumber WallsOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning14 question types

Extended Figure SeriesFigure AnalogiesFigure MatricesFigure OperationsFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMost Like Three FiguresMost Like Two FiguresOdd Figure OutStar MatricesTriangle MatricesTriangle SeriesVertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning26 question types

AnagramsCompound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert a LetterLetter AnalogiesLetter CalculationsLetter CodesLetter GridsLetter SequencesMove 1 / 2 LettersNumber AnalogiesNumber CalculationsNumber SequencesRelated WordsRhyming SynonymsShuffled SentencesSynonymsWord / Logic PuzzlesWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord PairsWord RelationshipsWords and Codes

Spatial Reasoning8 question types

2D RotationsBlock CountingCombining ShapesFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeShape Completion

Catchment area

Does Cranbrook School have a catchment area?

Yes. Day places give priority to children living in the school's Priority Area, defined as the civil parishes of Cranbrook and Sissinghurst, Goudhurst, Staplehurst, Frittenden, Benenden, Sandhurst and Hawkhurst, plus any other address within 8.5km of the school in a straight line. Children outside the Priority Area can still apply and be ranked by test score. Boarders may live anywhere in the UK or overseas.

Previous exam results

GCSE results

In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 66.9 across their GCSEs. 86.3% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 71.9% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved a B average grade per A-Level entry. 21.7% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Cranbrook School use for the 11+?

Cranbrook School uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entrance assessment.

Does Cranbrook School interview as part of the 11+ process?

No, Cranbrook School does not include an interview stage in its 11+ entrance examination process.

Is Cranbrook School co-educational or single-sex?

Cranbrook School is a co-educational grammar school, accepting both boys and girls for day and boarding places.

Does Cranbrook School have a catchment area for 11+ entry?

Yes, day places prioritise children living within a defined Priority Area. Boarding places are open to students from anywhere.

What is Cranbrook School's official website?

The official website for Cranbrook School is https://www.cranbrookschool.co.uk/.

How do you get a place at Cranbrook School?

For Year 7 day entry, your child first needs to be assessed suitable for grammar school through the Kent Test, also called the Kent PESE or 11+. Children who pass are then ranked in order: looked-after and previously looked-after children; Pupil Premium children in the priority area; children in the priority area with a social need; siblings in the priority area; staff children; other children in the priority area; and finally children outside it. The priority area covers named parishes plus anywhere within 8.5km. Boarding places are offered mainly at Year 9 under a separate policy.

What happens if my child is ill on 11+ test day at Cranbrook School?

Cranbrook uses the Kent Test, so the 11+ is arranged and run by Kent County Council, not the school. If your child is ill on or near a test day, contact the Kent admissions team straight away, as they handle illness, late testing and any access arrangements such as extra time. For children with special educational needs, you should discuss arrangements with Kent's admissions team before the test. The school takes the results from Kent and applies its own ranking after that.

Location

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