Cranbrook School 11+ Guide 2026

Cranbrook School is one of the most distinctive grammar schools in England: a co-educational, state-funded selective school that offers both day and boarding places, set on a 70-acre campus in the historic market town of Cranbrook in the Weald of Kent. Entry at 11+ is through the Kent Test, and there are 90 Year 7 places available for 2026 entry. This guide covers every aspect of the admissions process for 2026 — the test format, pass marks, catchment area, 2026 key dates, and the boarding offer that makes Cranbrook unique among Kent state grammars.

What Is Cranbrook School and What Makes It Unique?

Founded in 1518 and now one of the oldest grammar schools in the country, Cranbrook School sits at the heart of the Weald of Kent and serves a predominantly rural catchment covering parts of Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Ashford districts. The school is co-educational and admits both boys and girls at 11+, which sets it apart from the majority of Kent selective schools, most of which are single-sex.

The defining feature that makes Cranbrook stand out within the state sector, however, is boarding. Cranbrook is the only Kent state grammar school to offer boarding, and it does so from Year 9 onwards. Around 230 pupils board at any one time across five boarding houses on the school’s 70-acre site. This boarding dimension attracts pupils and families who value a genuinely residential school experience within the state system, without the full cost of an independent boarding school.

The school was rated Good overall by Ofsted in its most recent inspection (March 2022), with Outstanding grades awarded for both pupil behaviour and attitudes and personal development — the two criteria that most directly reflect the school’s community ethos. Academic results are strong: nearly all pupils follow the English Baccalaureate curriculum, and the school’s sixth form retains approximately 90% of its own pupils through to A-level. There are around 550 pupils in the main school (Years 7–11) and a further 200 in the sixth form.

For families whose children will join at 11+, the first four years are all day-only. The opportunity to board begins in Year 9 (age 13), which means families who want the boarding experience can plan for a transition at 13+ without needing to leave the school or sit a new entrance exam at a different school.

How Does the Kent Test Work at Cranbrook School?

Entry to Cranbrook School at Year 7 is exclusively through the Kent Test, the selective admissions assessment administered by GL Assessment on behalf of Kent County Council and the participating Kent grammar schools. The same test is used across all 33 grammar schools in Kent, and performance in it determines which schools a pupil can apply to — there is no school-specific exam at Cranbrook.

The Kent Test consists of two one-hour papers and an additional writing task:

Each one-hour paper begins with a brief five-minute practice section before the timed questions start. The GL Assessment questions in the Kent Test are standardised, meaning a pupil’s raw scores are converted to standardised scores that account for age at the time of sitting. This age standardisation means an October-born child is not disadvantaged compared to a September-born child in the same year group.

The test is sat in school: Kent primary school pupils sit on the Thursday in early September, while pupils from out-of-county primary schools sit on the following weekend. For 2027 entry (test taken in September 2026), the Kent Test date is expected to fall on Thursday 10 September 2026 for Kent primary school pupils and the weekend of 12–13 September 2026 for out-of-county pupils. Official confirmation of test dates for 2027 entry will be published by Kent County Council at kent.gov.uk.

What Are the Pass Marks and Entry Scores for Cranbrook School?

The Kent Test produces three separate standardised scores — one each for English, Maths and Reasoning — plus a combined total. Each subject score runs on a scale from 69 to 141, giving a possible combined total between 207 and 423.

To be considered for a Year 7 place at Cranbrook School, a pupil must meet both of the following thresholds:

• A combined total score of at least 332
• No individual subject score below 106

Meeting the minimum threshold establishes eligibility; it does not guarantee a place. In practice, the competition for Cranbrook’s 90 places is considerably higher than the 332 minimum. The following table shows the lowest score of any pupil who received an offer in recent years:

The drop in lowest successful scores from 2023 to 2024–25 (from the 350s to the 330s) likely reflects the full reintroduction of out-of-county applicants and changes in the applicant pool following the pandemic years. Families should plan to target a score of 340 or above as a realistic competitive benchmark, particularly for out-of-catchment applicants.

What Is the Priority Catchment Area for Cranbrook School?

Cranbrook School operates a defined Priority Area for Year 7 admissions. The priority catchment is made up of two tiers:

Tier 1 — Named civil parishes: Cranbrook, Sissinghurst, Goudhurst, Staplehurst, Frittenden, Benenden, Sandhurst and Hawkhurst. These are the villages and surrounding rural areas immediately around Cranbrook town.

Tier 2 — Distance radius: Any permanent residence within 8.5 kilometres of Cranbrook School, measured in a straight line using National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address-point data. This means homes in the outskirts of Royal Tunbridge Wells, parts of Tonbridge and some addresses around Tenterden may fall within the 8.5 km zone even if they are not in one of the named parishes.

When more eligible pupils than available places apply, priority within the Priority Area is given in this order: Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children; Pupil Premium eligible pupils; pupils with a recognised social need to attend Cranbrook; siblings of current pupils; children of staff members. Where two pupils have equal priority under all criteria, the tiebreaker is proximity to the school.

Pupils outside the Priority Area are considered only if eligible pupils from within the Priority Area do not fill all 90 places — which rarely happens. Out-of-area applicants must therefore achieve noticeably higher scores than the minimum threshold to be competitive. Any child with a Statement of Special Educational Need (SSEN) or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming Cranbrook School is allocated a place ahead of all oversubscription criteria. Families can check whether their address falls within the priority catchment using the NLPG tool on the Kent County Council website.

