Canford School A GSG School
- Canford School
Wimborne
Dorset
BH21 3AD - Head: Mr Ben Vessey BA MA MBA
- T 01202 847207
- F 01202 881723
- E [email protected]
- W www.canford.com
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 13 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Poole
- Pupils: 643; sixth formers: 282
- Religion: Church of England
- Fees: Day £32,085; Boarding £42,147 pa
- Open days: Saturday 9th October 2021 and Saturday 7th May 2022
- 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..
Results are easily as good as other co-ed schools with illustrious names. Considering the breadth of intake this speaks volumes for the first-rate teaching. Maths, chemistry and biology are the most popular A level subjects but many pupils do a mix of sciences, arts and humanities subjects.Full boarding only, no weekly boarding. Flexible exeat system means pupils can spend several Saturday nights a term at home if they want but some 70 per cent of boarders stay in school at weekends. Youngest pupils hand their mobile phones in at night but ....
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 (50s). 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. Dauntsey’s, Millfield and six years as senior deputy head at Christ’s Hospital (plus an MA in history, a PGCE and an MBA in education management along the way) led him to Canford, where he was seduced by the staff and student buzz and vibrant school community. Loves teaching and teaches five periods a fortnight to a year 9 history set. ‘I write reports and...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
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 | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | Y |
| 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 | Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumpton School | 2021 | |||
| Farleigh School | 2022 | 7 | 1 | |
| Hanford School | 2022 | |||
| Hazlegrove School | 2022 | 2 | 2 | Scholarships: 2 Academic |
| Highfield and Brookham Schools | 2021 | 3 | ||
| Port Regis | 2021 | 3 | Academic scholarship (1); Armed Forces scholarship (1); Sport scholarship (1) | |
| The Downs Preparatory School | 2021 | 1 | ||
| Twyford School | 2021 | 5 | 2 | Sports Scholarships (2) |
| Westbourne House School | 2021 | 3 | ||
| Westminster Cathedral Choir School | 2022 | 1 | ||
| Woodcote House School | 2022 | 3 |
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