Kent College Pembury Private School
Description of Kent College Pembury Private School
- Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom
- Age of students: from 3 to 18 years old,
- Type of study: blended,
- Language of instruction: English.
Kent College Pembury (KC) is a boarding and day school where each student is treated as an individual and valued for their unique strengths, talents and ambitions. Students are encouraged to work hard and combine academic pursuits with a full-fledged extracurricular program so that they achieve personal success in all areas of school life.
Kent College Pembury strongly believes that ability is not fixed once and for all – here we believe that pupils have the potential to grow and develop throughout school life and beyond. It is the supportive and kind atmosphere of the college that gives students the courage and confidence to make mistakes and persevere, because whatever their abilities, their efforts are what turn any mistake into a new achievement. The school prides itself on understanding each child, working with them and their family, tailoring learning to individual needs, offering a truly individualized education.
Educational process
KC offers a broad and engaging academic education. The extensive curriculum aims to develop a thirst for learning and encourage students to think independently. A personalised approach ensures that students at Kent College Pembury achieve the best possible results.
Lectures on High Striving Learning Opportunities (HALO) encourage students to be curious, critical, and think deeply, with speakers exploring a variety of cultural, scientific, and political topics that take students' thinking beyond the curriculum.
Faculties and colleges
Kent College is committed to providing excellent professional development opportunities where students can perform at their best in a pleasant and rewarding environment. With this in mind, over the past three years, the school has established a number of academies that focus on organizing weekend and holiday seminars:
- Gymnastics Academy,
- Theatre Academy,
- Swimming Academy.
Things to know about
Kent College Pembury is a full member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), The Girls' Schools Association, which underlines its calibre and prestige.
Kent College has become a partner of GC Index (aka Game Changing Index) and is one of the first GC Index schools in the UK.
In September 2020, Kent College Pembury began the transition to a coeducational preparatory school. Currently, boys can attend all grades up to the 2nd grade and all subsequent groups until the school is fully co-operational.
Programs and prices, tuition fees in Kent College Pembury Private School
Forest Explorers Kindergarten
- Age – 3-4 years,
- The duration of study is from 1 year.
Forest Explorers Kindergarten is designed for girls and boys from the age of three and offers comprehensive care from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The philosophy of outdoor learning promotes the development of imagination, awakens curiosity, develops confidence and independence of each child. In the forest, children can think creatively, step out of their comfort zone, and work together with their friends.
A blended approach to learning in and out of the classroom, linked to the early childhood curriculum, ensures that children develop a wide range of skills and a love for the outdoors.
Preparatory School
- Age – 4-11 years,
- The duration of study is 7 years.
The curriculum aims to encourage students' curiosity and confidence in asking questions both in and out of the classroom. The connections made between subjects stimulate interest and engage the imagination, while skills are developed through problem-solving and collaboration across all subjects. Children are encouraged not to be afraid of making mistakes, but to be persistent as an integral part of the learning process.
The curriculum is broad and varied, with specialized instruction in music, French, drama, physical education and Chinese (in Grade 6). The training also includes weekly computer science lessons, which allow children to acquire practical skills for working in the digital world, including how to stay safe online.
High School
- Age – 11-16 years old,
- The duration of study is 5 years.
KC High School is full of creative and interesting young people who represent a lively, inquisitive part of the world.
In grades 7-9, KC students learn a broad and balanced curriculum. In addition to core lessons, subjects such as Latin, Computer Science, Spanish, Drama, and Textiles are offered. To prepare for GCSEs, students can choose from 26 subjects with three to four options in addition to the majors. Pupils are allowed to choose any combination of optional subjects, the school will create a timetable based on their choice. Excellent GCSE results speak volumes: behind every personal achievement is a story of challenge, faith, effort and growth.
Sixth Form
- Age – 16-18 years old,
- The duration of study is 2 years.
Kent College Pembury offers so much more than just an academic education! Sixth Form students are confident, kind-hearted young people who stand out for their drive and ambition and understand the importance of the community and their role in it.
Life at Sixth Form is exciting. A-Level represents a major academic challenge: KC believes that students should be able to study subjects that inspire them and offers 25 A-Level subjects and 3 BTEC qualifications. The college creates an individual timetable of each student's choice: this allows for maximum flexibility in choice when students choose three or four subjects to study at an advanced level.
Accommodation, meals, prices
Kent College is at the heart of the school life of students from the UK and around the world. They are proud of the warm family atmosphere. Life at Kent College is full of opportunities, with students being given space to grow academically and achieve outstanding achievement. The school values diversity and advocates for inclusivity so that pupils interact with the KC community in a confident and positive way, helps develop independence, and teaches children the life skills they will need to prepare for the future.
Kent College Pembury has two boarding schools: Hawkwell & Hargreaves for Year 5 to Year 9 students and James & Osborn for Year 10 through Sixth Form students.
There are three options:
- Full Board – Students stay at the school for the entire semester with a flexible learning schedule.
- Weekly Boarding – Students arrive at school on Sunday evening or Monday morning and stay until Friday during each term.
- Flexible schedule – students can stay from one to three nights per week on a regular or occasional basis.
Activities Kent College Pembury Private School
KC students are ambitious, encouraged to follow their natural talents and passions outside of the classroom. They can broaden their horizons through the many and varied extracurricular activities, opportunities for professional development in academics, sports and the arts.
Students of all ages have the opportunity to take part in excursions and trips in the UK as well as abroad. Some of them are directly related to the curriculum, such as visits to the theater, art galleries, or geography tours.