Cranbrook is unusual among Kent grammars in its rural setting: most competing Kent grammar schools are concentrated in Maidstone, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sittingbourne. Schools such as Tonbridge Grammar School and Weald of Kent Grammar School draw from some of the same villages in the Tonbridge area, and families across the Weald often list multiple grammar schools as preferences on the Common Application Form.

What Are the 2026 Key Dates for Cranbrook School 11+?

The Kent 11+ process for September 2026 entry (Year 7 starting autumn 2026) followed the standard Kent timetable. Registration opened on Monday 2 June 2025 and closed on Tuesday 1 July 2025. The Kent Test was sat on Thursday 11 September 2025 by pupils in Kent primary schools, and on 13–14 September 2025 by pupils in out-of-county primary schools. Results were issued on Thursday 16 October 2025. The Common Application Form deadline was Friday 31 October 2025, and National Offer Day was Monday 2 March 2026.

For September 2027 entry (Year 7 starting autumn 2027), the registration window is expected to open in June 2026 and close in early July 2026. The Kent Test is expected to take place on Thursday 10 September 2026 for Kent primary school pupils and the weekend of 12–13 September 2026 for out-of-county pupils. Families should confirm exact dates directly with Kent County Council when the registration window opens.

How Does Boarding Work at Cranbrook School?

Cranbrook School’s boarding offer is genuinely rare in the state sector. While most state grammar schools are exclusively day schools, Cranbrook has offered boarding since its medieval foundation, and the boarding community today is a central part of the school’s identity.

Boarding places are not available at Year 7 entry through the 11+ process. Day pupils join in Year 7 through the Kent Test, and boarding becomes an option from Year 9. This means that if your child joins at 11+ and you later want them to experience boarding — perhaps because of a family move, a change in commuting circumstances, or simply because they want to live at school — this transition is possible within Cranbrook without changing schools.

From September 2026, there are 52 boarding places and 8 day places available at Year 9 entry. Applications for Year 9 must be submitted between 1 September and 31 October before the September of required entry. Boarding places are also available for external pupils at Year 9, including a dedicated pathway for families in the Armed Forces.

Boarding fees for Years 9 to 11 start from £5,859 per term for the 2026/27 academic year. Approximately 230 pupils board at any one time across five houses on the 70-acre Weald of Kent campus. The school’s boarding houses are named and each has its own identity and pastoral team. This scale — large enough to have real community but small enough for staff to know individual boarders — is frequently cited by parents as one of Cranbrook’s distinguishing qualities.

Families interested in boarding at Year 9 should contact the school directly via the admissions email (admissions@cranbrook.kent.sch.uk) or telephone (01580 711805). Cranbrook’s 11+ Kent guide has further context on how the school sits within the wider Kent grammar landscape.

How Should You Prepare for Cranbrook School 11+?

The Kent Test is a four-part assessment: English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Cranbrook’s competitive benchmark of 340 or above means a child needs to perform well across all four sections, not just in their strongest area. In particular, the requirement that no individual subject score falls below 106 means a weak performance in even one area can rule out an otherwise strong applicant.

When to start: Most families preparing for Cranbrook begin structured practice in Year 4 or early Year 5. Starting in Year 4 provides 18–24 months of steady preparation time and allows thorough coverage of all Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning question types before summer of Year 5, when mock test practice becomes the main focus. Starting in Year 5 is still entirely manageable, but leaves less margin for slow progress in any one area.

English preparation: The English section tests reading comprehension alongside spelling, grammar and vocabulary. GL Assessment questions at this level often include unseen passages that test inference and language analysis, not just factual retrieval. Regular reading — fiction and non-fiction — builds the vocabulary base needed to score well here. Targeted comprehension practice using GL Assessment-style passages, combined with specific grammar and vocabulary work, develops the accuracy the test requires.

Maths preparation: The Maths section is based on KS2 topics but at a challenging level of problem-solving. The most common areas tested include fractions, percentages, ratio, algebra (simple expressions and equations), shape and space, and data handling. Time pressure matters: 30 minutes for a full Maths section is tight, and pupils who have not practised pacing themselves often run out of time before reaching the later questions.

Verbal Reasoning preparation: VR is typically the section children find most unfamiliar if they encounter it for the first time in Year 5 or later. The 21 standard GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning question types need to be learned methodically. Most children benefit from working through all 21 types systematically, then testing themselves under timed conditions once each type is understood. Code-breaking and word relationship questions respond particularly well to repeated timed practice.

Non-Verbal Reasoning preparation: NVR tests spatial and pattern-recognition thinking. While some children have a natural aptitude for this, performance in NVR improves consistently with targeted practice. The key is to develop the habit of systematic visual analysis rather than guessing by feel. GL Assessment NVR questions follow predictable patterns, and pupils who understand these patterns score significantly better than those who approach each question cold.

Our specialist tutors at Leading Tuition design programmes that cover all four sections in the right sequence, using materials calibrated to GL Assessment’s question style and Cranbrook’s specific score thresholds. We also help families in the Weald of Kent who are weighing up Cranbrook alongside other grammar options such as 11+ tuition programmes for multiple Kent schools.

Frequently Asked Questions