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School profile Record updated 27 October 2026

Kent Kent 11+

Cranbrook School

Waterloo Road, Cranbrook, TN17 3JD

A selective co-educational grammar school in Cranbrook, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 918 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Co-ed Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form Kent Test
2025–2026 GCSE rank ?
UK Rank #114
Year 7 places
90
Competition ?
Moderate (estimated)
Ofsted ?
Good
11+ route
Kent Test
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On this page

At a glance

Key facts

2025–2026 GCSE rank ?
UK Rank #114
Sector
Grammar school
Admissions
Mixed
Assessment
Kent Test
Places in Year 7
90
Competition ?
Moderate (estimated)
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Ofsted ?
Good

Overview

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.

Illustrative creative writing prompt and feedback on ideas, word choice and structure
Inside Creative Writing
11+ Creative Writing Creative writing is part of this school's current 11+ assessment.

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Key points
Assessment route
Kent Test: 3 papers, covering English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Writing task.
Places and demand
90 places in Year 7 and Moderate (estimated)
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Results
88.9% grade 5+ in English and maths and 68.3 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 21.7% AAB or better and 53.9% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2025/26 KS4 measures compared with Kent and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Cranbrook School, Kent, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M
Attainment 8
68.3
Grade 5+ English and maths
88.9%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Kent and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Cranbrook School, Kent, and England. 80 66.7 53.3 40 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Kent and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Cranbrook School, Kent, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details
Sector
Grammar school
School type
Academy converter
Application
Local authority CAF
Gender
Mixed
Age range
11-18
Headteacher
Mr David Clark
Pupil roll
958 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Boarding
Boarding school
Trust
Cranbrook School Academy Trust
FSM ?
4.7%
EAL ?
6.7%
EHCP ?
0.2%

Facilities

Theatre Performing arts spaces

Extracurriculars

Drama Duke of Edinburgh Combined Cadet Force

School statistics

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 958 pupils; 957 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 82.1% Asian 6.8% Mixed 6.4% Black 4% Other 0.4% Unclassified 0.1%

Location and contact

Address

Address
Waterloo Road, Cranbrook, Kent
Postcode
TN17 3JD
Area
Kent
Exam area
Kent 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Mr David Clark

School contact

School email
reception@cranbrook.kent.sch.uk
School phone
01580711800

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions Team
Admissions email
admissions@cranbrook.kent.sch.uk
Admissions phone
01580711804
Open in Map Open school website

Admissions

Residence and moving rules

2027 entry

For local priority

Provide address evidence
When accepting a Year 7 offer

Applies to: Families accepting a Year 7 offer; the evidence establishes Priority Area status.

Policy wording, evidence and exceptions

Address evidence

At acceptance of a Year 7 offer, provide address evidence dated within the application window. Families not living at the property when applying must instead provide the signed and witnessed tenancy or signed completion memorandum. Failure to evidence the address can affect Priority Area status.

Evidence required
  • Originals of two different utility bills dated within the previous three months, and the most recent council-tax bill
  • If not living at the property when applying: signed and witnessed rental agreement, or signed completion memorandum, dated within the published application window
Home address conditions
Notify the Registrar promptly if a move after acceptance and before entry takes the family outside the Priority Area.
Official admissions policy

Checked

Year 7 places
90 places
Applications listed
281 applications (2026 entry)
First preferences
143 first preferences (2026 entry)
Competition ?
Moderate (estimated)
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Cut-off score
349 (2026 entry)
Pass mark note
For the 2026 Kent Test (2027 entry), grammar-school assessment requires an aggregate score of at least 345, with no individual score below 111. Qualification does not guarantee a place. School-specific alternative tests have their own standards.

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.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Looked after and previously looked after children.

    These applicants are considered first under Cranbrook's published day admissions policy.

  2. 2

    Eligible pupil premium applicants within the priority area.

    Priority applies to eligible pupil premium applicants who live in the published priority area.

  3. 3

    Exceptional social or medical need within the priority area.

    A specific social and medical need criterion applies for children living in the priority area.

  4. 4

    Siblings within the priority area.

    Sibling priority only applies when the applicant also lives within the published priority area.

  5. 5

    Children of eligible staff.

    The policy includes a staff-child criterion before other local residents are considered.

  6. 6

    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.

Admissions policy

2027 Day Admissions Policy

2027 entry

Score history

  1. 2026

    349

    Initial offer score

  2. 2025

    338

    Initial offer score

  3. 2024

    337

    Initial offer score

  4. 2023

    353

    Initial offer score

  5. 2022

    354

    Initial offer score

  6. 2021

    365

    Initial offer score

Exam and test format
September 2027 entry

Two multiple-choice papers and a separate writing exercise.

Test provider
GL Assessment
Format
Multiple choice and written answers
Scores
Age-standardised

Papers and timings

  • English and mathematics English · Maths Multiple choice
    60 min Includes two 5-minute practice exercises.
  • Reasoning Verbal reasoning · Non-verbal reasoning Multiple choice
    Approx. 60 min Includes practice sections.
  • Writing exercise Written answers
    40 min Includes 10 minutes for planning.

