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Canford School A GSG School

Canford School

What says..

Most boarding houses are close to the main school buildings but two of the boys’ houses are a scenic seven-minute walk from the main school. Boys told us they enjoy the stroll and some bike or skateboard back and forth. School is full of bright ideas – everything from Radio Canford to Connections, a general studies programme that challenges pupils to think beyond the curriculum and links different academic disciplines. Another innovation that caught our eye was Yellow Hour, an...

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What the school says...

Canford is among the top co-educational boarding schools in the country, selected as 'Boarding School of the Year' in the Independent School Parent awards in 2018. We combine first class academic achievement with a diverse range of artistic, cultural and sporting activities to provide a balanced and broad education. The environment encourages participation, hard work and a strong sense of community, teamwork and integrity. The campus setting gives the school a collegiate feel, while the beauty of the buildings and quality of the facilities, set within 250 acres of grounds, inspire pupils to achieve their full potential.

Examination results are impressive. Over 90 offers to Oxbridge have been awarded in the past decade, alongside over 100 on highly competitive Medical, Veterinary Science and Dentistry courses. A level results are a leader regionally and have been rated among the top co-educational boarding schools in the country, with at least 20% A* and over 50% A*/A grades achieved in recent years, over twice the national figures.

Canfordians also excel in a range of co-curricular activities. Music and Drama are strong, with pupils regularly represented in the National Youth Orchestra and National Youth Theatre. In sport, girls' U15 netball and hockey teams reached the nationals last year, with hockey taking a bronze medal. All six boys' and girls' hockey squads were county champions for two consecutive years - never before achieved by a school in the region - while the 1st VIII boat and 1st girls' four both reached Henley Regatta once again. The 1st XV rugby reached the quarter finals of the presitigious Daily Mail trophy last year. Canfordians have represented GB at hockey and rowing and at Academy level in rugby.

Scholarships are available at 13+ and 16+, with means tested bursaries worth up to 100% of fees offered throughout the school. ...Read more

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Curricula

Cambridge Pre-U - an alternative to A levels, with all exams at the end of the two-year course.

Sports

Rowing

Shooting

Sailing

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmaster

Since 2013, Ben Vessey BA MA MBA (40s). Educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford, then read history at Southampton. Intended to join the army but after tearing both knee ligaments playing rugby worked as an oil and gas broker for five years in the City and on placement in Texas. ‘But when I came back from the US I realised that it wasn’t what I wanted to do,’ he says. Applied to Dauntsey’s, who snapped him up to teach history. Became head of history and housemaster there, followed by four and a half years as head of history, politics and law at Millfield. Spent six years as senior deputy head at Christ’s Hospital – ‘it was a great apprenticeship for headship,’ he says. Along the way he did an MA in history, a PGCE...

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Please note: Independent schools frequently offer IGCSEs or other qualifications alongside or as an alternative to GCSE. The DfE does not record performance data for these exams so independent school GCSE data is frequently misleading; parents should check the results with the schools.

Who came from where

Who goes where

Special Education Needs

Canford aims to support all its pupils in effective learning. The special needs policy is broadly inclusive although it is recognised that some pupils may need extra support at times during their academic career. Communication between pupil, teachers and school is a vital part of its philosophy. Information about pupils with diagnosed difficulties along with suggested teaching strategies is entered onto the school database so that it can be accessed by staff at any time and INSET is offered on a regular basis. In the Shell year a group of about 8 pupils is selected to take Extra English classes rather than Latin or Classical Civilisation and in the 4th and 5th year a small group of pupils opt to do Learning Skills in place of a GCSE option. This enables them to focus on writing and general study skills and relieves the pressure at this demanding stage. One-to-one tuition from suitably qualified specialist tutors is available for those who require it, and is usually delivered in the form of a six week block of study skills. The Support for Learning Centre is fully equipped and pupils are made to feel welcome and can discuss their needs in a supportive atmosphere. 10-09

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder Y
Aspergers Y
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 Y
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

Who came from where

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