Kent College is a non-selective school and welcomes pupils from all backgrounds. Pupils usually join in Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+) or Year 12 (16+), but it is possible to start in other year groups if a place is available. International students may also apply for a Year 11 (15+) pre-Sixth form course.
You can choose between a day place, a full boarding place or one of the various flexible boarding options that are on offer. International students may also apply to join our International Study Centre.
Applicants would normally have a meeting with the Headmaster or a member of the Senior Management Team, visit and tour of the school, and meet with the Registrar. All students are required to complete entrance exams before a place can be offered.
Stage 1: Register
The first stage is to complete our online registration form, and pay the registration fee. The registration fee of £100 covers administration costs and is non-refundable. Completing a registration form does not in any way commit you to the school, nor does it guarantee admission. But you do need to register for your child to be assessed for entry to the school.
Kent College offers learning support through our Learning Support Centre, and individual tuition. Please let us know at this stage if your child needs extra support and provide us with any assessment reports. There will be an opportunity to meet our SENDCO to discuss your child’s needs, and to make sure that Kent College is able to meet them, once we have all the relevant information.
Once you have registered your child will automatically be invited to the relevant assessment days. If you wish to enter your child for any scholarships you will need to fill out the relevant forms by registering online and following the scholarship application details. If you would like to enquire about bursaries please contact the Bursar via bursar@kentcollege.co.uk. Please see the Scholarship and Bursaries page for more detailed information.
Stage 2: Assessments
Kent College holds annual assessment days for the main points of entry into the school. Pupils wishing to enter into other years should speak to the Admissions team about requirements. In all cases a school report will be requested from the pupil’s current school.
Year 7 (11+) Kent College entrance assessments are held at the end of January and cover English, Mathematics and Non-verbal reasoning. There is also a ‘getting to know you’ session for both pupils and parents with a member of the Senior Management Team. Offers are generally sent out during the February half term.
Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 (ages 12-15) Applicants are required to take entrance examinations in English, Mathematics and Non-verbal reasoning. There is also a ‘getting to know you’ interview session for both pupils and parents with the Head or a member of the Senior Management Team. Following the marking of their examination papers, applicants should expect a response within a week.
Year 12 (16+) Pupils wishing to join from other UK schools and taking GCSEs are usually offered a place based on their school reports, mock GCSE results and meeting our minimum requirements. Pupils normally need a minimum of 6 GCSE passes with at least a grade B in the subjects they choose to study at A Level or for the IB Diploma.
Stage 3: An offer of a place
You have met our entry criteria – congratulations!
Once a place has been offered by the school you will be asked to complete an acceptance form and pay a deposit (refunded from school fees when the pupil leaves).
Stage 4: Parents' Contract
We require all parents to complete a Parents' Contract that sets out the terms and conditions on joining the school. In addition parents will need to complete the following online forms before their child joins the school:
Induction All Year 7 pupils are invited with their parents to our New Pupils’ Information Day in June. All new pupils are asked to attend an induction morning before term starts in September. For more details about what you will need to know about for starting at Kent College please see our Joining Us section.
Applying to Kent College
Kent College has a long history of welcoming international students. Around one-third of our pupils are boarders, and there are over 40 countries represented in our boarding population. We have 3 boys’ boarding houses – Elfick, Gamon and Guilford, and 2 girls’ houses – Austen and Wesley. The boarding houses are a ‘home away from home’ for our international students, and we look forward to welcoming your child into the Kent College family in Canterbury.
Pupils usually join Kent College in Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+) or Year 12 (16+), but it is possible to start in other year groups if a place is available. In addition, there is an option for international boarders to apply for a pre-Sixth place in Year 11 (15+).
For those international students who need to improve their English skills before joining mainstream British curriculum classes, our International Study Centre offers an intensive English language programme.
We also offer short-term boarding for two terms for pupils who may wish to prepare for life in a UK boarding school, or for those who would like to spend time in the UK to improve their English. Please contact our Admissions team for more information.
STAGE 1: REGISTER
The first stage is to complete our online registration form, and pay the registration fee. The registration fee of £100 covers administration costs and is non-refundable. Completing a registration form does not in any way commit you to the school, nor does it guarantee admission. But you do need to register for your child to be assessed for entry to the school. You will also be asked to provide a recent school report
STAGE 2: ASSESSMENTS
All applicants are required to take entrance examinations in English, Maths and Non-verbal reasoning. These tests can be taken at the pupil’s own school or British Council office.
In order to assess levels of spoken and written English, students are required to complete an online assessment, and may be invited for a Skype interview with a member of staff.
STAGE 3: AN OFFER OF A PLACE AND GUARDIAN ARRANGEMENTS
Arranging an educational guardian for your child
Kent College, like other independent schools in the UK requires all parents to appoint an educational Guardian who will look after the welfare of their child. Guardians must be aged over 25 years and resident in the UK and be less than two hours travel from school. Guardians should be able to commit to assuming delegated parental responsibility in case of emergencies and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of your child. They should be the parents' representative in the UK and be able to attend parent evenings if required, arrange appropriate transportation to and from the school for your child and visit them during term time as needed.
Whilst Kent College cannot make individual recommendations for guardian agencies, we would advise parents to only use guardian companies accredited by AEGIS (The Association for Education and Guardianship of International Students) or the BSA (Boarding School Association) Parents must complete a Guardian consent form at this stage.
STAGE 4: PARENTS' CONTRACT
We require all parents to complete a Parents' Contract that sets out the terms and conditions on joining the school. In addition parents will need to complete the following online forms before their child joins the school:
All new pupils are invited with their parents to our New Boarders Welcome Day at the beginning of the Autumn term in September. For more detailed information about joining the school please refer to our Joining Us and FAQs page.
If you have any questions, or would like to talk to a member of our Admissions team please email admissions@kentcollege.co.uk or call 01227 813906
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