Benenden School A GSG School
- Benenden School
Cranbrook Road
Benenden
Cranbrook
Kent
TN17 4AA - Head: Mrs S A Price
- T 01580 240592
- F 01580 240280
- E [email protected]
- W www.benenden.school
- An independent school for girls aged from 11 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Kent
- Pupils: 550; sixth formers: 190
- Religion: Church of England
- Fees: Boarding £39,372 pa
- Open days: Three per term on Saturday mornings, plus two per term weekdays for 11+ only, contact Registry for dates.
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
No real behaviour issues - this is a happy ship, and the care and support given to the girls were praised everywhere. 'It was a big move to the UK for my daughter,' wrote an overseas mother, 'and the house staff looked after her as if she were their own, giving cuddles and love whenever she needed it. They still do so now.' No danger of gender bias in this forward-looking school: DT is one of the most popular options, taught in an excellently-resourced technology block which even sports its own ICT suite. The school has introduced a Professional Skills Programme for the sixth form, which enables girls to…
What the school says...
Founded in 1923, Benenden is a fully boarding school for 550 girls aged 11-18. Set in a beautiful rural position, the school has 224 acreas of parkland. There are 190 students in the Sixth Form. The average class size is 16, with a teacher pupil ratio of 1:7. Usual ages for entry are 11, 13 and 16. Entry is through Common Entrance or Benenden's own examination. Academic, Music, Art, Sport, Drama and Design and Technology scholarships are available. All girls are prepared for GCSE, AS Level, A Level and university.
Ofsted inspectors awarded Benenden Outstanding in every category. According to the Lead Inspector, the questionnaire reply rate from Benenden parents was exceptionally high and positive. The inspectors gave very warm praise to the students too. ...Read more
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Sports
Fencing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmistress
Since 2014, Samantha Price, 40s. Attended Malvern Girls' College (now Malvern St James), so knows about life at a girls' boarding school from both sides. Read history of art at Edinburgh University and began her career in the Tate Britain marketing department, but soon felt office-bound and switched to teaching. Worked at Reading Blue Coat School, King's Canterbury and Hereford Cathedral School before taking up her first headship at Godolphin School in Salisbury, whence she was headhunted for her present post. Leaving was a very difficult decision, she says, but she has no regrets: 'Benenden is my dream school, and full boarding is in my DNA.' Married to Iori, an army chaplain, with a young daughter and son.
A passionate devotee of girls' education, and a powerhouse of ideas and energy...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
The School employs its own SEN co-ordinator; she and her team of full time and visiting tutors offer study skills support lessons for students with special needs and provide a framework of support and identification. We have a visiting Educational Psychologist who, from time to time, diagnoses mild language disorders or mild working memory problems, which may not fall into specific disorder categories. While the School may provide monitoring for those with ADHD, Hearing and Visual problems, such cases are rare. 10-09
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | |
| Aspergers | |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | |
| Dyspraxia | |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
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Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashdown House School | 2019 | |||
| Brambletye School | 2019 | 3 | 1 | Scholarships: Main Sports |
| Cumnor House Sussex | 2019 | 1 | ||
| Falkner House | 2020 | 1 | ||
| Finton House School | 2019 | 1 | ||
| Godstowe Preparatory School | 2019 | 1 | ||
| Highfield and Brookham Schools | 2019 | 1 | ||
| Hurlingham School | 2020 | 1 | 1 | |
| Knightsbridge School | 2020 | 1 | ||
| Milbourne Lodge School | 2019 | 1 | 1 | Academic scholarship |
| Orwell Park School | 2019 | 1 | ||
| Saint Ronan's School | 2019 | 1 | ||
| Salisbury Cathedral School | 2019 | 1 | 1 | Academic scholarship |
| St Andrew's Prep | 2019 | 2 | 1 | 1 scholarship |
| St Michael's Preparatory School | 2019 | 2 | ||
| Thomas's Clapham | 2020 | 2 | 2 | Sports Scholarship; Academic Scholarship |
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