What the test includes

  • EnglishComprehension and literacy skills.
  • Maths
  • Verbal reasoning
  • Non-verbal reasoning
  • Writing taskUsed for headteacher assessment; outside the standardised score.
Official test guidance
Changes for 2028 entry
2028 entry · Quest Assessments

Quest Assessments will provide the Kent Test from the September 2027 tests for 2028 entry.

Kent County Council says the test’s purpose, structure and timing will remain unchanged.

Official 2028 guidance ↗

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Kent Test test guide

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders
Find open days and plan a visit

  1. Kent Test registration opens

    Monday 1 June 2026

    Past

  2. Kent Test registration closes

    Wednesday 1 July 2026

    Past

  3. Kent Test in Kent primary schools

    Thursday 10 September 2026

    Past

  4. Out-of-county and private-school tests

    12 or 13 September 2026

    For pupils who do not attend a Kent primary school; use the allocated test session.

  5. Kent Test results released

    Thursday 15 October 2026

    Past

  6. Kent secondary application deadline

    2 November 2026, Kent residents

    Kent residents apply through Kent County Council. Families outside Kent must meet their home local authority deadline.

  7. National offer day

    Monday 1 March 2027

  8. Kent reallocation day

    Tuesday 27 April 2027

    Cranbrook holds the waiting list from this date.

  9. Year 7 and Year 9 open evening

    15 September 2026

    Past

    5.30pm-7.45pm; book through the school website.

  10. Year 7 and Year 9 open morning

    6 October 2026

    Past

    8.45am-11am; book through the school website.

  11. Kent application changes deadline

    7 December 2026

    Deadline for on-time changes to Kent applications to be considered on National Offer Day.

  12. Kent offer acceptance deadline

    15 March 2027

    Kent residents must accept or refuse the offered school place by this date.

  13. Kent on-time appeal deadline

    13 April 2027

    For schools named on the original Kent application; check the school appeal instructions.

  14. Address evidence deadline

    When accepting a Year 7 offer

How to apply

  1. 1

    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 policy
  2. 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.

    Open key dates
  3. 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.

    View test dates
  4. 4

    Submit your Kent secondary application

    Kent County Council handles the coordinated application process. The 2027 CAF deadline is 2 November 2026.

    Open KCC admissions guidance

Official admissions documents

Admissions policy

2027 Day Admissions Policy

2027 entry

Key dates

Key Dates for Year 7 2027 Entry

2027 entry

Results

Inspection
View report
Good

Latest inspection: 23 March 2022

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good

Quick summary

  • Overall effectiveness: The 2022 inspection judged Cranbrook Good overall, with outstanding behaviour and personal development. The report praises its close community, pupil leadership and expert teaching, while noting that some curriculum planning and sixth-form attendance needed improvement.
  • Quality of education: The EBacc sits at the heart of the curriculum and teachers have strong subject knowledge. Reading is well promoted and SEND support is improving, but some subjects were less well planned and sequenced than others.
  • Behaviour and attitudes: Behaviour was judged outstanding. Pupils are highly motivated, respectful and calm in lessons and social times, with the school's values modelled strongly by pupil leaders such as the senior four.
  • Personal development: Personal development was a major strength. Pupils lead assemblies on sensitive issues, challenge inequality, join a wide range of clubs and societies, and receive careers support that prepares many for Russell Group and Oxbridge routes.
  • Leadership and management: The headteacher had quickly built positive relationships with staff, parents and pupils, and governors offered both support and challenge. The report also records safeguarding checks that were incomplete at first but corrected during inspection.
  • Sixth form provision: Sixth-form teaching is knowledgeable and supportive, and many students progress to highly selective universities. The report's main sixth-form concern was that a small percentage of students had poor attendance and needed sharper follow-up.

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Related pages and guides

Guides and related reading

Related guides are still being added.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which entrance tests does Cranbrook School use?

For September 2027 entry, Cranbrook School uses Kent Test. Check the named test and any alternative or later-stage requirements in the admissions policy.

How do I apply to Cranbrook School?

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.

When are the key dates for Cranbrook School?

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: 12 or 13 September 2026. Kent Test results released: Thursday 15 October 2026. Kent secondary application deadline: 2 November 2026, Kent residents. National offer day: Monday 1 March 2027. Kent reallocation day: Tuesday 27 April 2027. Year 7 and Year 9 open evening: 15 September 2026. Year 7 and Year 9 open morning: 6 October 2026. Kent application changes deadline: 7 December 2026. Kent offer acceptance deadline: 15 March 2027. Kent on-time appeal deadline: 13 April 2027. Address evidence deadline: When accepting a Year 7 offer

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Cranbrook School?

Cranbrook School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 23 March 2022.