Open all
Our View
This progressive school nestled in the beautiful Weald of Kent is as caring and nurturing as it was when it was founded by the headmaster of Dulwich Prep London, who evacuated his pupils here after the outbreak of the Second World War. What was originally a group of huts in the orchards surrounding the main manor house has grown into a thriving, incredibly open and welcoming place that now goes all the way through to Year 11, making it an even more compelling option than ever.
Where?
The school is situated a mile outside the pretty Kent village of Cranbrook. The sweeping driveway leads down to a spread of well-maintained playing fields and the school’s extensive grounds – which include a mini-nature reserve and wilderness wood for children to explore. Most pupils are local and come by car, but there are also a handy number of minibuses ferrying children in from the surrounding villages.
Life here begins at Nash House (nursery to reception), a super-modern, funky building with a retractable roof and classrooms spilling out into the gardens. From there, it’s a hop down the corridor to Little Stream (Years 1 to 4), a skip to upper prep (Years 5 to 6) and a final jump to the senior school, which took its first cohort of Year 9s in September 2023. The two-storey Coursehorn Building for the senior years is a grown-up space, complete with its own café and lots of room for independent study.
Head
Former head of both junior school and then sixth form at Croydon High School, Sophie Bradshaw took on the headship of the whole school in September 2023. Warm and chatty, she has the perfect CV for the role, with 20 years’ experience in primary and senior schools. Previous head of Years 1 to 4 Clare Mackie is now head of prep and nursery, which makes the move from Nash House to Little Streams even more seamless. A pre-nursery year for two-year-olds has just been introduced too.
Admissions
Admissions are brilliantly flexible; Nash House has typically been the most popular entry point, but the school will do what it can to find a spot for children in any year group (including midway through the year, if there’s space). Entry is non-selective; prospective pupils in nursery and above pop in for a taster day and from Year 2 upwards undertake baseline tests before being formally offered a place based on their ‘fit’ with the school. Pupils wishing to join the senior school at either 11+ or 13+ will be asked to attend an assessment day, and those moving up from within will be expected to be able to reach the same standards.
Academics and senior school destinations
The geographical separation of the three main areas of the school on site (Nash House, Little Stream and the upper prep and senior school) means that children get a sense of both academic and physical progression as they move up the year groups – but there’s enough interaction between each to ease the transition and maintain a relaxed, all-through vibe. Nursery children enjoy specialist teaching in PE, French and music and from Year 1, Little Streamers are treated to specialist teaching in art, science, music, sport, French and computer science, benefitting from light and airy classrooms, many with bi-folding doors and stacks of wellies hinting at the extensive use of the great outdoors. We loved the appointment of two greeters in each class, ready to welcome visitors and quickly give them an idea of what the class is up to that day. It’s a treat for guests and a brilliant way of helping children gain confidence, coaxing even the shyest out of their shells. In the upper prep, Years 5 and 6 have specialist teaching in every subject, including D&T and drama.
Many stay on for Year 7 now the school goes up to 16+, though some still head off to one of the excellent grammar or other independent schools in the area.
Co-curricular
Children get outdoors whenever they can. There are two outdoor swimming pools, and running and cross-country are big – older pupils can choose from a carousel of sporting options such as sailing, climbing and biking in nearby Bedgebury Forest. Sport is very inclusive – all Year 3 and 4 pupils play in every school fixture – and some weeks, every single upper prep and senior school pupil will be representing the school on match day.
Art shines here, and it’s impossible to miss the vibrant displays all over the school. The department explores multiple media from ceramics to textiles, and pupils are really engaged, as evidenced by the work they produce, which is akin to GCSE standard.
The music department is incredibly strong too – 60 per cent of pupils play an instrument, and opportunities abound to perform in informal concerts, orchestra renditions and even in one of the school’s five rock bands, each complete with bass guitar, acoustic guitar, drummer, keyboard and vocalist. The winter and summer concerts are a particular highlight for training orchestras and ensembles, while the choirs are the centrepiece of the annual carol service.
Drama is part of the core curriculum and, with a 300-seat theatre boasting its own orchestra pit, it’s no wonder that productions are amazingly slick. The director of drama also runs a dance school at weekends, which heaps of children attend (some even took part in a recent dance competition at Disneyland Paris). And two or three times a year, pupils go to London to see a show – on the day of our visit, a group were off to see Mrs Doubtfire.
We love the sound of Drawing, Walking and Talking Club – a chance for children to take some time out in the surrounding Kent countryside. Other options include cookery, gardening, bushcraft and tree-naming, and those who prefer to opt out of matches on a Wednesday afternoon can instead get stuck into water sports, mountain biking and raft making.
Boarding
There are 30 beds available in the Manor House – which sits at the heart of the senior school. Boarding is superbly flexi for those in Years 5-8; a handful of pupils stay every night (Monday – Thursday nights only), some stay two or three nights a week, while others dip in and out for the occasional sleepover while they build their confidence (or as a rather fabulous alternative to a babysitter). ‘Day boarders’ can also stay until 8pm and get involved with supper and all the activities laid on for the boarders before heading home.
School community
Wellbeing is something of a hot topic in education, but Dulwich can hand-on-heart attest that they have been giving it top billing for quite some time. The school has a longstanding partnership with Place2Be (who have an on-site project manager), with group chatting sessions at breaktime for small niggles and one-on-one counselling sessions for anything more deep-rooted (parents and staff are welcome too). Through PSHE lessons children are taught how to express themselves and talk about how they feel. Pupils are also taught breathing techniques, which a staggering 94% said they had been able to positively use to settle emotions like anger or fear – and Dulwich’s ethos of teaching children to 'thrive not just survive.'
This is a broadly local school, and most families live within half an hour’s drive away. Dulwich School Cranbrook is a hit with London exiles (many of whom still commute to the capital on the fast train from Ashford), and flexibility is a major part of the sell. Community spirit is palpable and regular gatherings for parents give them an opportunity to catch up with not just fellow parents, but staff too.
And finally....
Affordable, forward-thinking, family-focused, academically sound and pastorally stellar, this is a fantastic school that now sees pupils through from ages two to 16. Burgeoning numbers are proof of the success of its child-centred approach that allows individuals to blossom at their own pace.