Kent College, Pembury A GSG School
- Kent College, Pembury
Old Church Road
Pembury
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN2 4AX - Head: Ms Katrina Handford
- T 01892 822006
- F 01892 820221
- E admissions@kentcollege.kent.sch.uk
- W www.kent-college.co.uk/
- An independent school for girls aged from 11 to 18.
- Read about the best schools in West Kent and East Kent
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Kent
- Pupils: 371; sixth formers: 71
- Religion: Methodist
- Fees: Day £25,380 - £27,120; Boarding £34,500 - £40,500 pa
- Open days: March and October
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: Kent College Preparatory School
What The Good Schools Guide says..
There is an ethos of industriousness, collaboration and celebrating individual talents within the creative arts. Our guides were bursting with pride about friends’ achievements. The Countess of Wessex 200-seat theatre sees some serious action with two slick productions a year – some of them double cast from senior and junior for maximum participation and ‘all-hands-on-deck’. We observed dance showcase preparations, where...
What the school says...
Kent College is classed as a hidden gem in Kent, it is ideally placed amongst safe, 75 acre rural parkland, close to national and international transport networks and the Euro Tunnel. 'Kent College has been everything we would have hoped for; It has helped make our daughter into a lovely compassionate young lady, who is equipped to enter the next phase of her life. She will hopefully achieve the career she desires and for this we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.' Kent College Parent
Caring for the individual is the essential ingredient in our ethos and we offer unusual and exciting opportunities both within the classroom and as extra-curricular activities including bee keeping, ballet, horse riding, ceramics workshop, photography, gymnastics and debating. Our Christian foundation focuses all we do in a spirit of community and kindness and we embrace those of all faiths and none. At Kent College Senior School every girl has the opportunity to excel and building self-esteem is at the heart of all we do. Girls progress on to their first choice universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Bath and Imperial to study subjects from Veterinary Science to Architecture.
The Kent College boarding community comprises a quarter of the school population and encompasses a diversity of ethnic and social backgrounds maintaining a good balance between UK and overseas girls. - we offer a 20% forces discount. Means tested bursaries and scholarships in Music, Sports, Art, Drama and Academia are all available. ...Read more
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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.
What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmistress
Since 2022, Katrina Handford, previously senior deputy head at Nottingham Girls’ High School for six years, the last one as acting head. She wouldn’t have been ‘tempted away’ easily, she admits, but knew Pembury was special – she’d worked there for five years before that, first as a history teacher, then in leadership roles in the sixth form and pastoral care. Describing it as ‘a very special school’, she explains how the original Kent College, established in Folkestone in 1886, was recognised as ‘the most forward-looking school of its time’. She is adamant to honour this founding ethos by producing outward looking global citizens. Her previous work mentoring girls suffering from abuse and leading the Nottingham branch of the Women’s Equality Party also inspires her to help turn out caring members of society. As...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
At Kent College we offer all the girls who pass our entrance examination the means to fully realise their potential. We get to know how our girls learn, and equip them to exploit their strengths. We have specialist teachers for dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia support, either in a 1:1 or small group setting, together with specialist EAL staff. Our dedicated staff work closely with girls who find social communication difficult, nurturing their self-confidence and guiding them towards success. We are able to offer educational abilities and achievements assessment in-house, together with full assessments for access arrangements.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | Y |
| 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 | |
| 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 | Y |
| 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 | Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Michael's Preparatory School | 2023 | 4 | 2 | Sports Scholarships (2) |
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