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Our View
This down-to-earth school on the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells is laser-focused on getting the best out of everyone. Creative subjects are a real strength, as is its talent for nurturing confidence and instilling the Methodist ethos of altruism (its values are rooted in the movement). It’s a compelling package – and as Kent College gets ready to welcome boys in September 2026 (the prep is already co-ed), a perfectly balanced co-ed powerhouse won’t take long to emerge.
Where?
Located in the small village of Pembury, the school sits in 75 acres of woodland and fields with a maze of buildings where pupils go from class to pool to boarding house to sports hall to theatre via a real rabbit warren of back corridors and doors. Road links to Sevenoaks and surrounding villages are good, and the school operates 10 bus routes to ferry pupils to and from the gates.
Head
Katrina Handford joined Kent College in January 2022 after 14 years at Nottingham Girls’ High School. A teaching head who originally trained in history, she takes the girls for PSHE. She is enthusiastic about boys joining, telling us that the change offers a valuable chance to ‘look at the school through a new lens’ and ask, ‘How are we making this school better for everyone, not just the boys?’
Admissions
In November before entry, prospective Year 7 pupils sit a test to assess their literacy and mathematical abilities. They’re also observed in two taster lessons, participate in a team challenge and take part in a group interview. Year 9 entry follows a similar format, but pupils also attend a one-to-one interview with a member of staff. A handful of international pupils typically join in Year 10 to study for their GCSEs. For entry into the sixth form, applicants are required to have at least six GCSEs at grade 4 or above.
Miss Handford tells us there’s been a huge amount of interest since the co-ed announcement, and the current parent body are supportive of the decision as they ‘chose Kent College because of the ethos, not because it is only girls’. She believes the school will be fully co-ed in two years and instead of just welcoming boys in Year 7, they’re also offering places in Years 9 and 10, as well as sixth form, to ensure younger pupils have male role models in the years above.
Academics and destinations
Miss Handford describes Kent College as ‘gently selective’ with mixed ability cohorts; the value-added is outstanding. ‘If parents understand the individual maximum potential and are not distracted by league tables, then we are the right fit,’ she says. Class sizes are deliberately kept small (the school would rather create an entire new class than exceed its preferred number of pupils) – and there’s a holistic approach to academics. Year 7s, 8s and 9s study global citizenship to help develop soft skills such as problem-solving, communication, collaboration and empathy, alongside knowledge-building. This leads to a diploma in Year 9 encompassing academic tasks in English, maths, all three sciences, geography and history, plus community engagement, and a global citizenship essay.
Pupils take seven to 13 GCSEs (the average is 10) and there are no timetable constraints, allowing them to study what they love. There’s a vast range of subjects up for grabs, including Ancient Greek and astronomy (pupils join forces with local grammar schools for the latter), and stretching and support are there for those who need it, with everyone taught exam techniques and study skills. All scholars have weekly sessions with a one-to-one mentor to help them keep on top of their academic commitments.
A massive 20 subjects are available at A-level. There are currently three BTECs, but in September 2026 that will increase to nine, including marketing, criminology, film studies, medical science, food and information technology and PE. Year 13 leavers head off to a range of destinations – last year saw pupils going to St Andrews to read theology, Edinburgh to study animation, Cambridge to read law and Central Saint Martins to study fashion design. Some also opt for degree apprenticeships.
Co-curricular
This is a sporty school, with many girls playing netball and hockey at national level. Ahead of the boys’ arrival, Kent College has been in discussions with local rugby and football clubs, and both girls and boys will have the chance to play. There’s a professional-standard pool on campus, an affiliation with a local swim club that runs timetabled lessons and a high-achieving swim squad. The fitness suite is impressive, with all the equipment you’d expect from a professional gym – strength and conditioning is a big focus, especially for sports scholars.
Drama is another major strength, and the theatre is West End-worthy, with bleacher seating, an orchestra pit and a swanky lighting and sound box. It can even be converted into a theatre-in-the-round, adding an extra dimension to performances. Rehearsals for
Anything Goes were in full swing during our visit, and we were blown away by what we saw (Kent College has a strong reputation for dance and musical theatre). The whole school gets involved in the production, with backstage roles up for grabs and the textiles department responsible for the costumes.
The music block is a vibrant hub of activity, featuring a recording studio, tech music room and practice rooms for individual lessons. Pupils can join orchestras, choirs and ensembles, and there’s an open mic night where they perform their own compositions. The huge art department, meanwhile, is fully set up for photography, ceramics and fine art, all of which are on offer at GCSE and A-level. Textiles is a big thing here, with its own dedicated space packed with sewing machines and rolls of fabric. Food tech is equally impressive and is another popular GCSE and sixth-form choice – pupils can take a food-science diploma.
Clubs are plentiful, running before and after school as well as during lunch. These include a wide range of activities, from all types of dance (contemporary to commercial) to drama, music, art, textiles, sports and invitation-only swim squad.
Boarding
Boarding is brilliantly flexible: pupils can choose between full, flexi and occasional options, and the school readily accommodates short-term stays – for instance, if a parent is away on business. There’s a single boarding house for everyone to hunker down in; the younger years share dorms, while sixth-formers have their own single rooms. It’s a lovely, homely space with a bright common room, kitchen and private garden offering plenty of space for pupils to steal away for some quiet time. When boys join, and depending on numbers, they will have a dedicated floor, with girls on the other – and there will be a shared common room where everyone can hang out together. Weekends are filled with local and London outings, as well as a variety of on-site activities.
School community
A team of three non-teaching staff (as well as a dedicated SENCO and chaplain) oversee pupils’ wellbeing needs, including friendship issues, confidence-building and teamwork. The school hosts a number of parent workshops on a range of wellbeing-related topics, and parents muck in with everything from fundraising events to open days, where they’re on hand to advise prospective families. They are, according to the head, very down to earth. ‘We work with them to raise their young people,’ she tells us.
Sixth-formers have a number of privileges, including their own house to study and relax in, and the opportunity to spend an afternoon a week at home if they have no lessons (Year 13s can also drive off site at lunchtimes, with parental permission).
And finally....
With boys about to join the school, Kent College is entering an exciting new chapter. It’s clear, though, that getting the best out of every individual – girl or boy – will still top its mission statement.