| Established | 1923 |
|---|---|
| Type | Independent school Boarding Secondary |
| Headmistress | Claire Oulton |
| Deputy Head | Dr Petzsch |
| Assistant Head | Mrs L Tyler & Miss A Steven |
| Location | Cranbrook Kent TN17 4AA England |
| DfE number | 886/6002 |
| DfE URN | SC024053 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 520 |
| Gender | Girls Only |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Echyngham, Guldeford, Hemsted, Marshall, Medway, Norris Beeches, Elms, Limes and Oaks |
| Contact No | 01580 240592 |
| Website | Benenden School |
Benenden School is an independent boarding school for girls in Kent, England. It is located in Benenden in the Kentish countryside, between Cranbrook and Tenterden.
The Good Schools Guide called the school "Everyone's idea of a traditional, up-market, girls' boarding school though not remotely hidebound by tradition; cutting-edge and unconventional in multiple ways, in a stunning setting and underpinned with common sense."[1]
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The school occupies a Victorian mansion, set in 250 acres (1.0 km2) of pastoral grounds. There have been, and continue to be, many improvements to the site. There is a Sports Centre (known as "SPLASH"), a science block ("Leelands"), a Design Technology centre, Study Centre ("scn") and a new furbished Theatre (finished Summer 2007). The former comprises the Eugenia Leung library as well as new-age classrooms, featuring "interactive whiteboard" a technology and IT cluster known as "break-out spaces". A new theatre and drama teaching complex has recently been completed, at the cost of £2.3 million.
Approximately 530 girls are enrolled, between the ages of 11 and 18, and all are boarders. Current fees stand at £9,110 per term. The headmistress is Claire Oulton, (previously head of St Catherine's School, Bramley, near Guildford) who took over from Gillian duCharme in 2000. The school was founded in 1923 by three mistresses from Wycombe Abbey who aimed to create a "happy school with personal integrity and service to others always in mind, where everyone would be given the chance to follow her own bent". It hence maintains sister school ties with Wycombe Abbey, as well as Godstowe Preparatory School, High Wycombe, and St Leonards School.
In 2005 Benenden school was one of fifty of the country's leading private schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixing cartel which had allowed them to drive up fees for thousands of parents.[2] Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared.[3]
There is a traditional school hall where Morning Prayers are taken. The entire school must assemble for this every morning, except Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, at 8:30. There is also a small chapel. Occasionally, the Sunday Services are taken in the village church, about 15–20 minutes' walk away.
Lessons at the school start at 9:00 am and carry on until 5:30 pm; there are six periods in the day, each lesson is one hour long. Sports practices take place during the lunch break as well as after lessons end. In addition there are two hours worth of lessons on Saturday mornings. Younger students will take a mixture of all subjects offered, as well as sports, music and PSHE classes.
Pupils studying for their GCSEs must generally take 9-11 subjects, including Mathematics, Science and English and one modern language. Classes average around 13 students at GCSE, and 6-8 students during A-levels. Drama and the Arts are popular; the School's annual play has on occasion been performed in London theatres such as the Palladium (Me and My Girl; 2002). The 2007 play was "Grease" held in the new theatre, completed in Feb 2007.
The school years are known, in order, as follows: Fourths (IV), Upper Fourths (UIV), Lower Fifths (LVths), Fifths (V), Upper Fifth (UV), Six Ones (VI1) and Six Twos (VI2). School prefects are classified as Upper Sixths. Instead of wearing the normal navy blue Sixth form uniform, they wear white and red striped blouses and grey jumpers.
Benenden offers a strong range of extracurricular activities. The belief is that these lead to a more rounded education and strongly favour individualism.
Main school sports include, lacrosse, netball, rounders and tennis. Girls often play these at county and sometimes national levels; a present senior England lacrosse player was introduced as head of lacrosse in 2008. Other activities include fencing, badminton, volleyball, swimming, golf, riding, judo, hockey, rounders, football, aerobics, athletics, rugby sevens (Kent Girls Under 18 Champions 2009), and squash. Tours abroad are occasionally organised.
Benenden U15's were lacrosse national champions in 2005 and 2009. The U15 netball team in 2005 were national champions. For a few years now Benenden's senior netball squad have retained their title as the best netball school in Kent, in the Kent Netball Tournament held once a year. Currently there are many girls playing at county, regional and national levels including both England and Scotland at U19 levels with 2 girls representing their countries at the world cup in Canada, August 2007. The captain of lacrosse for 2008/2009 has won an international lacrosse scholarship to the university of California, as well as playing with other Benenden girls in various junior England lacrosse matches.