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  • Kent College Canterbury
    Whitstable Road
    Canterbury
    Kent
    CT2 9DT
  • Head: Mr Mark Turnbull, MA
  • T 01227 763231
  • F 01227 787450
  • E [email protected]
  • W www.kentcollege.com
  • An independent school for boys and girls aged from 11 to 18 with a linked junior school.
  • Read about the best schools in Kent
  • Boarding: Yes
  • Local authority: Kent
  • Pupils: 600; sixth formers: 190
  • Religion: Methodist
  • Fees: Day £20,706 - £23,808; Boarding £26,712 - £44,076 pa

    Fees last updated: 04/07/2024

    Please note school fees are subject to VAT from January 2025. During this transition period, please contact school for full fee information.

  • Open days: October
  • Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
  • Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
  • Linked schools: Kent College Nursery, Infant and Junior School

What says..

Set on top of the hill by the university and within walking distance of the city, its campus has evolved since 1885 - there’s so much more than the view from the road. The talented sportsperson is well catered for here and, with 150 sport scholars bowling and striking their way through the school, it’s hardly surprising that it attracts top coaches. At sixth form, about a quarter do the IB – jolly good results for ‘a tough programme,’ met with approval by international parents. The rest choose three or four A levels from the usual menu, with...

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What the school says...

Nestling in idyllic surroundings on the outskirts of Canterbury, Kent College offers a fantastic array of opportunities including our own school farm and equine unit. We provide an education for local children plus boarders from 40+ different countries. Boarding arrangements can include a London transport package, giving children the best of both worlds: an excellent education in the Kent countryside and quality time with parents at the weekend. Our own school buses bring students in from all over the county. Working parents can take advantage of the extended school day, with the option of an overnight stay, when the need arises.

All Senior School students at Kent College are issued with a laptop, Junior pupils have use of ipads.
We are recognised as a world school and offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma alongside A Level courses. The IB allows students to pursue more subjects and credits them for the work that they already do in the community and on the sports field. Recent IB results with an average of 38.5 points place the school in the top 10 nationally.

Our pupils are academically able and also accomplished team players in sport; eloquent musicians; contributors to the school society and beyond; leaders of their own peer group and role models to others. We achieve this by promoting high self esteem, searching out and developing talent, encouraging each to be the best they can and not allowing anyone to be overlooked. Most importantly we celebrate every success. Kent College alumni are found as leaders of their fields in all walks of life!
...Read more

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Curricula

International Baccalaureate: diploma - the diploma is the familiar A-level equivalent.

Other features

All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.

International Study Centre - school has a linked, international study centre for overseas students wishing to improve their English.

Sports

Unusual sports

Equestrian centre or equestrian team - school has own equestrian centre or an equestrian team.

Rowing

Fencing

What The Good Schools Guide says

Head

Since January 2022, Mark Turnbull, previously head of Giggleswick for eight years and before that, deputy head of Eastbourne College. Educated at Marlborough College, followed by a geography degree from Liverpool University and MA from University of London. Having grown up in Kent, Sevenoaks School was a natural first teaching post, where he progressed to head of boarding. He lives on site with his wife, Ruth, and has three adult children.

Parents say he is ‘focused’, ‘realistic’ and ‘ambitious’. They also like that he is ‘consistent’ and sets ‘strong boundaries’. Pupils relieved if they haven’t had to see too much of him but are on board with his ethos. ‘To be fair, he has our respect,’ said one. His mission is to ‘instil core values’ and ‘evidence that learning occurs in...

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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

Pupils with identified learning needs are supported either in the Learning Support Centre or through bespoke timetables with an individual specialist learning support teacher. Parents are asked to make any learning needs of their child known during admission so as to best support a child from the beginning of their learning journey. Parents are also involved in decisions as to the specific support needed so that all aspects that distinguish a pupil’s learning profile and all particular needs are identified. All staff within the learning support department hold specialist qualifications and the department can offer individual support to any child including study skills, cross-curricular help, mentoring and specialist learning support.

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
HI - Hearing Impairment
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty Y
VI - Visual Impairment

Who came from where


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