Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Cranbrook School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Cranbrook School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Cranbrook School sits in the market town of Cranbrook, on a 75-acre campus in the Kent countryside, and for the right child that space and calm count for a lot. It is a co-educational grammar founded in 1518 and granted a royal charter by Elizabeth I in 1574, yet it remains state-funded and free to attend. What sets it apart is its boarding. Cranbrook is the only state grammar in the country that selects at 11+, takes both boys and girls, and offers boarding alongside day places. Around a quarter of pupils board, most from Kent, Surrey and Sussex, with a smaller group from further afield.
The school describes its values as kindness, integrity, curiosity, aspiration and individuality, and parents tend to find those words borne out in how settled the children seem. The Good Schools Guide describes a selective school that challenges the brightest local children alongside boarders from elsewhere, with a strong place in its town. There are six boarding houses, including a dedicated entrance house for the pupils who join in Year 9, and day and boarding life run side by side rather than as separate worlds.
Cranbrook suits an academically able child who would gain from the longer, fuller day that boarding builds, whether they board or not, and a family drawn to a long-established school with room to breathe. It appeals especially to those weighing state boarding against the independent sector. The school has been led since 2023 by headteacher David Clark. For a child ready to stretch themselves somewhere unhurried and green, it is a rare option worth seeing first-hand.
Yes
Does Cranbrook School have a catchment area?
Yes. Day places give priority to children living in the school's Priority Area, defined as the civil parishes of Cranbrook and Sissinghurst, Goudhurst, Staplehurst, Frittenden, Benenden, Sandhurst and Hawkhurst, plus any other address within 8.5km of the school in a straight line. Children outside the Priority Area can still apply and be ranked by test score. Boarders may live anywhere in the UK or overseas.
Cranbrook School uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entrance assessment.
No, Cranbrook School does not include an interview stage in its 11+ entrance examination process.
Cranbrook School is a co-educational grammar school, accepting both boys and girls for day and boarding places.
Yes, day places prioritise children living within a defined Priority Area. Boarding places are open to students from anywhere.
The official website for Cranbrook School is https://www.cranbrookschool.co.uk/.
For Year 7 day entry, your child first needs to be assessed suitable for grammar school through the Kent Test, also called the Kent PESE or 11+. Children who pass are then ranked in order: looked-after and previously looked-after children; Pupil Premium children in the priority area; children in the priority area with a social need; siblings in the priority area; staff children; other children in the priority area; and finally children outside it. The priority area covers named parishes plus anywhere within 8.5km. Boarding places are offered mainly at Year 9 under a separate policy.
Cranbrook uses the Kent Test, so the 11+ is arranged and run by Kent County Council, not the school. If your child is ill on or near a test day, contact the Kent admissions team straight away, as they handle illness, late testing and any access arrangements such as extra time. For children with special educational needs, you should discuss arrangements with Kent's admissions team before the test. The school takes the results from Kent and applies its own ranking after that.
