Welcome to Cranbrook School
Cranbrook is a genuinely unique place. It is a co-educational grammar school in the heart of the glorious Wealden countryside. It is one of only a small number of state boarding schools in the UK. And it is an ancient school, founded in 1518 and given its royal charter by Elizabeth I in 1574.Our students thrive thanks to the breadth and challenge of our curriculum, and our emphasis on growing character as much as minds. We balance a traditional academic curriculum with a busy co-curriculum of competitive sport, music, drama, CCF, DofE and student-led societies. Opportunities for independent thought and leadership are many – particularly for senior pupils, who benefit from the social and academic buzz to be found in our new Sixth Form Centre. Our academic results are consistently among the best for state schools in the country, and our leavers head to a variety of top destinations, including Oxbridge and many Russell Group universities.Our 250 boarders give us a rare and special dimension among grammar schools. Their experience in our boarding family is happy and vibrant thanks to the excellent accommodation in our six Houses, our skilled, dedicated House teams, and an extensive programme of activities. Our boarders hail from the UK and overseas and enrich our community with different cultures and perspectives. We are proud to celebrate and promote them all across the School.Cranbrook is a beautiful place to live and grow up. With 75 acres of our own green space on the site, we are an integral part of the aerial patchwork of the Weald’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – it’s fantastic for the wellbeing of both students and staff. We are half an hour from the coast, and not much further from London and its airports.We are a school for life, with a very active parent and alumnus body locally and further afield. Cranbrookians develop independent spirits, have a passion for team sports and the arts, are curious about their world and make lifelong friendships. They acquire enviable soft skills during their time with us and leave school with confidence to tackle future challenges and to seize exciting opportunities that lie ahead.Please come and visit. It will be a pleasure to meet you and your family.David ClarkHead
Show full message
Boarding Type
No Boarder
School Type
Academies
Suitable Ages
11 to 18
Gender
Mixed
No. of Students
918 Total
No. of Boys
488 (53.2%)
No. of Girls
430 (46.8%)
Academic Excellence
GCSE Results
Latest Examination
71.8%
Students achieving A*/A grades (9/8/7)
A-Level Results
Sixth Form Performance
A* grades
12.57%
A*/A grades
36.54%
Leavers' Destinations
Destinations after GCSEs
Staying in education
100%
School
79%
England
Apprenticeships
0%
School
3%
England
Further education
School sixth form
Sixth form college
Other education destinations
Destinations after A-Levels
UK higher education
51%
School
1%
England
Apprenticeships
1%
School
19%
England
Higher education or training
Further education
Employment
Not sustained in education/employment
Courses
Show all coursesEvents
Show all eventsExciting Events Ahead!
A detailed admissions process on ApplicaaOne is coming soon.
Please see our website for more information on our admissions process.
Admissions Process
Start Application| Nov 2025 | Dec 2025 |
|---|---|
Application Window | |
Sixth Form Open Evening | |
Key Dates & Deadlines
Nov 1, 2025
Opening of Application for September 2026
Nov 5, 2025
Sixth Form Open Evening
Dec 15, 2025
Application Deadline
Term Dates & Half-Term Holidays
Planning ahead for school holidays? Below are the term dates and half-term dates for the 2025/2026 academic year.
Autumn
2 terms
Half Term 1
Sep 1 - Oct 17
Half Term 2
Oct 27 - Dec 19
Spring
2 terms
Half Term 1
Jan 5 - Feb 13
Half Term 2
Feb 23 - Apr 2
Summer
2 terms
Half Term 1
Apr 20 - May 22
Half Term 2
Jun 1 - Jul 21
Half-Term & Holiday Dates
Autumn Half Term
Oct 20 - Oct 24
Christmas Holidays
Dec 22 - Jan 2
Spring Half Term
Feb 16 - Feb 20
Easter Holidays
Apr 3 - Apr 17
May Half Term
May 25 - May 29
Summer Holidays
Jul 22 - Aug 28
Alumni Stories
Show all storiesUpdates Coming Soon!
We’ll be sharing information about the destinations of our alumni here soon.

