insideKENT Magazine Issue 78 - September 2018 | Page 134
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
EDUCATION
CRANBROOK SCHOOL
IS ENJOYING AN EXCEPTIONAL YEAR.
THIS HAS BEEN A YEAR OF LOOKING BACK THROUGH 500 YEARS OF RICH,
ABUNDANT HERITAGE; FEW SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY OR EVEN INTERNATIONALLY
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE 500 YEARS OF HISTORY.
To mark this tremendous milestone, the
School designed a Quincentenary programme
of events running throughout 2018. Two Old
Cranbrookian events took place in a grand
marquee, welcoming over 400 alumni back
to the School; Her Royal Highness the Princess
Royal officially opened the School’s new Sixth
Form Centre, meeting a large number of
students and touring the site; special
anniversary lectures welcomed alumni guest
speakers, who gave informative and inspiring
talks to the students and local community;
students enjoyed a themed week, off timetable,
to explore and enrich their problem solving
skills, team working and world knowledge;
and an Extravaganza, supported by NFU,
brought the School and local people together
and even presented Cranbrook School’s very
first dog show. Further events are planned for
the new term.
It has also been a year of looking forward. The
School had its first intake of Year 7 students
in 50 years; boarding received a consecutive
‘outstanding’ rating from Ofsted; and
Cranbrook School’s Combined Cadet Force
once again performed superbly at the Biennial
Inspection.
It is through dedication and ambition that
Cranbrook School maintains its success by
aiming high for the future, while still valuing
its history.
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At Cranbrook, we track our students’ progress
by their academic development, personal well-
being, and gradual transition to adulthood
across the teenage years. The wider world,
however, uses more prosaic measures – exam
results.
Although we do not believe in hot-house
methods, our success in this sphere stands
scrutiny alongside the best in the country –
and we are proud that Cranbrook is
consistently placed among the best schools
in England, and, as a result, pupils secure
places at the very best universities.
Cranbrook School has enjoyed consistent,
top-tier exam success in recent years.
Cranbrook students are taught to think for
themselves, and they are encouraged to use
the student portal, where they are able to
access revision guides, subject notes/links and
exam resources. Equally, parents are also
encouraged to support their offspring during
their time at Cranbrook.
Our setting, with the river Crane running
through it and 75 acres of lush Wealden
countryside, complements our boarding and
teaching accommodation delightfully.
Cranbrook was one of the small number of
Kent grammar schools founded in the Tudor
period. Its history goes back to 1518 when a
wealthy Yeoman, John Blubery, bequeathed
his ‘chief mansion’ to provide a ‘frescole house’
for the town’s children. Following Queen
Elizabeth’s visit to the important cloth
manufacturing town of Cranbrook in 1573, a
royal charter firmly established the ‘free and
perpetual grammar school’. The first
Governors are named in the charter: they
included the vicar (and each subsequent vicar
of Cranbrook has been a Governor), the two
leading local gentlemen, and ten wealthy
Cranbrook clothiers. Since that date, the
school’s biggest change has been that to co-
education and 13+ entry in the early 1970s,
together with more than doubling of size. We
are embarking on a period of similar
development with our move to admit 11 year
olds for the first time in over 40 years from
September 2017.
Open days are running throughout September
to November for 2019 admissions. For more
information, please visit the website:
www.cranbrookschool.co.uk,
call 01580 711804 or email
[email protected]