Located in the rural area of Kent, Cranbrook is a high-performing blended elementary school that provides a comprehensive day and boarding school education to students who are passionate about learning and have an independent spirit. In its most recent inspection, Ofsted awarded the Cranbrook school an overall rating of Outstanding. I'm a bit late to the party, but I have a son in the ninth year at Cranbrook who was in an independent school for a couple of years before and at a state school in London before that. The situation is changing slightly at the moment, as funding has been cut and they are now admitted in the seventh year, so they are going through a period of uncertainty. Subjects such as music, physical education, design technology, information technology, for example, have been eliminated, which means that the creative options in the GCSE are very limited (art, theater, food technology).
I have found that most teachers are good, committed and enthusiastic and seem to be measuring up to my son for the most part. There are a couple of teachers who haven't impressed me, as have other parents, and this has been addressed to some extent. My son is happy, settled, enjoys school, participates in many extracurricular activities (scheduling schedules is a bit frustrating because there are so many clashes).At Cranbrook they have plenty of opportunities to explore all kinds of different areas. They have an excellent compulsory after-school program in which they have to get involved in the local community.
If you have a child who is willing to work hard, as with most schools, he will do very well at Cranbrook. It's a state school, it's not perfect, some kids will have a terrible experience, but overall the discipline is good, the spirit is good and education is good and there's lots of support from parents. The class size is large; there are disruptions like in any state school; there's nothing you can do about it. They're going through a tough time right now but what school isn't going through something at some point? But from my personal point of view it's working for us and I don't see any other state school being better. The previous opening date and status indicate when Cranbrook School opened its doors or when it changed to its most recent version; several schools became academies in recent years. Despite financial restrictions my son has still managed to thrive in the Cranbrook environment. The English baccalaureate is at the heart of the curriculum and prepares students for life beyond Cranbrook.
Getting into Cranbrook Academy of Art is no easy task and you'll need to stand out with more than just numbers and data. As one of the few state grammar boarding schools in the country, education provided by Cranbrook School is free for both day students and interns. Before going to Cranbrook my son was in a prestigious private school for children and had only an average grade of C. Many Old Cranbrook students who attend the school's sixth year go on to study at Russell Group universities including Oxbridge.
Cranbrook Grammar School offers an excellent education with plenty of opportunities for students to explore different areas. With dedicated teachers and plenty of extracurricular activities available, your child can thrive in this environment if they are willing to work hard.
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