The pupils of the boarding school have a rich program on weekdays and weekends, during the week they take part in many clubs together with full-time students during lunch and after school. Weekend activities are culturally interesting, fun and entertaining: visiting local attractions, shopping, going to the cinema or theme parks, hiking or cycling, trips to London. KC employees regularly conduct various workshops: handicraft, culinary, theatrical or sports.
The school has sports clubs, STEM clubs including 3D design and robotics, Model United Nations clubs, philosophy clubs, and ancient language clubs. A wide range of extracurricular activities are offered, including climbing, Pilates, debate, rock choir, photography, dance, boxing, self-defense, yoga and community service, and team sports.
Facilities and equipment at Kent College Pembury Private School
in Kent. It offers easy access to central London (50 minutes by train) and Gatwick and Heathrow airports are less than an hour's drive away. Folkestone and Dover, with links to mainland Europe, are just over an hour's drive away. At the beginning and end of the semester, the school arranges transportation to and from the airports.
Kent College Pembury is set on 75 acres of beautiful countryside in Pemboury, close to Tunbridge Wells. The school campus consists of a Victorian manor house and purpose-built modern facilities, including a preparatory school and nursery, a library, a theatre, a music school, a science building, a Sixth Form Centre and outstanding sporting facilities. There are outdoor learning spaces, a forest school and advanced courses, two residential residences for junior and senior classes.
Kent College Pembury is equipped to meet the requirements of modern educational standards. The following facilities have been established at the school:
- sports complex,
- dance studio,
- playgrounds for team sports,
- riding arena,
- music studio,
- art studio,
- pool.
The kindergarten has its own wing at Kent College Preparatory School, decorated with a forest theme and designed to stimulate young minds, an equipped space with a large outdoor play area.
Admission dates and extra charges
The academic year at Kent College Pembury runs from September to June. The year is divided into 3 trimesters, between which vacations are organized:
- Autumn trimester (September – December),
- Christmas Vacation (2 weeks),
- Spring trimester (January – March),
- Easter holidays (2 weeks),
- Summer term (April – June),
- Summer holidays (2 months, July and August).
Additional costs:
- Registration fee,
- Deposit
- Breakfast Club,
- Morning extracurricular activities,
- Evening extracurricular activities,
- After-school care (including dinner),
- Music and vocal lessons,
- Instrument rental (except piano),
- Teaching Speech/Dramaturgy,
- AEN support,
- Support EAL,
- Uniform and sports equipment,
- School trips, trips or weekend activities,
- Educational materials, books and stationery,
- External exams,
- Materials for art, ceramics and food industry,
- Transportation and taxi rides.
Enrolment process
To apply for a place, you must fill out an application form and pay a non-refundable application fee. Once the school receives the application and tuition fee, the Admissions Office will contact the parents to inform them of the next steps.
Enrolment statistics
Today, about 550 people study at Kent College Pembury.
Perspectives
International students at Kent College Pembury achieve excellent results in GCSE and A-Level exams and gain admission to leading universities both in the UK and overseas, they successfully pass exams in Cambridge English Preventive, Cambridge English First, Cambridge English Advanced and IGCSE English as a Second Language.
The three-year Sixth Form (pre A-Level) programme allows international students to earn matriculations in English and Mathematics in the first year, followed by a further two years during which three A-Levels or BTECs can be studied.
Entry requirements, how to apply, what is required to enrol
International families are advised to visit the school in person, they should contact the Admissions Office to arrange a visit. After applying, international applicants must take online entrance tests in Mathematics and English before being interviewed by the Deputy Director of Academic Affairs or the Head of the International Study Centre.
Kent College Pembury accepts the UKiset test: applicants who take this test do not take additional assessments, but will be invited for an interview.
Scholarships Kent College Pembury Private School
Kent College Pembury provides financial support to families in the form of scholarships. Parents or guardians wishing to apply for a scholarship must fill out an application form, which indicates the financial situation of the family: information on income and capital is requested, and full documentary evidence must be attached.
Scholarships are only available for high school and after receiving a place offer.
In addition, the school provides financial support to student-athletes: talented candidates in grades 7, 9 and Sixth Form are provided with sports scholarships. The scholarship program includes a dedicated supervisor who helps with the demands of athletic commitment and classroom work, fitness, lectures, sport-specific coaching, and performance analysis.
Institution on the map
Residence permits, citizenship and other services
- Guardianship services during the studies
- Student supervision
Review about Kent College Pembury Private School
Recommendations on when to apply
| Language courses, schools and children's language camps | Primary and secondary education - private schools | Preparation programmes for entering universities - higher education | Higher education (after completing accredited programs A-level, IB, High School) - Bachelor, Master, MBA |
| - we recommend to apply 6-9 months before the start of the course (some camps and schools offer discounts for early booking or for lengthy study programs) - there are some very popular and high demand children's camps, where the applications need to be submitted 1 year in advance (in particular Switzerland , Great Britain , USA , Canada , Austria) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the training program, - some schools have a specific time frame (September-November - please specify an individual school) - some schools require tests in several stages (UKISET, internal tests of the school: English, mathematics, logics, subjects, interview, some require a personal visit) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the program, - for Foundation and Pathway programs, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are usually required, respectively | - recommended submission one year before the start of the program, - the deadline normally closes in January, for TOP HEIs and, as a rule, in March in other universities - for a bachelor, a Foundation or Pathway preparatory program a completed A-level, IB, High School + IELTS / TOEFL are required - for Masters you need a graduated higher education, in some cases you need a pre-Masters program - MBA requires completed higher education, work experience preferably at least 2-3 years, etc. |
