Kent boarding schools

[Nomad85]

I am moving back to France next summer but my daughter will be remaining in the UK and attending boarding school. She will be starting Year 7 in 2026.
We are currently in Wales and we are looking in Kent so it will be easier for her to travel home to France. But there are so many schools there and I am already worried about her going to boarding school that I am worried about choosing the wrong one and could do with any insight anybody is able to give.

We have booked some open days and currently considering:

Dover College
Kent College
Kings
St Lawrence
Cranbrook
Beneden

She is horse and animal mad so somewhere with a good equestrian link would be perfect. She's not particularly sporty but loves the arts and STEM. She's a very gentle character and I'm terrified about her being bullied. She's not a proficient French speaker and I haven't discounted international schools in France but I want to exhaust our UK options first.

There’s a boarding school topic section that might generate some specific replies.
Benenden is well known for excellent pastoral care.

If she is horse mad you should look at Mayfield just over the border in East Sussex but still was access to Gatwick and channel crossings. They have an equestrian centre, girls can bring their own horses or loan during their time at the school. It is Catholic and girls do attend chapel but all faiths and none attend.

Mayfield is a great choice I was about to say - Sounds perfect for you! Small, friendly, all girls, easy access, good outcomes. Excellent horse riding.

Cranbrook only boards from y9. There is also Buckswood School which we drive past on the way to the coast and it looks amazing - but I can’t comment on the care or academe.

I think you need to think more about the type of school you want and how much you want to pay.
Also what is the boarding cohort? A range of students from UK and a number of overseas countries? Or mainly Chinese/HK.
Does the school empty out at weekends? Will your child be in a busy mixed group? Or will she be one of a handful of students in the boarding house?

Cranbrook - state boarding so you only pay the boarding fee not the education bit. Way cheaper. Academically selective but non of the frills you get at a private school.

Benenden - single sex. Is that what you/she want? Very different to co-eds. Perhaps more nurturing for a girl.

Kings has its own prep school on a separate site. So quite good for the 11-13 age group who get the experience of being at the top of the school before they move on. I think this structure is good to build self confidence etc before they start at the senior school. Junior school mainly day though. Balance shifts in the senior school and the mainly full boarding ethos is good for children with parents abroad. Traditional. Quite academic. Outstanding music. Excellent performing arts etc. They also have an equestrian offering.
Quite intense so would not suit a child who struggles academically or with organisation.

Kent College might be better for a more laid back child. There is quite a lot of movement between Kings and Kent around the 11+ mark.

Not sure about Dover College or St Lawrence but Dover as a town is grim.

I think all of these schools are pretty hot on dealing with bullying these days. But obviously whether bullying happens will depend on the particular cohort.

There is a good bilingual boarding school in Lille called Ecole Jeannine Manuel. Also has a very high performing sister school in Paris. Would a bilingual boarding school not be a better option long term? No horses unfortunately though but if it is not too far from where you are going she could weekly board. The French school is much cheaper than the UK private boarding schools, like Benenden. If you are going to France long term, that may be a better option.

You have included both single sex and co-ed as well as academically selective and non-selective, so it would probably help to consider what may be the better fit. There is also a huge difference in fees between I independent fee-paying Benendon at just under 20k per term and the state grammar Cranbrook at just over 16K pa. Are you restricted to Kent, or could you consider a school near one of the London airports?

I also think Mayfield sounds good - Benenden is possibly the most academically selective of the ones you have mentioned. If you can afford it Benenden has the most social clout but obviously most people just want their kids to be happy so visit and make sure your girl would fit in (it's not for everyone). Mayfield has a more normal cohort but also gets good results and has happy girls.

Not sure which Kent College you have in mind - there is one in Canterbury which has a fairly good rep but is mixed and very average academically. Kings obviously mixed but more academically rigorous than other Private schools in the area. There aren't many all girls schools in Kent for boarding (assuming you don't mean the Kent College near Tunbridge Wells which is a bit of a wild card and seems to be having a lot of pastoral care issues and limited academic success, although slightly better than the Canterbury one). I also think it is about to go mixed, as their junior school has done.

I think looking at East Sussex and Surrey might be a good idea - the extra 20/40mins on the train won't mean much if it offers a better selection.

You’ve also got Ashford School and Duke of Yorks (state boarding) which offer boarding and good links into France

From what I see, Cranbrook is becoming less and less like a grammar school with so many who join in year 9-11. I've had one go through and still have one there and also know a number of staff who have said similar - they currently have very weak students joining in boarding.

This is course could be a positive or a negative - but if you do want the selective and academic nature of a normal grammar school, you may want to look elsewhere!

Ask about numbers.
Are they losing student numbers rapidly.
How big was sixth form now v 5 years ago.
Same with year 7
Some of these schools have lower numbers now
Will they survive?

Kent College has very good riding facilities and its own farm and would be perfect for someone keen on animals. My (vegetarian) DD was horrified by the idea of working closely with animals on the farm and then encountering the piggies at lunch and was not prepared to consider the school for this reason alone. However, my dyslexic DS joined in year 10 after being failed by the state system and really benefitted from the excellent one to one support he received. He achieved excellent A levels which boosted his confidence and is now doing very well at university. He did say that boarders keep mostly to themselves and don't mix much with local day pupils. Not sure if this would also be the case for British boarders.

My DD is now at Kings and really likes it. As far as I know, riding is only available at Junior Kings (2-14 years of age). My DD is friends with many boarders, so the mix between local-ish day pupils and boarders, both British and international, seems to work well. Not every child at King's is sporty and Arts and STEM provisions are excellent.

Canterbury is perfect for easy access to France and recently there have been renewed discussions about reinstating international train links from Ashford (15 min by train from Canterbury) to France/Europe.

@Nomad85 just seen this thread and wondering where you have got with your search? Rather than adding to this thread, please PM me. I know the Kent boarding schools well.