< Secondary Schools West Kent Guide Boarding Schools >
Best private schools in Sevenoaks
Best private schools in The Weald
Best private schools in Tunbridge Wells & Tonbridge
Best private schools in Rochester
Best private schools in Maidstone
West Kent has a host of private schools boasting acclaimed alumni, beautiful surroundings and impressive results. Where once the prevailing parent demographic might have been defined as pushy and moneyed, things are moving towards a wider and more diverse reach. More often than not, schools themselves are tending towards the ‘down-to-earth’, as opposed to flashy, vibe - even those with glitzier heritage and price tags.
Of course, many private schools are in direct competition with the excellent grammar schools which some claim is a good thing; heads agree and say it ‘keeps them on their toes’ and avoids ‘complacency’.
Private schools in Sevenoaks
Prep schools in Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks has some excellent prep schools achieving super results and feeding the local grammars, private secondaries and schools further afield. Holmewood House, Sevenoaks Preparatory School (not attached to Sevenoaks School) and St Michael’s Prep are well-established and highly regarded with successful results and track records for transition to excellent secondary schools. The New Beacon is the only single-sex prep for boys in this area and is steeped in tradition, it has a reputation for high academic performance and parents say the ethos is ‘work hard, play hard’. On the edge of Sevenoaks, the all-girls Walthamstow Junior provides a happy environment for mixed ability pupils. Radnor House Prep Sevenoaks has expanded over the past few years and offers a good alternative to the more academically selective preps.
Secondary schools in Sevenoaks
Set in its 100-acre grounds with historic Knole House as its neighbour, Sevenoaks School achieves fantastic results without dampening natural curiosity and independent thinking. No A levels in the sixth form, it’s IB only and the school regularly tops the IB league with impressive numbers of pupils achieving the full 45 points. Most leavers head for top-tier universities in the UK, Europe and, increasingly, the USA. One of the oldest all-girls schools in the country is Walthamstow Hall, with a charming blend of high expectations without too much pressure and doing a rather good job of producing a handful of medics each year. Radnor House Sevenoaks is the up and coming relatively new kid on the leafy block, gaining traction with good results and a reputation for a community feel.
Best primary schools in Sevenoaks
Best state secondary schools in Sevenoaks
Private schools in The Weald
Prep schools in The Weald
Dulwich Cranbrook set in the most beautiful grounds, produces an impressive set of scholarship pupils to excellent schools. Recently added a senior school with the option to stay till the end of GCSEs. Then Marlborough House School with its growing reputation for offering scholarship packages in year 7, nails super results and well-rounded pupils. Saint Ronan's School, described by our reviewer as ‘Enid Blyton-esque with strong results and enviable childhood memories’, has most pupils staying until year 8 and the weekly and flexi-boarding options draw pupils from further afield.
Secondary schools in The Weald
Strangely girl-power heavy! All-girls full boarding (slowly introducing day pupils, up to 50 from 2022), Benenden School is highly sought after and admission is competitive. Great for academically able all-rounders. In contrast, Bethany School is a small rural school with a specialist learning support department. It’s a popular choice for pupils ‘who might get lost in the hurly burly of a bigger school’ our reviewer notes. Nearly half leave post-GCSEs to grammar schools or other destinations, but a notable number of those who stay on gain places at well-known art and drama schools.
Best primary schools in The Weald
Best state secondary schools in The Weald
Private schools in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge
Prep schools in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge
In beautiful grounds just outside Tunbridge Wells in Pembury is Kent College Preparatory School, a delightful community-feel school currently moving from girls only to co-ed (by 2027); particularly hot on gymnastics and pastoral care. The Grade 1 listed Jacobean Somerhill House is the home of The Schools at Somerhill, a highly regarded school in Tonbridge with a ‘diamond’ structure that offers the best of single sex and co-ed (pupils taught separately but come together for lunch and some activities).
Secondary schools in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge
The home of two single-sex schools. Kent College, Pembury girls’ school (and we’re assured planning to remain this way despite the prep’s transition to co-ed) provides an excellent all-rounded education within a Methodist framework drama, music and personalised timetables are all a big draw. With its well-established tradition of sporting excellence and facilities (training venue for 2012 Olympics), Tonbridge School gets excellent results and works hard to to attract academically able, grounded and well-balanced boys from all backgrounds via its outreach work and bursary funding. Double digits to Oxbridge most years, ‘World class university destinations matter to us,’ says the head.
Best primary schools in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge
Best state secondary schools in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge
Best nurseries in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge
Private schools in Rochester
Prep schools in Rochester
Along the cobbled streets by the cathedral is King’s Rochester Prep where music is a particular strength (it’s the cathedral school) and a diverse intake mainly feeds into the senior school. An alternative is Gad’s Hill which is more affordable and viewed as a tight-knit community and while this is an all-through school the senior part only goes up to GCSEs.
Secondary schools in Rochester
Secondary schools in RochesterKing’s School Rochester described as an ‘antidote to the plethora of grammar schools’ by our reviewer, attracts a diverse mix of international and local pupils and strikes a charming balance between tradition and forward thinking. Perhaps the best ‘marmite option’ (as one parent put it) in West Kent is Rochester Independent College, with no uniform and pupils on first name terms with teachers it’s a school that works well for those previously ‘turned off’ by the usual model of education who find their strengths here, especially in the arts. The small family feel of Cobham Hall in Gravesend with its ‘Round Square’ education philosophy (famously developed at Gordonstoun School in Scotland) is popular with those looking for an all-girls (co-ed in sixth form) nurturing environment in a beautiful setting with an interesting history.
Best primary schools in Rochester
Best state secondary schools in Rochester
Private schools in Maidstone
Prep schools in Maidstone
Sutton Valence Prep provides an all-rounded down-to-earth education in beautiful surroundings with sport and art at the fore. Particular strength in SEN support and developing its forest school and outside provision. Really achieves the tricky balance between tradition and progression. The majority feed into the senior school.
Private secondary schools in Maidstone
Sutton Valence Senior, a day and boarding school with inspiring views across the Weald of Kent, offers an excellent sports programme in partnership with Saracens – producing some rugby players to be reckoned with. And the cricket’s pretty good too. But it’s not all about sport, the school is developing a reputation for being at the fore of wellbeing and is proud of the progress it makes with its mixed ability pupils.
Best primary schools in Maidstone
Best state secondary schools in Maidstone
West Kent private schools for children with special educational needs
For pupils mainly with EHCPs for autism to ADHD and anxiety, Birtley House Sevenoaks offers education for 5-11 year olds. With the motto, ‘Achievements where never thought possible’, The Quest in Paddock Wood is a specialist school for autism across the spectrum.
West Heath School in Sevenoaks is a residential school providing support for mild to moderate social, emotional and mental health issues.
All private schools have a level of support in place for mild and moderate SEN. Some are gaining good reputations for early screening and being proactive in their support – most notably Kent College, Pembury and Sutton Valence Prep, where there is the ability to support more pupils with EHCPs especially for autism.