Benenden School

Independent school · Secondary, ages 10 to 19 · Girls only · Sixth form · Boarding

Cranbrook Road, Benenden, Cranbrook, TN17 4AA

01580 240592 · School website · Map and directions

Inspected byISIIndependent Schools Inspectorate
A level exams graded A* or A67%England 26% · 2024/25
Pupils480Room for 620 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 555 in 2019, 528 in 2021, 531 in 2022, 546 in 2023, 545 in 2024, 532 in 2025. Across England, secondary state school pupil numbers were up 10% from 2019 to 2025.

Ofsted inspection

This independent school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted. ISI doesn't publish its judgements as open data, so we can't show them here. You can read its reports on the ISI website.

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Results

We show A level results only. DfE's GCSE figures leave out the IGCSEs many independent schools use, so they can look far lower than pupils' real results. The IB Diploma and Pre-U aren't included in the A level figures either. DfE doesn't publish where independent school students go after sixth form.

A levels (16 to 18), 2024/25

105 A level students in this year group.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Average A level grade A- C+ B-
A level exams graded A* or A 67% 26% 26%
A level exams graded A* to B 86% 53% 53%
Average points per A level entryAn A* is 60 points, an A is 50, a B is 40, and so on down to 10 for an E. 47.8 34.9 35
Average points per A level entry, over time
30 35 40 45 50 55 England 2022/23: 34.2England 2023/24: 34.4England 2024/25: 35 This school 2022/23: 44.5This school 2023/24: 49.2This school 2024/25: 47.8 This school England 35 2022/23 44.5 2023/24 49.2 2024/25 47.8

A level subjects, 2024/25

26 subjects, 330 exams. England figures are for state-funded schools and colleges.

SubjectExamsA*A* or AEngland A* or A
Mathematics 48 29% 71% 40%
Chemistry 28 29% 75% 30%
Biology 27 26% 59% 27%
Geography 27 26% 85% 23%
Economics 24 29% 71% 26%
Physics 22 41% 77% 31%
Religious Studies 18 0% 44% 22%
Psychology 17 18% 41% 19%
History 16 13% 44% 23%
English Language and Literature 13 8% 46% 16%
English Literature 13 8% 62% 23%
Government and Politics 13 38% 77% 26%
Art and Design (Fine Art) 10 50% 70% 38%
History of Art 8 25% 50% 27%
Mathematics (Further) 8 63% 100% 59%
Physical Education / Sports Studies 7 14% 29% 17%
Art and Design (3d Studies) 6 50% 83% 28%
Chinese 6 50% 67% –
Drama and Theatre Studies 6 0% 83% 19%

Also taken, with too few exams for DfE to publish grades: French, Latin, Computer Studies / Computing, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish.

Source: DfE 16 to 18 qualification and subject data, 2024/25.

Source: DfE 16 to 18 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Independent schools run their own admissions and set their own fees. Contact the school directly.

Pupils, staff and SEND

PupilsThis schoolKentEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 0.0% 25.1%* 28.9%
With an education, health and care plan 0.0% 2.8%* 3.1%
Receiving special educational needs support 27.8% 11.5%* 13.4%
English as an additional language Not published 12.7%* 19.2%

Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25.

Nearby secondary schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

How did Benenden School do in its A levels?

In 2024/25, 67% of A level exams were graded A* or A, 41 points above the England average of 26%.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.