A selective co-educational grammar school in Cranbrook, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 918 pupils on roll.
Cranbrook School
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At a glance
Cranbrook School is a co-educational Kent grammar school with an identity that is older and broader than the modern 11-plus system. Founded in 1518, it combines selective day places with boarding from Year 9 and has a current roll of about 918. The school has a Christian character and a small-town setting, but its boarding houses and sixth form give it a wider reach than many Kent grammars.
The academic offer is framed around high expectations and a strong personal-development programme. Cranbrook's sixth form is about 300 students and uses a dedicated two-storey Sixth Form Centre, with supervised study spaces, a group-work area and a social zone. The A-level programme includes structured teaching and supervised study, while enrichment can include the EPQ, Sports Leaders, first aid, peer mentoring, finance, careers research and presentation skills.
Boarding is part of the school's texture rather than an add-on. Official boarding material describes small houses, evening prep, shared meals and weekend activities, with boarders joining the same lessons, teams, music, sport, drama, CCF and Duke of Edinburgh opportunities as day pupils. Named facilities include boarding houses, performance spaces and the sixth-form centre.
For Year 7 day entry, Cranbrook has a published admission number of 90 and uses the Kent Test. Children must be assessed suitable for grammar school, then the school's priority-area and oversubscription rules apply, including looked-after, pupil-premium, social or medical, sibling and staff-child criteria before score and distance rules. Recent official benchmarks show Ofsted Good, 93.5% grade 5+ in English and maths and 21.7% AAB or better at A level.
Creative writing is tested in this school's current 11+ assessment.
A weak creative writing piece can leave a child short of qualification. 11 Plus Writing Coach helps families build steadier practice and clearer feedback.
From our 11 Plus Writing Coach site
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Kent and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Kent and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Kent and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 918 pupils; 917 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 76.4% | White | 701 |
| Chinese | 5.7% | Asian | 52 |
| Any other White background | 5.2% | White | 48 |
| African | 4.2% | Black | 39 |
| Any other mixed background | 2.6% | Mixed | 24 |
| Indian | 1.1% | Asian | 10 |
| White and Black African | 1.1% | Mixed | 10 |
| White and Asian | 1% | Mixed | 9 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.8% | Other | 7 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.7% | Mixed | 6 |
| Any other Asian background | 0.4% | Asian | 4 |
| Irish | 0.4% | White | 4 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.2% | Asian | 2 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.1% | White | 1 |
| Unclassified | 0.1% | Unclassified | 1 |
Cranbrook allocates 90 Year 7 day places through the Kent coordinated scheme. Children must be assessed suitable for grammar school via the Kent Test and are then ranked by score within the published priority rules.
Cranbrook's priority area covers the civil parishes of Cranbrook, Sissinghurst, Goudhurst, Staplehurst, Frittenden, Benenden, Sandhurst, and Hawkhurst, plus any other permanent address within 8.5 kilometres of the school.
Looked after and previously looked after children.
These applicants are considered first under Cranbrook's published day admissions policy.
Eligible pupil premium applicants within the priority area.
Priority applies to eligible pupil premium applicants who live in the published priority area.
Exceptional social or medical need within the priority area.
A specific social and medical need criterion applies for children living in the priority area.
Siblings within the priority area.
Sibling priority only applies when the applicant also lives within the published priority area.
Children of eligible staff.
The policy includes a staff-child criterion before other local residents are considered.
Other permanent residents within the priority area.
After the higher-priority criteria, the remaining in-area applicants are ranked by final aggregate score, then by distance if scores are tied.
2026
349
Initial offer score
2025
338
Initial offer score
2024
337
Initial offer score
2023
353
Initial offer score
2022
354
Initial offer score
2021
365
Initial offer score
The Kent Test route applies for Year 7 day entry. It covers English, mathematics, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and a separate writing exercise.
Shared exam route
Cranbrook School uses the shared Kent Test route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Kent Test practice papersPaper 1
English, Maths
English and mathematics paper
The Kent Test includes an English and mathematics multiple-choice paper.
Paper 2
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning
Reasoning paper
The separate reasoning paper includes verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning questions.
Paper 3
Writing task
Writing exercise
Candidates also complete a writing exercise. It is not marked, but it can be considered in a headteacher assessment review.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
The separate reasoning paper includes verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning questions.
Non-verbal reasoning
The separate reasoning paper includes verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning questions.
Science
Kent Test registration opens
Monday 1 June 2026
PastKent Test registration closes
Wednesday 1 July 2026
Kent Test in Kent primary schools
Thursday 10 September 2026
Out-of-county and private-school tests
Saturday 12 or Sunday 13 September 2026
Applies to out-of-county and private-school candidates.
Kent Test results released
Thursday 15 October 2026
Kent secondary application deadline
Monday 2 November 2026
National offer day
Monday 1 March 2027
Kent reallocation day
Tuesday 27 April 2027
Cranbrook holds the waiting list from this date.
Read the day admissions policy
Use the 2027 day admissions policy to confirm the 90-place intake, priority area, and ranked oversubscription rules.
Open admissions policyRegister for the Kent Test
Kent Test registration opens on 1 June 2026 and closes on 1 July 2026 for 2027 Year 7 entry.
Open key datesSit the Kent Test
The in-Kent primary-school test date is 10 September 2026, with out-of-county and private-school testing on 12 or 13 September 2026.
View test datesSubmit your Kent secondary application
Kent County Council handles the coordinated application process. The 2027 CAF deadline is 2 November 2026.
Open KCC admissions guidanceLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 71.2 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 66 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 69.1 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 66.9 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B average (41.6 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (37 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (39.8 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B average (40.6 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 97% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 100% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 100% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 97% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 97% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 23 March 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with a similar GCSE profile
Nearby option with a similar GCSE profile
Similar GCSE profile
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Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Best Grammar Schools in Kent
Compare 32 Kent grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Kent Test route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Cranbrook School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the day admissions policy: Use the 2027 day admissions policy to confirm the 90-place intake, priority area, and ranked oversubscription rules. 2. Register for the Kent Test: Kent Test registration opens on 1 June 2026 and closes on 1 July 2026 for 2027 Year 7 entry. 3. Sit the Kent Test: The in-Kent primary-school test date is 10 September 2026, with out-of-county and private-school testing on 12 or 13 September 2026. 4. Submit your Kent secondary application: Kent County Council handles the coordinated application process. The 2027 CAF deadline is 2 November 2026.
Kent Test registration opens: Monday 1 June 2026. Kent Test registration closes: Wednesday 1 July 2026. Kent Test in Kent primary schools: Thursday 10 September 2026. Out-of-county and private-school tests: Saturday 12 or Sunday 13 September 2026. Kent Test results released: Thursday 15 October 2026. Kent secondary application deadline: Monday 2 November 2026. National offer day: Monday 1 March 2027. Kent reallocation day: Tuesday 27 April 2027
Cranbrook School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 23 March 2022.